For more information 

about CBT for Chronic 

Pain, please talk with your 

local VA provider. 

www.va.gov

Cognitive Behavioral 

Therapy for

CHRONIC PAIN

The Department of Veterans 

Affairs (VA) offers Cognitive 

Behavioral Therapy for 

Chronic Pain (CBT-CP) as an 

effective, brief treatment for 

reducing the negative impacts 

of chronic pain on Veterans’ 

lives. CBT-CP is available to 

Veterans throughout the VA 

health care system. 
WHAT IS CHRONIC PAIN?

Chronic pain is pain that persists for more than three 

months. It is a complex condition that influences 

behaviors, thoughts, and mood. People with chronic 

pain may experience consequences such as: 

■ Decreased physical, social, and recreational activities

■ Feeling down, anxious, or irritable

■ Poor performance at work, school, or home 

■ Loss of self-esteem and self-confidence 

■ Trouble with attention, concentration, or memory

WHAT IS COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL 

THERAPY FOR CHRONIC PAIN 

(CBT-CP)?

CBT-CP is a short-term treatment that aims to reduce 

the negative impacts of chronic pain on your life. 

■ The “cognitive” part of CBT-CP focuses on your 

thoughts, feelings, and expectations about chronic pain 

and how these may stand in the way of effective pain 

management.

■ The “behavioral” aspect of CBT-CP helps you learn 

specific actions to respond to pain in more adaptive ways.

WHAT ARE THE OVERALL GOALS OF 

CBT-CP?

The goals of CBT-CP are to help improve your 

overall functioning and quality of life by learning 

effective skills for managing chronic pain. 

DOES CBT FOR CHRONIC PAIN 

WORK?

CBT-CP is the most studied and supported 

psychological intervention for chronic pain. It is 

based on decades of research and has been shown 

to be very effective with Veterans and civilians. 

Although it is unrealistic to expect that chronic pain 

will disappear, the approaches learned in CBT-CP 

can help you do more of the things you would like 

to do by reacting to pain in a way that makes it feel 

less overwhelming. 

CBT-CP HELPS TO: 

■ Change pain-related thoughts that interfere with 

your goals 

■ Participate in more recreational activities and social 

events 

■ Manage pain flare-ups more effectively

■ Reduce worries about increased pain or injury

HOW LONG DOES CBT-CP LAST?

CBT-CP treatment consists of an assessment session 

and 10 active, skills-based therapy sessions. A 

follow-up session to review implementation and 

discuss any areas of difficulty is also encouraged. 

To maximize benefits, attending sessions weekly is 

recommended if possible.

IF YOU DECIDE TO PARTICIPATE IN 

CBT-CP, YOU WILL BE ASKED TO:

■ Attend sessions regularly

■ Describe how pain impacts your life 

■ Work together with your therapist to set treatment goals

■ Learn about chronic pain and ways to help improve 

your management of pain and its consequences

■ Practice new CBT-CP skills in your life outside of session

To help ensure benefit from CBT-CP, you will need to 

be an active partner in your treatment. It is important 

that you discuss with your therapist any problems 

you have with recommendations made in the course 

of treatment and work with your therapist to come 

up with solutions to these problems.

CAN I PARTICIPATE IN CBT-CP AND 

TAKE MEDICATION FOR PAIN AND/

OR BE IN OTHER TYPES OF THERAPY 

AT THE SAME TIME?

You do not need to stop other mental health 

treatments or pain medications while you are 

participating in CBT-CP. This treatment helps you 

to develop skills that can be easily implemented 

while engaged in other forms of treatment. If you 

are taking pain medications and want to reduce or 

discontinue use, you should seek help from your 

prescribing provider. Your CBT-CP therapist will 

ask for your permission to communicate with other 

providers to keep them updated on your care.

HOW WILL I KNOW IF CBT-CP IS 

WORKING? 

CBT-CP helps you learn to react to chronic pain 

in a way that reduces its negative effects on your 

life. Continued use of CBT-CP skills will be key 

to effectively managing your pain long after the 

therapy ends. 

Your therapist will help

you make changes to everyday 

 behaviors so that pain has less 

 control over your life.