Abstract

Chronic pain is among the most prevalent and disabling health conditions worldwide and is associated with substantial psychological distress, functional impairment, and reduced quality of life. Although clinical psychologists play a central role in the assessment and behavioral treatment of chronic pain, many doctoral training programs provide limited formal instruction in pain-specific competencies beyond traditional cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Pain neuroscience education (PNE), an evidence-based educational approach commonly incorporated into physical therapy, provides patients with explanations of the biological and neurophysiological mechanisms underlying persistent pain and may complement psychologists' delivery of CBT for chronic pain (CBT-CP). The present study evaluated the integration of a six-session PNE seminar series into a doctoral clinical psychology training program. Nine psychology trainees completed a retrospective pretest-posttest evaluation assessing perceived knowledge, confidence, and preparedness for chronic pain treatment following participation in the interdisciplinary seminar series. Participants reported significant improvements in understanding pain neuroscience concepts, confidence explaining pain mechanisms to patients, preparedness to deliver behavioral interventions for chronic pain, and integration of pain-related knowledge into clinical practice. Trainees also rated the seminar content as highly relevant to their clinical work. Findings suggest that incorporating PNE into doctoral psychology curricula may strengthen trainee knowledge, confidence, and perceived preparedness for chronic pain treatment. More broadly, this interdisciplinary training model illustrates how concepts from rehabilitation science can be integrated into clinical psychology education to enhance biopsychosocial understanding and prepare trainees for collaborative behavioral health practice.

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