Ep. 86 Reframing Fibromyalgia and Chronic Pain through the biopsychosocial and spiritual paradigm. Part 1 of 2 of the interview with Dr. Heather Martarella, a pain psychologist.

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Today and next week, we will take a deep dive into how we understand and think about chronic pain. And to do that, we have a special guest.
Dr. Heather Martarella is an expert on helping clients reclaim their lives and find relief from chronic pain and insomnia/sleep issues. She also provides treatment for those coping with chronic illness, most recently including Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome. Dr. Martarella became passionate about specializing in treating chronic pain after experiencing her own physical injury in 2012, which left her with chronic pain for years and significantly changed her lifestyle. Years after her injury, she was able to begin recovering and now manages the occasional pain flare-up well and enjoys a good quality of life, and is committed to helping others find relief, too. These clients’ physical situations often manifest into anxiety, depression, insomnia, relationship conflicts, fatigue, irritability, or overwhelm. Life as you knew it may have stopped, but there is hope, and Dr. Martarella can help you find it again. 

Dr. Martarella uses many evidence-based therapy modalities and will develop the best combination for each client based on their needs and goals. She provides Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) for those suffering from sleep difficulties to help clients improve their sleep. For those with a trauma history, whether from childhood, medical, or other traumas, she may provide EMDR or Trauma-Informed CBT, to help clients heal from trauma. Dr. Martarella encourages clients to pay attention to their body's responses and incorporates biofeedback treatment when appropriate. Dr. Martarella also emphasizes self-compassion for clients who are often hard on themselves.

Dr. Martarella earned a Master's and then a Doctoral degree (PsyD in 2005); she has been providing psychological treatment since 2000. She recognizes the unique toll that physical pain or chronic illness causes and helps clients reclaim their life after these setbacks. She offers compassionate, empathetic care to help you feel safe and ready to improve your life.

Dr. Lenz is an internist, pediatrician, lifestyle medicine physician, and clinical lipidologist interested in helping those with fibromyalgia and related problems go beyond just le

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A Fibromyalgia Starter Pack, which is a great companion to the book Conquering Your Fibromyalgia, is now available. Dr. Michael Lenz practices general pediatrics and internal medicine primary care, seeing patients from infants through adults. In addition, he also will see patients with fibromyalgia and related problems and patients interested in lifestyle medicine and clinical lipidology. To learn more, go to ConquringYourFibromyalgia.com. Remember that while Dr. Lenz is a medical doctor, he is not your doctor. All of your signs and symptoms should be discussed with your own physician. He aims to weave the best of conventional medicine with lifestyle medicine to help people with chronic health conditions live their best lives possible. Dr. Lenz hopes that the podcast, book, blog, and website serve as a trusted resource and starting point on your journey of learning to live better with fibromyalgia and related illnesses.