What to expect
Please call or complete the form below if you are interested in learning more about services. Dr. Foxen-Craft will return your call or message within 1-2 business days.
We will set up a time to have a brief, 10-15 minute consultation call to determine if we are potentially a good fit, and to set you up for success from the very beginning. This is provided absolutely free, as we know your time and resources are valuable! This call can be parent-only if the patient is under 18 years.
If we decide to move forward, we will schedule an initial evaluation. This is typically a 1-1.5 hour appointment, in which we will discuss your experiences and needs more in depth. We will work to set personalized goals so that we can track progress.
If treatment is recommended and you are interested, sessions are typically scheduled as 50 minute sessions. Both in-person and telehealth options are available.
In each session, we check in on your child’s progress toward their goals, and work on learning a new skill or advancing a skill. Depending on the child’s age and other factors, treatment sessions may be one-on-one or with a family member, or a combination. The format of treatment will be discussed in collaboration with you. Please also inquire if you are interested in peer group therapy options.
Your child will likely have activities or skills to practice at home in between appointments, to make sure that we are making as much progress as possible.
Every few sessions, we will check in to discuss progress and next steps.
Treatment Approach
Pain and behavioral health concerns are on the rise among children, teenagers, and young adults in our country. Everyone’s experiences are unique, but you are also not alone. Too often, chronic pain and behavioral health concerns are not initially recognized or understood by family or even medical providers, and it can be a scary, frustrating, exhausting, and stressful time. Your child may be experiencing pain, fatigue, trouble sleeping, feeling anxious or depressed, and having trouble focusing. Often, pain and stress lead to your child feeling as if he or she cannot participate or give their best effort in activities, like school, sports, and friends and family time.
If someone suggests to your child to see a pain psychologist, a therapist, or behavioral health provider, it can sometimes feel like they are basically saying that their pain and symptoms are not real. Pain psychology and behavioral health is NOT about telling anyone that their pain is all in their head (well, we suppose it is if you have headache or migraines). Scientists and specialists have actually known for a long time that ALL pain is experienced in biological and psychological ways- to experience pain, you have to have a brain and a body communicating with each other. Therefore, pain psychology and behavioral health is about retraining the mind-body connection toward your child’s healing, recovery, and moving forward with their life.
Treatment at Pediatric Pain and Behavioral Health is always personalized toward your child and family’s unique goals and values, while being science-backed and using evidence-based practice. Pain and stress can take a lot away from a child, teen, or young adult’s life. Therefore, psychological and behavioral strategies are introduced to focus not just on reducing symptoms, but also helping your child take back their life in alignment with their interests and values. Psychological approach to these goals is typically grounded in cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) principles, as this form of therapy has some of the best evidence for helping children, teens, and adults reduce pain and distress, and increase their functioning in their daily lives. Pain-focused CBT uses knowledge of how the mind and body process pain, to help you regulate your nervous system and manage triggers to pain and promote more adaptive responses to pain.
Other techniques that may be incorporated based on age, developmental, and unique needs:
Pain reprocessing
Mindfulness
Neuroscience education
Behavior change
Parent behavior training
Motivational interviewing
Problem solving skills training
Solution focused therapy
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Biofeedback is not offered at this time, but relaxation and physiological-regulation skills are often introduced. Depending on the age of the patient and developmental needs, some treatment may include a focus on the family together.
Consultation: As pain and behavioral health concerns can affect your whole life, Pediatric Pain and Behavioral Health also provides consultation with your physicians, physical therapists, occupational therapists, school staff, coaches, and more to ensure that treatment and accommodations are comprehensive and helpful.
Ages treated: Children and teens ages 2-18, and some young adults 18-22.