Quick answer
Clinical psychology provides assessment and evidence-based talking therapy for anxiety, low mood, stress and adjustment difficulties, including the psychological side of living with chronic pain or a long-term condition. Sessions are confidential and structured around agreed goals.
Persistent pain, a long recovery and a life that has changed shape are psychological problems as much as physical ones, and treating only the physical side is why some people plateau.
What we help with
Anxiety, low mood and stress; adjustment after injury, illness or surgery; the psychological aspects of chronic pain; sleep difficulty; and support for families adapting to a relative's diagnosis.
Chronic pain in particular
Persistent pain changes how the nervous system processes signals, and fear of movement, low mood and disrupted sleep all amplify it. Psychological therapy alongside physiotherapy addresses that loop directly, and for long-standing pain it often makes the difference between managing and not.
This is not a claim that the pain is imaginary. It is not.
Practical points
Sessions are confidential. We agree goals at the start and review them. Where someone needs psychiatric care or medication, we say so and refer rather than continuing alone.
Medically reviewed by Nasir Mughees, BPT, MPT, Orthopaedic Physiotherapy · Last reviewed September 2026