Catharine Powis

Catharine trained at the University of Birmingham, completing her doctorate in 2022. Catharine joined the Pain Management Team at the ROH in December 2024. Prior to this role Catharine has worked in an inpatient mental health setting for around 15 years. Within this setting Catharine's role involved supporting those experiencing a range of mental health difficulties such as anxiety, depression, psychosis, personality disorder, grief and trauma. Physical pain was also extremely common within those and therefore the connection between physical pain and mental wellbeing became very important to Catharine. 

Catharine's role within the Pain Management Team involves supporting patients who are experiencing chronic pain. The science shows us that there are biological, psychological and social aspects to chronic pain and therefore psychological interventions can form and important part of its treatment. This means that Catharine can offer patients a safe space to explore the impact of their pain and look at developing understanding of their pain; allowing a greater sense of control over the pain and our responses to experiencing pain. Moreover, the research shows that learning skills such as mindfulness, relaxation and ways of ensuring that our nervous systems pick up cues of safety can all help with pain. A key aspect of psychological support is working together to identify goals linked to values and taking steps towards these in order to improve your quality of life even with pain present.