MindSpot Pain Course to manage the impact of pain on emotional wellbeing - MindSpot Clinic
MindSpot Clinic will be closed from 8pm ADST on Thursday the 1st of April and reopen at 8am on Tuesday the 5th of April due to public holidays.
Existing patients will still be able to access all treatment courses online as per usual and we will respond to new referrals and contacts from 8AM ADST on Tuesday 5th of April 2021.

MindSpot Pain Course

​The Pain Course is an internet-delivered pain management program for adults aged 18 years and over.

The Pain Course helps people with chronic pain manage the impact of pain on their day-to-day life and their emotional wellbeing. The course is not designed to ‘cure’ or ‘treat’ pain but to help people manage pain and maintain a good quality of life despite pain. ​

​The Pain Course consists of five lessons over an eight-week period. It provides the information and practical skills you would normally receive from a mental health professional if you attended a specialist pain management clinic. You can choose to receive weekly therapist support during the course, or you can choose to contact us when you need to.

​The lessons provide essential information and teach practical self-management skills to help you do the following:

  • Understand chronic pain and how it differs from acute pain
  • Recognise the cycle of symptoms involved in pain, anxiety and depression
  • Break the cycle of symptoms
  • Recognise and challenge unhelpful thoughts and beliefs
  • Recognise and manage physical symptoms of pain, anxiety and depression
  • Manage levels of day-to-day physical activity safely and confidently, despite pain
  • Continue to manage your pain and emotional wellbeing once the course has finished

In addition to the lessons, the course includes DIY Guides to help you better understand and practise skills taught in the lessons. There are also lots of additional resources teaching other important and practical skills, as well as stories from other people with chronic pain who have previously participated in the course.​

The Pain Course is recommended for people who:​

  • Are aged 18 years and over
  • Are Australian residents
  • Experience symptoms of chronic pain and symptoms of anxiety, low mood and depression, who want to improve the management of pain and emotional wellbeing
  • Have at least four hours a week to spend working on the course and practising the skills

The Pain Course is not suitable for people who:

If you have very severe symptoms, we strongly recommend that you see a GP, a headspace centre, or a psychologist or psychiatrist for assessment and treatment.

We strongly recommend you discuss your participation in this course with your GP and other health professionals. Maintaining a good working relationship with your GP is essential and they can help you decide whether this program is going to be suitable for you.

You can find out if you are eligible for this course by completing the MindSpot Online Assessment.

  • Approximately 300 people have enrolled in the Pain Course at MindSpot.
  • The Pain Course was trialled at the eCentreClinic in clinical trials with more than 1,500 Australians.
  • Over 90% of participants reported the course was worth their time and that they would recommend it to other people.
  • Most people made good clinical improvements in how much they were able to do day-to-day and their emotional wellbeing.
  • Many participants were also able to work through the course with very little contact with therapists and still make significant improvements.

Next steps:

Development of the Pain Course was partially funded by the NHMRC, the NSW Motor Accidents Authority and iCare Lifetime Care. This course was written by Associate Professor Blake Dear and Professor Nick Titov.​