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Extending Pain Psychology Beyond The Psychologist: The Need For A Professional Clinical Identity, Tyler D. Barrett

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

This paper outlines the argument for establishing a commonly understood designation for allied health clinicians who specialize in psychological interventions for chronic pain. There is a growing need for clinicians with skills in psychological interventions for pain (“pain psychology”). However, there are not enough pain psychologists to meet the demand. Recent research has suggested that allied health professionals from varying disciplines can safely and effectively deliver pain psychology interventions. Clinical training in psychological interventions for pain outside of clinical psychology has been growing but remains limited. As the pool of cross-discipline clinicians with expertise in pain psychology expands, this specialization …