ACT Essentials: Does ACT treat pain?

Join pain specialist Laura Rathbone and host Joanna Taylor as they challenge one of the most persistent myths in healthcare: that you must eliminate pain before you can live your life.

What You'll Discover
In this session, Laura explains why ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) takes a fundamentally different approach to chronic pain - one that focuses on living a rich, meaningful life alongside pain rather than fighting an unwinnable battle against it.

Key Topics Covered:
✓The Truth About ACT and Pain Reduction
✓Understanding Acceptance vs Defeat
✓The Research Paradox
✓The Chinese Finger Trap Metaphor
✓ACT as a Framework, Not a Tool

About Laura Rathbone
Laura is a pain consultant physiotherapist at Amsterdam UMC, educator with NOI Group, and co-founder of Pain Geeks. She's been training healthcare professionals in ACT for 9 years, helping them develop sustainable, psychologically-informed practices that support both clinician wellbeing and patient outcomes.

Ready to Dive Deeper?
Laura's comprehensive ACT course starts February 3rd, 2026. Over four weeks of online learning, you'll:

✓Develop strategies to safeguard your own wellbeing when working with distressed patients
✓Gain a solid understanding of the ACT framework and underlying theory
✓Learn to integrate ACT flexibly with your unique clinical style
✓Build a sustainable practice that serves both you and your patients
✓Connect with an international community of like-minded clinicians

This isn't just another course - it's a journey of professional and personal development that will transform how you show up in clinic.

Learn More
🔗 Find out more about Laura's ACT course: [laurarathbone.com]
📺 Watch previous webinars in this series:    / @laura.rathbone  
💬 Join the Pain Geeks community for ongoing learning and support: https://www.paingeeks.community/

Timeline:
0:00 - Introduction
3:32 - If a patient asks "Will ACT get rid of my pain?"
6:56 - How ACT differs from traditional approaches
11:23 - Why "acceptance" makes people nervous
18:26 - The research paradox: effectiveness without pain reduction
27:02 - What people gain from Laura's ACT course

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