Online Therapy for Chronic Pain in Canada
The Woods Counselling Co. offers online, trauma-informed therapy for adults across most of Canada living with chronic pain — from fibromyalgia and CRPS to back pain, migraines, and pain with no clean diagnosis. Led by Elysia Bronson, a Registered Clinical Counsellor and Co-Chair of the Canadian Pain Society’s Psychosocial Pain Special Interest Group, the practice works exclusively with chronic pain and chronic illness. No referral is required, and most extended health plans cover sessions.
What Online Counselling for Chronic Pain Involves
Effective online treatment for chronic pain and chronic illness draws on approaches that work with the nervous system, not just the story you tell about your pain. The specific tools vary by client, but two that come up often are Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT), which targets learned pain pathways in the brain, and the Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP), a listening-based intervention that supports nervous system regulation. Sessions also draw on trauma-informed talk therapy, DBT, CBT, and somatic approaches, chosen based on what you’re dealing with and what’s actually helped or not helped before.
Why This Practice Is Different
Elysia Bronson is a Registered Clinical Counsellor and Co-Chair of the Canadian Pain Society’s Psychosocial Pain Special Interest Group. This practice works exclusively with chronic pain and chronic illness — it isn’t a generalist counselling practice that also sees pain clients. That distinction matters: someone who lives in chronic pain doesn’t need to explain the basics of pacing, flare-ups, or medical gaslighting before the real work can start. Ready to start? Book a free consultation or explore the self-paced pain course.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Yes, for many people. Approaches like Pain Reprocessing Therapy have research support for certain types of chronic pain, particularly pain without an ongoing tissue-damage cause. Online delivery doesn’t reduce effectiveness for talk-based and nervous-system-focused work — what matters more is whether the approach fits your specific pain and history.
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Most extended health plans cover registered clinical counselling, and sessions are also covered by ICBC and WorkSafe BC where applicable. Check your specific plan for RCC or BCACC coverage — most extended benefits include it, but details vary by provider.
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Chronic pain and chronic illness, specifically — including fibromyalgia, CRPS, migraines, back pain, ME/CFS, long COVID, POTS, and pain or illness without a clear diagnosis. This isn’t a generalist practice that also sees pain clients; it’s the sole focus.
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General talk therapy doesn’t always account for how chronic pain and illness reshape daily life — pacing, flare-ups, medical trauma, being dismissed by providers. This practice works with the nervous system directly, using tools like Pain Reprocessing Therapy and the Safe and Sound Protocol alongside trauma-informed talk therapy, DBT, CBT, and somatic work.
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That’s common, and it doesn’t mean therapy won’t work — it usually means the approach wasn’t matched to chronic pain or chronic illness specifically. Sessions here are built around what’s already been tried and what hasn’t helped, not a generic protocol.
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No referral is required. You can book directly and start with a free 20-minute consultation to see if it’s a fit.
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Full clinical counselling (RCC) is available to residents of BC. Non-clinical weekly support is available across Canada, the US, and internationally — ask which format applies to you if you’re outside BC.
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Pricing is discussed directly, and most extended health plans, ICBC, and WorkSafe cover some or all of the cost. If weekly sessions aren’t affordable right now, the self-paced pain course offers a lower-cost way to build the same skills.