Mental and Emotional Therapy Center

Chronic back pain can have an emotional effect:  it can make you depressed, stressed, or anxious. If your doctor refers you to a psychologist (or psychiatrist) for counseling as part of your chronic pain treatment plan, it does not mean that your doctor thinks your pain is all in your head.  Instead, it means that he or she is taking a multi-disciplinary approach to your pain—one that may incorporate medications, physical therapy, and psychology, for example. Since chronic pain is a multi-faceted condition, it generally requires a multi-faceted treatment plan that may include counseling for depression.