How to Develop Therapeutic Alliance to Help Manage Persistent Pain
How to Develop Therapeutic Alliance to Help Manage Persistent Pain
This course includes
The instructors
Overview
Effective management of persistent pain goes beyond exercise prescriptions and manual techniques — it starts with a strong therapeutic alliance between the clinician and the patient. Research shows that collaborative communication, shared decision-making, and a patient-centred approach are essential components of positive outcomes in chronic pain care.
This course equips rehabilitation professionals with evidence-informed communication and coaching strategies to build trust, improve engagement, and support meaningful behaviour change in people living with persistent pain.
What You Will Learn
In this online course, you will learn how to:
- Build a Strong Therapeutic Alliance: Develop practical frameworks to enhance trust, rapport, and collaboration with patients across diverse pain conditions.
- Apply Communication & Coaching Strategies: Learn evidence-based techniques to support patients in navigating negative health behaviours and improving participation in their care.
- Understand Patient Perspectives: Gain insights from a lived-experience contributor to deepen empathy and refine your approach to persistent pain management.
Why It Matters
A therapeutic alliance — the collaborative partnership between clinician and patient — is linked to improved adherence, satisfaction, and clinical outcomes. It includes shared goals, agreed-upon tasks, and a supportive therapeutic bond that can enhance both engagement and treatment effectiveness.
By focusing on these foundational skills, clinicians can elevate the impact of their care and better support individuals living with persistent pain.
Course Format
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Expert Presenters:
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Strategies grounded in current research and clinical experience
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Real examples of communication and coaching in practice
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Practical Tools:
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“How-to” guides for building therapeutic alliance
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Communication frameworks you can implement immediately
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Patient Perspective:
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Hear directly from a person living with persistent pain to enrich your clinical understanding
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Who Should Take This Course
This course is designed for rehabilitation professionals including, but not limited to:
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Physiotherapists & Physiotherapy Assistants
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Occupational Therapists & Assistants
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Chiropractors
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Athletic Therapists
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Exercise Therapists
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Kinesiologists
Professionals across clinical settings who work with persistent pain patients will benefit from enhanced therapeutic alliance skills.
Instructors
The course is delivered by leading clinicians and educators who bring a combination of research evidence, real-world practice, and lived experience to the topic.
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Jason Silvernail, DPT, DSc, CSCS, FAAOMPT – Experienced physical therapist and educator
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Maxi Miciak, PhD, BScPT, BPE – Researcher with expertise in the therapeutic relationship in musculoskeletal care
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Sandra Woods, CIPP/C, M. Bioethics – Healthcare advocate and patient partner with experience living with chronic pain
Accreditation & CEUs
This course is offered by the Pain Science Division of the Canadian Physiotherapy Association and may count toward continuing education requirements, depending on your professional jurisdiction.
The instructors
DPT, DSc, CSCS, FAAOMPT
Jason Silvernail has been a practicing physical therapist since 1997, on duty in the United States Army as a career military officer with over 25 years of service. Dr. Silvernail has worked with a wide variety of patient populations and settings including orthopedic/sports, chronic pain, amputee and neurological rehabilitation, and strength and conditioning.
Dr Silvernail earned his Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from the University of Scranton, and his Doctor of Science from Baylor University. He is board-certified in Orthopedic Physical Therapy and is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist. He is also a graduate of the prestigious Army-Baylor Army-Baylor Doctoral Fellowship in Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapy at Fort Sam Houston, earning him a Fellowship in the American Academy of Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapy.
A clinician and researcher, he has published clinical commentaries and original research in the medical literature (including the Journal of Orthopedic and Sports Physical Therapy, Manual Therapy, and the Journal of Manual and Manipulative Therapy) and he has a prominent professional presence online where you can connect with him on Facebook or Twitter.
Opinions expressed by Dr. Silvernail are his own and do not represent the official policy or position of the United States Army, the Department of Defense, or the United States Government.
Ph.D, BScPT, BPE
CIPP/C, M. Bioethics, BA Phil (Ethics)
Sandra has worked in healthcare for over 20 years, primarily in bioethics. She managed a research ethics board, and was part of an epidemiology team at the CHUM Research Centre. Her industry experience includes healthcare philanthropy and patient privacy protection. She spent 5 years in the Canadian Air Force reserve, specializing in wilderness survival. Sandra was a Major at the Regional Officer-Instructor School, training other officers, while Captain as deputy commanding officer of her squadron.
In May 2016 Sandra was diagnosed with CRPS, following an earlier Colles’ fracture. She now applies her bioethics and research knowledge to advocating for chronic pain patients, often one-on-one.
Her CRPS and chronic pain awareness-raising focuses on HCPs. Sandra has presented to medical students through the MUHC’s Alan Edwards Pain Management Unit (AEPMU), and to medical residents. She was a Patient Partner & Twitter Team member for the 2018 Canadian Pain Society conference.
Material included in this course
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How to Develop Therapeutic Alliance by Creating Safety
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Patient Perspective Pt1
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"How to" Develop Therapeutic Alliance by Creating Safety
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Presence
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Receptivity
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Being Open
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Review
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Feedback
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Motivation, Self-Efficacy, and Goal Setting
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Patient Perspective Pt2
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Motivation, Self-Efficacy, Goal Setting
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Four Strategies, Four Skills
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RULE
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OARS
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MI Exercise
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Feedback
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Conclusion
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Patient Perspective Pt3
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Q&A Pt1
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Q&A Pt2
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Feedback
I'm a member of the Canadian Physiotherapy Association (CPA). What are the discounts available to CPA Members on Embodia?
As part of our partnership with the CPA, we offer its members discounts on courses and Embodia Memberships. Learn more about the partnership on this page.
In order for the discount to be applied, you first need to authenticate your CPA membership. This is an important step as this is how Embodia 'knows' that you are a CPA member.
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Please note that your email address on your CPA account must match your email address on Embodia. If needed, you can update your information on Embodia as outlined in this guide.
Is a certificate of completion included with this course?
Once you have completed the course, a certificate of completion (including learning hours and course information) will be generated. You can download this certificate at any time. To learn more about course certificates on Embodia please visit this guide.
This can be used for continuing education credits, depending on your professional college or association. If this course has been approved for CEUs in specific jurisdictions, it will be noted on the course page and CEU information may be added to your course certificate. Please read this guide for more information.