458. The Pain/Brain Connection with Alan Gordon

In this episode of Psychologists Off the Clock, host Dr. Jill Stoddard interviews Alan Gordon, creator of Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT) and founder of the Pain Psychology Center. Gordon shares his personal journey from suffering debilitating chronic back pain to developing a scientifically validated approach that treats neuroplastic pain—pain caused not by structural damage but by the brain’s misinterpretation of neutral bodily signals as dangerous. The episode explores how chronic pain often stems from a learned fear response, where physical positions or activities become conditioned triggers due to the belief that they cause harm. Gordon explains that PRT works by helping patients gather evidence that their pain is not due to injury, then using techniques like somatic tracking—mindful, curiosity-driven attention to pain in a safe, positive emotional state—to break the pain-fear cycle. The therapy emphasizes safety messaging, positive affect induction, and non-attachment to outcomes, distinguishing it from traditional CBT or ACT. Listeners are encouraged to recognize that pain is real, even if its source is psychological, and that the brain can be retrained to stop generating false danger signals. The co-host discussion highlights the broader implications of this model for conditions like IBS and chronic fatigue, reinforcing the idea that the mind-body connection is central to healing.