Individualized psychotherapy

Doctoral level psychologists with specialized training to help with your individual needs

Meet the therapists

Sarah DeMarco, Psy.D.

Dr. DeMarco is currently seeing a small number of clients for therapy on an outpatient basis for those struggling with neuroplastic chronic pain. She has received the highest level of training (‘mastery’) in Pain Reprocessing Therapy from the Pain Reprocessing Therapy Center in Los Angeles.

Learn more about our approach to treating chronic pain here

Viviana McKenney, Psy.D.

Dr. McKenney has experience providing therapy to adults experiencing anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), mood disorders, and trauma. She strives to create a collaborative and culturally responsive environment, and her approach is tailored to each client’s needs. Her therapeutic approach draws from evidence-based treatments such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), and mindfulness-based strategies.

Learn more about our approach to this treatment here

Individual therapy

Online or in-person

50 mins | $285

Book Consultation with Dr. DeMarco

Book Consultation with Dr. McKenney

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Yes. Chronic pain is always real — and it is always processed by the brain and nervous system.

    In some cases, pain persists because the nervous system has become sensitized, even when there is no ongoing tissue damage. This is sometimes referred to as neuroplastic pain.

    Evidence-based treatments such as Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT), help calm the nervous system and retrain the brain’s pain response. Research shows that when the brain stops interpreting signals as dangerous, pain can significantly reduce — and in some cases resolve.

  • Normal imaging does not mean your pain isn’t real. All pain is real.

    Many people with chronic back or neck pain can have normal scans but can be in tremendous pain.

    Conversely, people with abnormal imaging and scans can have no pain at all.

    Abnormal scans do not equal pain. Just like normal scans do not equal no pain.

    Pain exists when the brain and nervous system remain in a state of protection or high alert in the absence (or presence) of abnormal findings.

    When medical causes have been appropriately ruled out, we examine closely what may be maintaining those pain pathways. We then work together to find ways to train the brain and shift that pattern safely and gradually.

  • No. Your pain is real. All pain is real.

    All pain is generated by the brain — even the pain from a broken bone.

    When we talk about mind-body or neuroplastic pain, we are talking about how the brain and nervous system can continue producing real pain signals even after the body has healed, or when there is no structural damage at all.

    The goal of therapy is not to dismiss your experience, but to help your nervous system feel safe enough to reduce the pain response.

  • This approach may be helpful for:

    • Chronic back or neck pain

    • Fibromyalgia

    • Migraines and chronic headaches

    • Pelvic pain

    • IBS and other functional pain disorders

    • Nerve pain without progressive disease

    • Pain that moves or changes locations

    • Pain that began after stress, injury, or illness and never resolved.

    • …and many others

    We can schedule a consultation call to determine whether this approach is appropriate for your specific situation.

  • Many people who seek PRT and a mind-body approach have already tried multiple medical interventions.

    If structural causes have been ruled out or fully addressed, yet pain continues, we can explore what might be keeping that pain pathway on.

    This does not mean prior treatments were wrong. It simply means we may need to address a different mechanism — the brain’s learned pain pathways.

  • Sessions focus on topic such as:

    • Education about how chronic pain works

    • Identifying nervous system triggers

    • Reducing fear and threat responses

    • Building emotional awareness and regulation skills

    • Gradually retraining pain pathways

    This is not about blaming you, digging for trauma unnecessarily, or suggesting your pain is psychological. It is a structured, evidence-based approach tailored to your experience.

  • Not necessarily.

    While stress and past experiences can influence the nervous system, therapy focuses on what is relevant to your current pain experience. We move at your pace and prioritize safety and stability. You will never be forced to discuss anything you do not feel safe to discuss.

  • The first step is scheduling a consultation. We will review your medical history, prior treatments, and current symptoms to determine whether this approach is appropriate for you.

    If you’ve been told “everything looks normal” but you’re still in pain, there may be a clear explanation — and a path forward.