Revamp Psychology provides evidence-based psychological treatment for people living with persistent or chronic pain, including pain that develops following workplace injuries, motor vehicle accidents, and other injury-related contexts. Services are available via telehealth to clients across New South Wales, with in-person appointments available in Strathfield. Where treatment is provided within compensation systems, it aligns with Workers Compensation (WorkCover) and CTP frameworks.
Persistent pain is a complex experience. It is not simply a physical sensation — over time, pain shapes how people move, think, sleep, work, and relate to others. Psychological treatment for pain addresses these broader impacts directly, working alongside medical management to improve function, reduce distress, and support people in re-engaging with the activities and roles that matter to them.
It is a common misconception that psychological involvement in pain treatment means the pain is not real, or that it is being dismissed as a mental health problem. This is not the case. Persistent pain involves genuine changes in how the nervous system processes and amplifies pain signals — and these changes are influenced by factors that psychology is well-placed to address.
Research in pain neuroscience consistently shows that thoughts, emotions, behaviours, and social context all contribute to the persistence and severity of pain, and to how much it disrupts daily life. Fear of movement, avoidance of activity, catastrophic thinking about pain, low mood, disrupted sleep, and social withdrawal are not just consequences of pain — they are also factors that maintain and worsen it. Addressing these factors directly, through structured psychological treatment, produces measurable improvements in function and quality of life.
Psychological pain management does not aim to eliminate pain. The goal is to reduce the degree to which pain controls what a person can do, think, and feel — and to build the skills and confidence needed to re-engage with life despite ongoing symptoms.
The Progressive Goal Attainment Program (PGAP) is a structured, evidence-based psychological intervention developed specifically to address the psychosocial risk factors associated with prolonged disability following injury or illness. It is one of the few pain-specific psychological programs with a robust evidence base for reducing disability and supporting return to work in compensation contexts.
PGAP targets the behavioural and psychological mechanisms that drive disability beyond what would be expected from the physical injury alone. These include fear-avoidance — the tendency to avoid activities due to fear of pain or re-injury — as well as catastrophic thinking, perceived injustice, and low expectation of recovery. Left unaddressed, these factors are among the strongest predictors of prolonged work absence and functional decline following injury.
The program is structured around progressive goal setting and graded activity, with a clear focus on building participation in meaningful daily and work-related activities. Sessions are structured and time-limited, with concrete targets and measurable progress across the program.
Matt Semsar is PGAP-certified and has experience delivering the program within WorkCover and CTP contexts. PGAP is used where clinically appropriate, as part of an individually tailored treatment plan.
Pain management at Revamp Psychology draws on a range of evidence-based psychological approaches, selected and tailored to the individual's presentation, goals, and rehabilitation context. No single approach works for everyone, and treatment is integrated rather than formulaic.
CBT for pain focuses on identifying and modifying the thought patterns and behaviours that maintain distress and disability. This includes working with pain catastrophising, safety behaviours, unhelpful activity patterns, and the relationship between mood and pain experience. CBT is one of the most extensively researched psychological approaches to chronic pain and has a strong evidence base for improving function and quality of life.
ACT supports people to develop a different relationship with pain — one based on acceptance and psychological flexibility rather than avoidance and control. Rather than focusing on reducing pain intensity, ACT helps people clarify what matters to them and take committed action toward their values despite ongoing symptoms. It is particularly useful for people who have been in long-term struggle with pain and have had limited success with symptom-focused approaches.
Understanding pain — how it is produced, why it persists, and what influences its intensity — is itself a powerful therapeutic tool. Pain neuroscience education shifts the way people think about their pain, reducing fear and catastrophising and opening the door to broader behavioural change. It is typically integrated throughout treatment rather than delivered as a standalone module.
Chronic pain and injury can profoundly disrupt a person's sense of identity, purpose, and meaning — particularly when it affects work, relationships, and the activities that previously defined their life. Logotherapy and meaning-focused approaches address these existential dimensions of pain and injury, supporting people to rebuild a sense of direction and purpose within the constraints of their current situation.
Behavioural strategies including graded activity, pacing, and activity scheduling are used to support gradual re-engagement with avoided activities. These approaches address the cycle of boom-and-bust activity patterns common in chronic pain, and support the development of sustainable activity habits that build tolerance and confidence over time.
Pain management psychology at Revamp Psychology is suited to a range of presentations, including those arising from workplace injuries, motor vehicle accidents, and other injury-related or medical contexts. Common reasons people seek support include:
Psychological pain management, including PGAP, can be delivered within Workers Compensation (WorkCover) and CTP insurance frameworks in New South Wales. Treatment under these schemes requires insurer approval, and the treating psychologist works within the requirements of the relevant scheme throughout.
Pain management psychology within compensation systems attends not only to the clinical presentation but also to the contextual factors that commonly affect recovery in these settings — including the impact of claim processes, uncertainty about return to work, and the psychological weight of prolonged involvement in the compensation system. These factors are taken seriously as part of the overall clinical picture.
For more information about how psychological treatment works within Workers Compensation and CTP, see the Workers Compensation and CTP page.
No. Persistent pain involves real neurological processes, and psychological treatment is not a suggestion that pain is imaginary or exaggerated. It reflects the well-established understanding that pain is a complex experience shaped by the nervous system, thoughts, emotions, and behaviour — and that addressing these factors produces real improvements in function and quality of life.
PGAP (Progressive Goal Attainment Program) is a structured, evidence-based program developed specifically for people at risk of prolonged disability following injury. Unlike general psychological support, it directly targets the psychosocial risk factors — such as fear-avoidance and catastrophising — that predict long-term disability. Matt Semsar is PGAP-certified and delivers the program within WorkCover and CTP contexts.
Yes, subject to insurer approval. Pain management psychology including PGAP can be delivered within Workers Compensation (WorkCover) and CTP frameworks in NSW. See the Workers Compensation and CTP page for more detail.
Yes. All pain management psychology services are available via telehealth to clients anywhere in New South Wales. In-person appointments are also available in Strathfield for clients who prefer face-to-face sessions.
This depends on the individual's presentation and goals. PGAP is a structured, time-limited program with a defined session range. Other approaches are tailored to the individual and discussed openly during the assessment phase. The focus throughout is on building practical skills that produce real-world change, not ongoing monitoring.
To discuss a referral or make an appointment, call or email us directly. All enquiries are handled personally.