5-CEU Online Course for Physical Therapists
P.S. — Unpacking the Psychosocial Aspects of Persistent Pain
You know the patient. Full ROM. Clear imaging. Normal strength. Still in pain — and nothing you've tried is working. This course gives you the framework, language, and tools to actually help them.
Sale price valid through September 30, 2026 · Chronic Pain Awareness Month
Feeling stuck with your chronic pain patients?
You're not alone — and it's not your fault. Traditional PT training prepared you to treat tissues. It didn't prepare you to treat pain that persists beyond tissue healing.
Your patient
- Has been to 4 different PT clinics before you
- Says "I don't know what makes it worse, it just always hurts"
- Can do the movement in your clinic — but not at home
- Has full ROM and normal strength, but is terrified to move
- Catastrophizes every sensation
- Sleeps poorly, is highly anxious, has given up activities they love
You
- Know there's something else going on, but don't know how to address it
- Default to exercises and manual therapy that only help temporarily
- Wonder if you're missing something important in your evaluation
- Want to help but lack the language to address fear, anxiety, and pain beliefs
- Feel frustrated watching patients cycle through the system without getting better
When pain persists beyond tissue healing — maintained by fear, stress, poor sleep, trauma, and nervous system sensitization — your usual toolkit falls short. This isn't a you problem. It's a training gap.
What this course teaches you
Practical skills you can use immediately with your most challenging patients — not just theory.
How to identify and address fear-avoidance, catastrophizing, and maladaptive pain beliefs in clinical practice
Evidence-based communication strategies — including motivational interviewing — that actually change patient behavior and beliefs
How pain neuroscience really works — and how to explain it to patients in a way that's empowering, not dismissive
Cognitive-behavioral strategies you can integrate into treatment sessions without needing to be a psychologist
How to work with the nervous system using interoceptive approaches and manual therapy techniques that target subconscious processing
How to design individualized treatment plans that prioritize function, self-efficacy, and long-term self-management — not just symptom reduction
Course modules
Five modules covering the full biopsychosocial framework — from evaluation through long-term home program design.
1
The Biopsychosocial Model of Pain
- Why the biomedical model fails for chronic pain
- Pain neuroscience fundamentals in plain language
- How psychological and social factors influence pain perception
- Identifying psychosocial red flags in your evaluation
2
Psychological Contributors and Cognitive-Behavioral Strategies
- Evaluating maladaptive pain beliefs and fear-avoidance
- Cognitive-behavioral and psychologically informed techniques for clinical practice
- How to challenge catastrophizing without dismissing patients
- Building self-efficacy and agency
3
Social Contributors and Motivational Interviewing
- How social factors influence pain — and what to do about them
- Why pain education often backfires (and how to do it better)
- Motivational interviewing techniques for behavior change
- Managing patient expectations and resistance
4
Nervous System-Informed Manual Therapy and Graded Exposure
- Interoceptive pathways and c-tactile fiber activation
- Using touch to downregulate the nervous system
- Integrating manual therapy within a biopsychosocial framework
- Using graded exposure to continue progress outside the clinic
5
Long-Term Self-Management and Practitioner Protection
- Moving beyond protocol-based care — designing individualized treatment plans
- Prioritizing function over pain reduction
- Home exercise designed to activate subconscious mechanisms and activity pacing
- Supporting long-term self-management
- Practitioner protection strategies to avoid burnout
+
Bonus
Challenging Cases and Clinical Application
Covered in group coaching call recordings (3 sessions, 1 hour each)
- Working through complex patient scenarios
- Addressing trauma, PTSD, and adverse childhood experiences
- Knowing when to refer and how to collaborate with mental health providers
- Case-based learning: putting it all together
Is this course right for you?
This is for you if
- You treat patients with persistent or complex pain and often feel stuck
- You know pain science theory but struggle to apply it clinically
- You want to go beyond exercises and manual therapy to address the whole person
- You're tired of patients saying "I've tried everything and nothing works"
- You want to feel more confident navigating fear, anxiety, trauma, and catastrophizing
- You're ready to bridge the gap between PT school and what chronic pain patients actually need
This is not for you if
- You only treat acute injuries or post-surgical patients
- You're looking for a quick-fix protocol or cookbook approach
- You're not interested in the biopsychosocial model
- You're not willing to change how you communicate with and educate patients
- You're not open to understanding non-biological contributors to pain
What's included
5 self-paced modules
4–6 hours of lecture content with interactive activities. Complete on your own schedule with lifetime access to all materials.
3 group coaching recordings
Access recordings of live group coaching sessions working through real patient cases, clinical questions, and complex scenarios.
5 CEU hours (CPTA approved)
Approved for 5 CEU hours through the California Physical Therapy Association. Check with your state board for reciprocity.
What students are saying
"This has been immensely helpful in rethinking my patients' experiences. I am so appreciative of your work."— PT, California
"I really enjoyed the content and have already enjoyed incorporating this into my practice."— PT, Oregon
"Your course is so meaningful to me and really aligns with my professional values. Thank you for the very important work you do."— Personal trainer, Washington
"The material was presented in a relatable and easily transferable fashion."— PT, St. Louis
"Loved the course and felt it built upon what I was taught in PT school especially with easy to apply manual techniques."— Carlie, PT
"I very much appreciated this course. I especially liked the interactive coaching calls!"— PT, California
Meet your instructor
Dr. Megan Steele is a licensed physical therapist with over a decade of clinical experience specializing in persistent and complex pain conditions. She earned her Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from Mount Saint Mary's University in 2014 and is currently a PhD candidate in Rehabilitation and Movement Science with an emphasis in Pain Science.
Dr. Steele's practice integrates manual therapy, interoceptive training, and biopsychosocial interventions for patients with chronic musculoskeletal and visceral pain. Her ongoing doctoral research investigates the interplay between visceral and musculoskeletal systems, the autonomic nervous system, and interoceptive awareness in relation to pain perception and movement.
Doctor of Physical Therapy, Mount Saint Mary's University (2014)
PhD Candidate, Rehabilitation and Movement Science — Pain Science emphasis
Presenter, APTA Combined Sections Meeting 2022, 2023
International poster presentation, Pain Science in Motion 2024
Co-author, systematic review in the Scandinavian Journal of Pain
Associate Professor, California State University Northridge
Founder, Steele Physical Therapy Inc.
Ready to transform how you treat chronic pain?
Join the clinicians who've already changed how they see — and treat — their most challenging patients.
Sale price valid through September 30, 2026 · Chronic Pain Awareness Month
