Treating Neuroplastic Pain in Therapy and Private Practice | Dr. Melissa Tiessen | TPOT 419

What if chronic pain isn't a sign that your body is broken—but that your nervous system is trying to protect you? In this episode, Dr. Melissa Tiessen, a clinical psychologist and neuroplastic pain specialist, joins the show to unpack a paradigm-shifting way of understanding chronic pain and persistent physical symptoms. Drawing on neuroscience, trauma-informed therapy, and real-world clinical experience, Melissa explains how pain can exist without tissue damage—and why that realization can actually be good news. You'll learn how neuroplastic pain develops, why symptoms can move, change, or intensify without a clear medical cause, and how fear, emotional suppression, and learned nervous system patterns can keep people stuck in cycles of pain and distress. Melissa also shares her own experience with neuroplastic pain, making this conversation deeply human, accessible, and hopeful. Whether you're a therapist, a practice owner, or someone who's been told "you'll just have to live with it," this episode offers a compassionate and science-backed framework for understanding pain, anxiety, and the body's threat response—and what it really means to get unstuck. Resources Mentioned In This Episode  Use the promo code "GORDON" to get 2 months of Therapy Notes free Consulting with Gordon The PsychCraft Network Meet Dr. Melissa Tiessen Dr. Melissa Tiessen is a clinical psychologist in private practice, serving clients virtually throughout Ontario, Canada. Her practice focuses on the treatment of chronic pain and other chronic neuroplastic symptoms. She is passionate about health professional education and well-being, and is also the co-founder of Intentional Therapist, a continuing education initiative designed to support mental health therapists in protecting and reclaiming their own well-being. She co-hosts the podcast Putting You In Your Schedule and can be found on LinkedIn quietly creating a self-care revolution. Learn more about Dr. Tiessen: https://linktr.ee/drmelissatiessen