“I felt like I was out of ideas until these coaching sessions started. I wasn’t getting anywhere with physio or counseling. Now I feel much more in control and positive, and I’m finding new ways to get active, despite the pain.”

“I’m glad I made the call. It was very helpful to know that others have a true understanding of what chronic pain is and how it affects all aspects of your life.”

“If you’re living with pain and you’re tired of living with pain alone, this program is for you. Coaching for Health has helped me overcome a lot of the challenges I had with my sense of self-worth, my confidence and my ability to even prioritize what’s important. This program has helped me far beyond words can even describe.”

“For a manual therapist providing care for chronic pain patients, Dr. Assimakopoulos’ course on chronic pain was thoroughly informative and provided a wealth of information that could be directly applied to practice. The evidence and knowledge provided is something any treating provider can take into practice. Dr. Assimakopoulos is changing the way we look at and manage chronic pain.”

“If there is one course that every RMT needs to take, it is your Pain BC course. It completely changed how I think about chronic pain and has given me some tools to be more effective at treating it.”

“Eric teaches with humour and good grace without a hint of arrogance or egotism. He speaks passionately and confidently on a topic he is obviously quite knowledgeable about. The [RMT] course focuses on how we think and encourages us to ask some big questions. If you’re ready for a paradigm shift, this course will be the first step in that direction.”

“Research is a priority for Pain BC. In developing this Network, Pain BC will play a critical role in bringing together people in pain, health care providers, and policy makers with researchers to make a concrete difference in the lives of people in pain.”

“Collaboration is essential to addressing this crisis.”

I think this program is such a great support. It’s just nice to know people can relate with what you are going through.

Wow, I attended my first support group today. I am not alone; I am not weird. Kindness, support, and caring people will be guiding this group. If anyone is in doubt about coming, try it – you will like it.

For the longest time, I needed help [but] I wasn’t sure if it was available. [The Pain Support Line] gave me the motivation to say, ‘you needed the help, you should go ask for it.’

It was just like chatting to a friend.  [The Pain Support Line volunteer] listened to my story and gave me resources. It was great.

I first found Pain BC through its Facebook page and that’s still the main way I connect with [the organization]. It was so friendly there and I felt like part of the community right away. Someone from Pain BC always replies to my messages right away and other people in the group are always so quick to offer support. It might seem like a small thing, but that Facebook group is now a really important part of my life.

I never imagined that Coaching for Health could be so helpful. Working with the coach helped me overcome the fear of trying new things.

I feel like I have learned more from Pain BC than I have even from some of my health care providers. I feel like I have grown a lot as a person because of volunteering. It’s a really great environment and I get to learn from the other volunteers [and] all our supervisors. I am learning constantly

Very useful and relevant – one of the best online health related course I have taken. I can’t wait to use the tools and resources!

I enjoyed the well-rounded approach with cultural considerations for our diverse population of patients. Understanding the importance of body language, choice of wording and sensitivity to trauma is extremely helpful in changing my approach when working with a patient experiencing chronic pain.

I thoroughly enjoyed this course, every health care professional should take it! I now have a better understanding of pain and have adopted tools that will help me improve function in my clients living with chronic pain.

I have been eagerly awaiting the opportunity to take this course. It was an exceptionally well-designed, thorough, and valuable resource that is greatly appreciated. Sincere gratitude to all the hard work, expertise, and care that went into creating it.

I love the ability to connect via video to get input from specialists on my most challenging cases. The team was very knowledgeable and supportive, which made it a very valuable experience.

Contributing to this type of work is how I take care of myself and my well-being. It’s reassuring to know that Pain BC is doing this work and it gives me hope that health care services will continue to become safer and more inclusive spaces.

I was not sure how my pain management was going to be impacted by giving birth, so being connected to a coach helped me feel very supported, especially while navigating the uncertainty of a pandemic. It was [the coach’s] respectful, knowledgeable, empathetic, genuinely caring, and constant support and very ethical way of being that made this program so truly life changing for me.

Since speaking with Pain BC’s coach on a weekly basis, I have regained my confidence, strength and courage to believe in myself again. Coaching has helped me look past my pain.

During the low points in my week, when my pain is bad, I focus my attention on Thursday’s class. I breathe and feel joy and relief in my body. I feel the stamina and courage to keep going.

Being part of the [Pain Support and Wellness Group] facilitator team has really done more for me than I’ve done for others. This has truly been a gift to me.

This program is special and so valuable. I’m riding high after such a great call [with my client]. It has spurred me to take more courses to grow my skills. I want to do this every day!

Volunteering for Pain BC has brought purpose to my life. I have met so many wonderful people – both my fellow co-facilitators, the staff of Pain BC and, last but not least, the people who attend the meetings. We learn from each other.

I can’t say enough positive things about the [Pain Support and Wellness Group] program, and other programs offered by Pain BC. Thank you for this service. It has really helped me cope with chronic pain. I don’t feel quite so alone.

I really enjoyed the [Pain Support and Wellness Group] session and was pleasantly surprised as this was my very first pain support group where I shared openly and honestly. I look forward to attending again.

I love how the groups moved to Zoom. As a person with chronic pain, it is challenging to commit to showing up in person every time. Online has made it very accessible and made it possible to attend after 2 years of wanting to. Last night I just signed up for a couple more. Thanks for all you do.

This excellent course significantly increased my confidence and provided me with tools and resources.

The [BC ECHO for Chronic Pain] sessions are extremely helpful. Participating [in] these sessions helps me feel less isolated and validates my treatment approach. I also learn a lot about areas that I don’t know a lot about. I truly appreciate the interdisciplinary context of these sessions.

The [BC ECHO for Chronic Pain] is a wonderful learning platform. I love the short didactic to build knowledge. The most helpful learning for me is from the rich case discussions and learning from the expert opinions – and the recognition that pain management is not just about pharmaceutical approaches. Thank you. I am a fan.

The [BC ECHO for Chronic Pain] sessions are a great way to gain perspective from a variety of health care professionals and have access to multiple lessons working on a similar goal; to help guide the individual in pain to the best way we know how.

Thank you so, so much for the opportunity to attend these sessions – having this kind of support in experiences of pain is so important and helps me be so much less lonely!

During my first session, I felt heard and understood. It is life changing.

Being able to talk to others who truly understand my experience in such a safe environment has been invaluable to me. I no longer feel isolated and alone in pain.

[The staff] is excellent!  Very in tune with, and understanding of, my current circumstances. She gave me great tools and reference material.  Thank you.

I was at a very low point in my then two-plus-years journey with chronic pain… Then along came [my coach]. I simply can’t say enough about what she has done for me! She has taught me to keep trying and to stay positive, not to be defined by my illness, not to stay entrenched in the cycle of sickness…

My coach was excellent, very compassionate and skilled in her support. This is an amazing program.

I looked forward to my sessions. The resources/information were things I would never have thought of trying without the coach’s direction.

Despite living with pain for years, I felt supported and smarter going through the program trial.

I was impressed with the program and would recommend it to anyone who struggles with pain.

I really liked the Indigenous crafts and medicine pouches to connect us more with earth and be grounded in our bodies rather than escaping the pain.

I am grateful for the opportunity to do this. It helped me to keep working on my journey and not left alone.

I really like the diversity and inclusivity in the case examples and photos used in this course. I think this is the first CME course that I have taken that has done a good job at fair representation. Thank you. This course was long, but well worth it. I will be highly recommending this to all family physicians. I think it should be part of the family medicine residency program curriculum.

As an occupational therapist, pain is often a barrier to clients’ occupational goals. This module gives me techniques, resources and methods to educate, engage and approach working towards occupational (life!) goals with my clients.

Fantastic course! I enjoyed the information being delivered in a variety of methods, as opposed to all written or audio. I found it educational and easy to follow. I feel confident delivering this course in the community. The information and strategies will also be helpful when treating my day-to-day clients. Thank you!

The regular scheduling of the sessions and the structured format of didactic and case learning make the [BC ECHO for Chronic Pain] sessions extremely useful and enlightening. They have been well worth my time and energy to attend.

Thanks! In 15 years of continuing education, I have never taken a course that was so easy to integrate into practice immediately.

It has been so long since I have taken a course or been taught something that is evidence based and it is SO refreshing. I think every health care professional should take this course.

People have so much to share and everyone’s story is different, but the one thing we have in common is chronic pain. It is heartwarming to hear group participants say they are grateful we understand their pain.

I appreciate the highs, the lows and everything in between with the Pain Support and Wellness Group I facilitate and those I coach. I enjoy sharing analogies, sincere empathy, laughter and hope for the future.

A lot of the teachable moments and discussion are group-generated, and the facilitators are also people living with pain. This dissolves the power imbalance you can often see in groups run by non-peers.

The program makes me feel less alone. Not only am I appreciative of the facilitator-led discussions on various topics, but I’m in awe of the other participants who courageously share their stories, knowledge, struggles and successes, no matter how big or small. It’s just a fantastic group!

It is empowering and affirming to listen and talk to other people who have similar challenges and experiences. I feel heard and seen and validated and I feel less alone. Thank you!

I’ve been in therapy for anxiety for two decades and thought I knew everything about how to cope with stress, but this was brand new, revolutionary information that has never ever been presented to me. I came into the group in a terrible mood feeling awful and left invigorated and full of hope, joy, love and a sense of community. So much gratitude for this group and everyone in it!

This group is so, so important to me. It helps me more than I can put into words. The facilitators are so knowledgeable and accepting of all experiences.

The most helpful thing was [knowing] that I’m not alone and isolated with my chronic pain.

I found the most helpful thing to be prompt support, valuable/pertinent information, a friendly person on the other end of the phone.

I was very appreciative of the program and more especially my coach. She had a great understanding of what I am going through. A great program to say the least.

I really liked the warm supportive coaching I received. I was in a really sad, grey place, but [my coach] guided my thoughts to have [a] more positive outlook and to truly be kind to myself before others. I highly recommend that those living with chronic pain seek support with this program to supplement your pain toolbox!

Timely response in booking and keeping appointments, great communication with my coach, [and] so much empathy and support. I felt like I had a team working on my behalf, though it was only one coach.

I have often worked with clients to identify ways they can continue to connect with people, bring joy into their lives and remain active. I walk alongside them as they connect to their own creativity and resilience.

Chronic pain is like walking through a forest at night. You have no idea where you’re going and there’s no one there to help you. The groups and coaching are hugely important for normalizing these experiences. Having a support system can change the trajectory of your life.

All of the participants had done previous workshops through our mental health service and they all stated very strongly that this was the most helpful and supportive group they had been involved with. On the last day everybody shed some tears and they made plans to stay connected with one another. It was truly wonderful.

It’s a safe environment for clinicians to learn different strategies for managing chronic pain. I appreciate the perspective of other disciplines in utilizing non-pharmacological strategies for pain management. I think as health care providers we can do better in identifying trauma/ACEs and connecting patients to community resources.

The most significant change will be in the ways in which I approach patient education, and in my approaches to patient advocacy. Specifically, my approach to education had been heavily focused on pain physiology. After this course, my approach to education will now draw from a broader range of perspectives.

I will be more curious about patients who report chronic pain, I will make a more thorough assessment of their understanding of it and the support they are receiving. If they are interested, I will explore their emotions with an ear for anger, grief, etc. I will feel more confident encouraging self-care and management and offering a framework for that. I will recommend Pain BC resources.

Fantastic course! I enjoyed the information being delivered in a variety of methods, as opposed to all written or audio. I found it educational and easy to follow. I feel confident delivering this course in the community. The information and strategies will also be helpful when treating my day-to-day clients. Thank you!

I appreciated Sue’s expertise, her use of real examples, and allowing us to have discussion and help each other to work through solutions.

The facilitator’s knowledge and kindness came across during the webinar. She was very engaging throughout, and the research is powerful. It will impact my work and considerations when working with people. I found the qualitative accounts to be most impactful and important for us as clinicians to hear.

A knowledgeable and caring physician gave the presentation and did so in an understandable and straightforward way!