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Reduce or eliminate physical and psychological pain
Get back to the activities that bring you joy and fulfillment
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Quiet your inner critic and learn to embrace your true self
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Jessica Leavell, Ph.D.
Licensed Clinical Psychologist
Certified Pain Reprocessing Therapist
I am a neuropsychologist specializing in the treatment of chronic pain, anxiety, and stress-related physical symptoms. My psychological approach integrates the latest evidence-based therapies proven to provide relief from painful conditions once thought to be untreatable.
I am certified in Pain Reprocessing Therapy. I also integrate Emotional Awareness and Expression Therapy, mindfulness, and cognitive-behavioral techniques proven effective for mind-body conditions.
Mind-body conditions (MBC) are very real, chronic and debilitating
physical symptoms that develop due to stress, trauma, and
other psychological causes.
Our internal stress response system creates pain, anxiety, and other physical symptoms to alert us to danger. Breakthroughs in neuroscience have taught us that the brain interprets internal, emotional distress in the same way as external physical threats. When we experience long-term emotional distress, the brain stays in danger mode and physical symptoms become chronic.
Over time, we can develop additional fear of the physical symptoms themselves. We second-guess our ability to function in everyday life. This leads to a pattern of hypervigilance and avoidance known as the pain-fear cycle, which reinforces pain symptoms and results in a hypersensitive nervous system that even misinterprets safe sensations as painful ones. This fear can be incredibly debilitating and causes many to eliminate activities that bring purpose and joy.
Wondering if your symptoms are mind-body?
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Have your symptoms lasted for months or years without improvement?
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Have medical providers been unable to find concrete answers or offer vague explanations?
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Do you have symptoms throughout your body or, have they worsened, moved, or spread over time?
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Did symptoms begin during a stressful time, with no obvious physical trigger, or persisted beyond expected healing time for an injury?
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Are you in a constant state of hypervigilance or avoid activities due to fear of triggering your symptoms?
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Do you have a history of early childhood adversity, trauma, chronic long-term stress, or perfectionism?
If this resonates with you, healing is within reach. We will work together to break the thinking, emotional, and behavioral patterns that keep your brain on high alert. You will learn brain retraining strategies to break the pain-fear cycle and assess uncomfortable sensations and feared activities through a lens of safety.
If this resonates with you, healing is within reach. We will work together to break the thinking, emotional, and behavioral patterns that keep your brain on high alert. You will learn brain retraining strategies to break the pain-fear cycle and assess uncomfortable sensations and feared activities through a lens of safety.
I understand your struggle
because I’ve been there.
I believe in mind-body therapy because it healed my pain
This mind-body appoach has been found effective for:
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Back, neck, or shoulder pain
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Migraine
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Some forms of arthritis
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Pain lingering after a physical injury has fully healed
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Fibromyalgia
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Facial and occipital neuralgias
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Irritable bowel syndrome
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Chronic fatigue
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Pelvic pain
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Anxiety
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Depression
Important Information
All therapeutic sessions are completed remotely through a HIPAA compliant medical record system.
Due to Massachusetts psychology licensing restrictions you must be present in the state at the time of our Session.
Sessions are self-pay and I do not accept insurance. I can provide a superbill for you to pursue reimbursement from Insurance Companies. However, I recommend you contact your insurance company to check.