Encourager

A brilliant and fascinating conversation about pain -- what is it?

Jennifer uses her philosophy skills to really dig down into this vital question.

Her answers may surprise you! She is radical by her own admission but I would say that her position is one that resonates with a person-first approach. We explore this and much more.

Orla shares her story of frustration as a dietician trained in a directive way of working with people -- telling them what to do wasn't working.

About to change career, she went on a motivational interviewing course and discovered gold! And Steve Rollnick.

This set Orla on a new, exciting and fruitful path to where she is now.

Hear all about Orla's journey and the fundamentals of MI.

This is a great episode for you if you work with, or spend time with people -- patients, clients, friends, your kids, pupils, coachees... .

So it's for all of us!

Enjoy and I'd love to hear your feedback. Please do rate the episode and podcast on your favoured platform.

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"From a working class, first generation A-level student to recipient of the IASP (International Association for the Study of Pain) Patrick D. Wall award. I owe it all to mentorship. Love and gratitude especially to Tony, Frank & Mac for decades of support" -- Kirsty's words.

Shows the importance of having a purpose and a passion, ignited in part by people close-by.

Kirsty talks of luck. Wise people have said that the harder they worked, the luckier they got!

Kirsty has undoubtedly worked hard.

Encouraged by some of the big hitters in the pain world, Kirsty is now an encourager herself.

She talks about her career in science, the reasons why it matters, and making it important for people who are suffering.

A clear illustration of a very human scientist who cares.

Fascinating chat!

Tom, musician and artist, generously shares his experience of FND -- functional neurological disorder.

As Tom explains, he spent many years being told many things, often unhelpful and some utterly wrong (putting it politely).

Then he met Prof Mark Edwards and things started to change. He described his journey with FND but also with chronic pain.

At times it was incredibly and unimaginably difficult, but Tom kept going. You'll find out when you listen!

Tom now spends time raising awareness of FND and sharing the latest research to help people on their own individual journeys.

Great to catch up with Deepak!

Deepak is a pain doctor who listens, empowers, and comes alongside the people who come to see him.

It's not a fight or a battlefield. Instead, a journey on which Deepak accompanies the person, if they wish.

He realised the biomedical model wasn't enough and so widened his approach, embracing a range of modern ways of thinking about pain, whilst keeping the person at the forefront.

And being curious.

We had a brilliant and fascinating chat about his approach, work and vision for the future of care.

This week an old friend joins me: musician, guitarist, songwriter, producer, Tim Shoben. Aka, Showbiz.

(If you watch the video, you'll see me wearing my guitar hat whilst Tim is suited -- we got it the wrong way round 😂).

Tim has been around music all his life, picking up the guitar at an early age. And playing it of course.

Louise is a Lived Experience Advocate, Lived Experience Lead Trainer, Past Vice Chair at British Pain Society Patient Voice Committee, Ramblers Wellbeing Walks leader and a successful chronic pain self-manager. 

She is certainly not being defined by her pain, instead using the experiences she has had since childhood to help others who are struggling with chronic pain.

Louise tells her story that started with pain in childhood that often was unexplained medically despite repeated appointments and investigations. Later she discovered it was fibromyalgia. 

But it was the opioids that took everything to another level! 

Louise talked me through what has happened in her life and how she has come through the other side of an opioid crisis to now being involved in numerous projects to help people understand and manage their pain by living life. 

It's a remarkable tale of success that is greatly inspiring, and showing what is possible.

Inês is a 'bit of a punk', but one who cares deeply about her work making a difference in the world. In other words, translating it into helping people who are suffering. The essence of an encourager.

This is a brilliant conversation, especially if you are interested in some of the latest thinking and work on brain/body/behaviour and how they meet as a whole (the person), mental health (anxiety, depression, PTSD), chronic pain, addiction, how we get stuck as humans and ways we can get unstuck, wellness and much more!

Inês is doing superb work that stems back to her interest in philosophy, Buddhism and punk music as a teen. 

We get into all of this. Enjoy and please do share!

Communication is at the heart of our work with people in healthcare.

Yet the training is typically scant at undergraduate.

It appears so simple, yet it is a very complex set of skills that can be learned and practiced.

We get into the importance of communication for being an effective clinician, attitude, the different roles we take, some of the key skills and more.

Vincent shares his thoughts and insights in this very practical conversation. 

Much to take away if you are starting out in your healthcare career or wanting to sharpen your communication skills.

Vincent is a very experienced physiotherapist with psychology training, and an educator, trainer and teacher, in particular in communication. Early on he realised communication was key and followed this path. 

If you're interested in pain and chronic pain, this one is for you. 

Morten is doing fantastic work in the pain field, including a recent series of editorials called 'Pain Science in Practice'. 

He tells his story of how he got to where he is now -- he didn't expect to be there 😊 !

Then we get into the detail of what we do with patients who are suffering, what the science says and what it does not say, the role of pain education, some of the words being used, acute and chronic pain, pain in sport, the difference between pain and injury, change as a process and more.

Come and have a listen 🎧

Connect with Morten

Virginia suffered an injury at work that resulted in surgery and subsequent chronic pain. 

Her experience of not being heard, told she was fine, that the surgery was a success and that she could return to work were all out of alignment with what was really happening. And that was her pain. 

Virginia hit some real low points, but despite this kept going and found a way when she found the right people. They made her feel welcome, listened and explained this for the first time. She was on the right path.

Now Virginia spends her time supporting others and driving change. She knows what it is like to be on the journey.

In this episode we explore Virginia's lived experience, what is was like, how she moved on, what she does now to fulfil a sense of purpose and to keep shaping a positive future. 

I think you'll find this conversation interesting and inspiring. 

Nerita shares her story of being a serving officer in the Australian Air Force for 10 years before chronic pain took her on a different journey, to where she is now.  Nerita is a Winston Churchill Trust Fellow. 

Her mission is to 'eliminate the social isolation that is prevalent amongst the 250,000 military veterans who live with persistent pain'. She is building a community to 'empower and improve the quality of life for veterans; providing connection, validation, support and access to evidence-based information'.  

Understanding the nature of the problem of chronic pain, Nerita is dedicated to helping others find their own way forward. Whilst her focus is on veterans, this is applicable to all who are suffering.  

If you are suffering chronic pain or help people, I think you'll find this compelling.  

Ultrarunner, author and all-round good bloke who cares about people and the planet, Damian Hall, returns to the show. 

He talks about his recent adventures at the 330k Tor des Géants, why he runs, how he prepares and keeps going over ultra distances. 

Then we get into Damian’s new and very important book on the climate emergency: We Can’t Run Away From This. 

"Gut-wrenchingly serious but also cleverly light-hearted. It's impossible to read this book and not make changes to your life." Beth Pascall

It’s an outstanding and much needed book, full of facts and highlighting the complexity of the debate on climate change. 

Yet there are clear things we can do, which Damian describes in the episode. 

Have a listen but definitely buy the book—publisher link below. And then share it around! Thanks.

This is a recording of an online talk -- essentially me, on my own, talking to my computer :)

Persistent pain is a problem in the performing arts. Many performers are affected, meaning that clinicians need to understand pain in order to be helpful and guide them onwards and successfully. 

It starts by knowing thyself as a clinician. So you may want to grab a pen and paper (old school), as there are some important reflections upon your own starting position. 

Then I go into a modern way we can think about pain -- predictive processing and enactivism. It is a very brief introduction, so resources will be made available to deepen your knowledge.

Finally, I get into some practicalities through the Pain Coaching lens -- what is the Pain Coach approach to caring for and helping people achieve their picture of success. 

There was so much that had me gripped in this conversation with Glenn. 

I recommend a pen, paper, maybe a coffee and a readiness to pause and listen again. 

This is for you is you want to be a better helper as a therapist, clinician, parent, teacher, friend, whatever!

The bulk of the chat focuses on the spirit of motivational interviewing (MI). Glenn describes what MI is at the end. It seems to work -- you can let me know!

Glenn Hinds is an accredited counsellor and independent training consultant trained in person centred and psychodynamic counselling, motivational interviewing and emotional intelligence (EQ).

Stuart kicks off Season 3 by sharing his stories of becoming a physio, being curious, and exploring different ways of helping people.

I met Stuart some years ago on a retreat he was running in Somerset. It was the most stunning location, perfect for the work we did on ourselves and others. 

He followed traditional training as a mature student, having already trained and worked as a PE teacher. Then onto a Masters, working for Sussex Cricket Club and beyond into complementary therapies. Now he loves helping older people be active with yoga and movement.

Stuart entertains with stories throughout. Much to learn from his approach. 

A hill walk on a family holiday became two attempts to climb Everest just a few years later for Alex. The second attempt could have been fatal -- it was for some. 

What did Alex take from this and all his training? He tells me in this fascinating episode.

Then, in 2020 he ran 452 miles, not only climbing the 3 Peaks (Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike & Snowdon), but also running between them. It took 9 days and 12 hours. 

Why is movement so important? We explore the answers to this question and how people can be encouraged to move from a young age, when many beliefs and habits are born.

He has been working as a Consultant Psychiatrist, for the last 17 years working at both Guy’s Hospital and The Maudsley Hospital, London. He treats a range of mental health problems, including those that present to a general hospital, such as the mental health consequences of physical disease and persistent physical symptoms and more typical mental health presentations, such as depression, anxiety disorders, OCD and adjustment disorders.

We talk about writing, the new book, clinic letter writing (how this respects the person/patient and the receiving clinician), the art and science of medicine, the challenge of psychiatry, medical training, medically unexplained symptoms, communication, the person first approach and more. As ever, we squeeze a lot into an hour!

Enjoy, please share and let me know what you think.

Glenn is one of the few people in the world with a Doctorate in coaching, so it was fascinating to dig into his story, thinking and approach. 

Glenn started his journey as a PE teacher, which he loved. Wanting to progress, he saw an opportunity in leadership coaching and took the plunge. Having delivered programmes, Glenn wanted to formalise his work. He studied coaching and mentoring at the highest level, resulting in a doctorate.

Now Glenn largely spends his time on his business, which delivers AI coaching programmes. This is an exciting and pioneering project as Glenn seeks to make high quality coaching scalable using technology. He also remains active as a coach, working with individuals 1:1.

I love Glenn's approach, which is certainly person-first. He is an encourager, completely authentic and clearly wants to help people succeed.

This is a fascinating conversation for all types of coach or if you are interested in a career in coaching. And who doesn't do some coaching at some point in their lives? 

Jen shares her remarkable journey having battled with anorexia for 16 years. She describes her lived experience from being diagnosed aged 12 through to the present day, now studying for her PhD In Australia, with a specialist interest in eating disorders and Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (REDS). 

This is a real insight into how an eating disorder can emerge and take hold of someone's life. In 2015, it was critical but something changed whilst she was an in-patient, essentially saving her. 

On her path of recovery, we met because Jen was suffering with recurring and persistent pain. It was great to hear that she continues to use some of the skills and tools that we practiced together, and how they can just be useful for living well.

Jen has made enormous progress but is not there yet. However, she has the self-awareness and skills that she uses when noticing certain feelings, to get back on track, together with incredible support from her loving family. Moving to Australia just before lockdown was an example.

Jen talks openly about her life and experiences with the hope that she can inspire others -- I am sure she will. Before recording, I asked if anything was off limits. No, she said.

Jen epitomises the name of this podcast, together with a huge dose of courage and determination. Just listen to how she conquered the waves!

In her own words: "It is now my mission to to help others believe that they too  can recover and there is a life out there for them away from their eating disorder not matter how faint that glimmer of hope may be, it is always possible." 

In this fascinating conversation, we talked about the lived experiences of persistent pain, addiction, depression and anxiety, through the lens of predictive processing. We get into horror films and why we seem to love them, having uncomfortable experiences like ultrarunning and the concept of being frozen with a certain stuck belief that is holding us back in different ways. And so much more! I will need to listen to this again :)

Mark's purpose is to make the science real. In other words, be useful for individuals and society to encourage thriving and flourishing.

He so clearly explains the model and how it may be working and applicable. We also see his openness to possibilities and a willingness to learn. 

I loved listening and hope you do too. This is great for clinicians, therapists, teachers, coaches, scientists, philosophers, and psychologists. Or anyone who is interested in being human.

Andrew is Player Pathway Coach at Gloucester Rugby Club and U16 Age Grade Coach/Talent ID for Scotland rugby. He also coaches at an independent school in Malvern.

I first heard Andrew talk about coaching when he appeared as a guest on a webinar with Prof Steve Rollnick, co-founder of motivational interviewing. I was struck by what he said. 

Andrew describes his approach and philosophy. He is all about helping the individual develop as a person and a player. Communication and building relationships using empathy and listening are at the heart of what he does.

This is brilliant for all coaches!

Great to have Chris on the pod to catch up and delve into his career and thinking as a physio in the world of rugby. His underlying philosophy is to be helpful and useful.

In this chat we get into the importance of pain education, communication, and building relationships in the sporting world. We explore tendinopathy as an example of a common persisting problem.

Having worked in the team environment for many years, Chris shares his experiences, thoughts and knowledge. So great for aspiring physios and other clinicians who want to work in sport.

Chris is a great example of someone who has followed his passion, carving out his career. This is something that we can do as physiotherapists and a message I like to share with undergraduates and newly qualified physios. 

I hope you enjoy the episode. Please do like and share.

Sarah believes that movement provides individuals with possibilities, be it independence, interacting with family, gardening and social activities, work, interests, exercise or amateur and elite sport. Increasing and maintaining physical activity is a key factor for a healthy life.

She has recently finished her PhD: The Health of Movement - Recognising Movement Choices in Individuals for Long-Term Health.

We chat about this, Sarah's work and how she has evolved as a physiotherapist over the past 25 years. 

We also discuss coaching, the whole person approach and the different perspectives of patients and clinicians. 

** warning, sexual content :) 

Terrific to catch up with Sandy in Chicago.

Sandy is a superb physical therapist who primarily works with men and women suffering pelvic pain. 

We get into all sorts of stuff around this, including intimacy, aka sex. 

What else? The person-first approach, the importance of listening, creating a safe environment, being 'pain-informed' (have we just created a new thing?), menopause, lifting the taboos, recognising period pain as a possible source of sensitisation and addressing it early, covid, online PT and more.

Enjoy and spread!!

Dan helps people of all ages and at all levels to perform, in particular in football and golf. 

Here we explore the different ways players coped with lockdown and how Dan helped them. 

Dan then gets into the role of sport psychology in professional football -- I reckon much of this can equally be applied to life, amateur sport and school sport. He talks about the 3 Ps approach: people, players and performers. 

Dan feels strongly that sport psychology should be an integrated part of the professional club, and explains why with his traffic light system: performance, wellbeing & mental health. 

This was a fascinating conversation that begs for a part 2. Lots to take away, think about and apply. 

Great for coaches, psychologists, people interested in achieving their own peak performance in life, footballers and more. I hope you enjoy.

Dai puts the individual's wellbeing at the heart of his coaching, teaching and mentoring. 

What does this look like? Dai tells me how he puts this into practice, giving some great examples and sharing stories that illustrate his learnings and approach. This includes the three C's of wellbeing that Dai co-created.

Dai has a clear purpose that comes across as we talk. He is serious about education and wants to play his part in shaping a system that is suited to the generation Z. This generation only knows the digital world. We cannot simply use the same educational methods that have been employed before. Certainly the shout and shame style of teaching and coaching has had its day -- was it ever a good idea? 

With regards coaching, Dai focuses on the individual on and off the field. He gets to know them, which is the key: build trust, communicate and give them a forum where they feel safe to express themselves. 

Dai started as a teacher and has seen his own transformation over the years. In that time he has travelled the world, played and coached international rugby, was the Chief Rugby Operations Officer for Hong Kong RFU and was recently head of rugby at an independent school. 

This is a great chat for teachers, coaches and people interested in peak performance and leadership. 

I have known Jackie since the early 2000's when we were both at Kings College London, reading the Pain Science and Society MSc with Prof Mick Thacker.

Jackie has continued down an academic path as a Clinical Doctoral Research Fellow at University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, currently engaged with her PhD on the self-management of pain. 

What do we mean by self-management? That depends which lens you look through. 

We get into that.

The rest of the time Jackie works in a multi-disciplinary pain team for in-patients. The team works with patients who are in hospital for a particular clinical reason, but also suffer chronic pain. 

Jackie describes how the team works: the creative nature, the space, the support, the autonomy, the supervision and more. At the heart is an ability to listen deeply and communicate with patients and other healthcare professionals. Much can be learned from this superb service. It also demonstrates the versatility of physiotherapy, which is a profession that offers so many opportunities and can significantly contribute to other's lives in a positive way. 

Michelle loves running. So much so that she created a business as a running coach for humans and humans with their dogs -- a canicross trainer. 

Michelle's passion is clear as she tells me about how she encourages and guides people to achieve their running goals. Fun is at the heart of it.

Her approach is truly holistic. She focuses on the person and their needs, helping them understand the things that they can do to be successful, eg/ lifestyle choices around diet, sleep and recovery.