Chronic pain that doesn’t add up?
Your body isn’t betraying you; it’s trying to speak to you.
Let’s untangle what it’s been trying to say.
You’ve been in go-mode for years…
powering through,
brushing off pain,
outrunning the alarm,
Breaking down, just to function.
Your body is screaming.
Your mind is running in circles to fix it.
And you’re stuck in the middle—so damn exhausted.
But you can’t just “quick fix” out of it, because somewhere along the way, those adaptations to the pain became your “normal.”
You’ve already tried everything to help…
Consults with every -ologist in town
Talk therapy, physical therapy, scream therapy
Self-help books, YouTube success stories, Reddit rabbit holes
Shaking, walking, stretching
And nothing sticks.
I know you aren’t here for lack of effort… you’ve been working os hard to cope, to manage, to endure.
But your system doesn’t need more management.
It needs something that actually breaks the pattern.
This is the place to unlearn your pain.
You’ve already tried pain management: medications, injections, surgeries, coping strategies, support groups, exercise routines.
The list goes on.
But the real work isn’t in chasing symptoms.
It’s in tracing patterns:
The physical ones that run between the body and brain and “fire off” danger signals when you move
The mental ones that anticipate discomfort, tell you what you can’t do, and try to outthink the pain cycle
The self-beliefs and stories you’ve rehearsed since childhood
The survival programs your system has been running long after the threat has passed
The hard truth:
Chronic pain isn’t solved by doing more.
It shifts when your system feels safe enough to slow down, drop the old patterns, and move with ease.
That’s why this work address the signals your system is sending — even the ones that frustrate you, that don’t make sense, or that seem unpredictable.
Because before we can change the pattern, we have to understand what it’s been trying to protect.
What Happens In Therapy for Chronic Pain
You’ll learn how to:
Stop overriding and start acknowledging discomfort
Decode your body’s “alarm signals” and translate that into cues you can actually respond to
Recognize when you’re bracing, chasing, or avoiding
Learn what you can do to feel safe and at ease, instead
So you can:
Wake up without fear of moving your body
Think about making plans without a pit in your stomach
Take on the day and finish what you start, like you used to
Move your body, without worrying that one wrong turn will cause a flare
My Approach to Healing Chronic Pain
Hey there, I’m Dr. Anahita Kalianivala, PhD.
I don’t approach chronic pain as something to fix or manage. I approach it as a pattern your system has learned… and that it can unlearn.
I’m also a psychologist with a sh*t ton of training (including a Stanford fellowship in pain psychology).
But my job isn’t to give you textbook explanations.
Or workbook walk-throughs you could do yourself.
My job is to take all that knowledge and create a tailored-to-you experience that:
actually moves the needle
rewires your brain and your body
moves you away from survival mode
and towards safety, release, and repair.
This work is intentional, steady, and grounded. It’s tailored to your pace, your system, and your patterns.
Slow enough to be safe. Deep enough to create real change.
How Chronic Pain Therapy With Me Actually Works
This isn’t never-ending weekly therapy.
This is a focused pathway designed to help you understand your patterns and start shifting them in a way your system can actually track.
We start with an orientation phase.
The first phase usually includes…
A 2-hour onboarding session where we map your pain patterns, history, and how your nervous system has learned them
A small series of focused sessions to begin shifting how you relate to what you’re experiencing
Space to observe how your system responds, so we can determine what level of support will actually move things forward
Why is it just 4 sessions? Because I’m not here to keep you in a type of work that isn’t actually helpful.
So this first phase is where we actually figure that out, together:
what your system needs
what it responds to
what will create real movement
Not every approach (or provider) works for every person, and I take that seriously. You deserve care that aligns with your values, your vibe, and your nervous system.
Phases of Chronic Pain Therapy
Orientation
This includes a deep onboarding process and a short series of sessions to map how your pain has been learned.
It allows us to see how your system responds to change and what it actually needs from here.
This is where we figure out what will actually help.
Intensive
For some people, the next step is deeper work, where we meet more frequently and have contact between sessions.
This allows us to interrupt patterns in real time, reinforce new responses, and create momentum while your system is open to change.
Consolidation
As patterns begin to shift, the work changes from interrupting old patterns to stabilizing new ones.
During this phase, we focus on building consistency, strengthening your capacity to hold change, and helping your system stay regulated as you build confidence in new patterns.
Expansion
In this phase, the work shifts again. At this point, you’re not relying on me to guide the change; you’re actively creating it in your own life.
Sessions become more spaced out, not because the work matters less, but because you’re taking ownership of it.
This is where the work becomes yours. Something you’re practicing, choosing, and reinforcing in real time.
While Orientation is always the first step, this work is not intended to be a prescribed or linear path.
We’ll adjust the level of support you need based on what’s actually happening for you in the moment, not based on a predetermined course.
Why Nervous System-Based Chronic Pain Therapy Works
Sometimes the issue isn’t a missing tool or insight, but the way the work is held.
If you’ve tried therapy, coaching, physical treatments, or mindset work before — and pain still feels like it’s running (and ruining) your life — you’re not alone.
You’re thoughtful. Insightful. Capable. You’ve handled complex stressors before. Solved countless problems and helped other people manage theirs.
So it’s confusing and frustrating that this one thing won’t shift.
You’re tired of circling the same insight without real traction. You want change that actually lands. Not just cognitively, but physiologically.
You don’t need more willpower. What you need is a different kind of support.
One that works with your nervous system.
And that’s because recovering from chronic pain isn’t about working harder or throwing more effort at the wall. (Psst. That actually just revs up your stress response even more.)
Healing from chronic pain happens when we work with the part that’s been trying to protect you all along.
This is therapy for your whole system:
your nervous system conditioning
your coping strategies
your beliefs
your emotional reflexes
the protective patterns wired into your body.
In this work, you’ll unlearn survival responses that once made sense, but no longer fit your life. You’ll learn how to stop overriding your limits. You’ll interrupt the performance pressures that have been running in the background of your life.
And you’ll begin relating to pain differently — not as a monster to defeat, but as a signal your system learned to amplify.
Here’s what I believe:
Lasting change isn’t about doing more.
It’s about working at the right level, in the right way, at the right time.
This Work Is For You If…
You want support that works with your nervous system and your emotional functioning, not just with your thoughts
You’ve tried everything from PT to CBT, and nothing has really shifted
You’re tired of managing symptoms alone and want help getting to the root of the pattern
You feel like something deeper is running the show, and you’re over trying to work through it alone
You’re tired of “seeming fine” on the outside and feeling depleted on the inside
You don’t want to have to explain or justify your pain to be taken seriously
You’re willing to slow down and be curious, even if you’re skeptical
You want support that’s both body-aware and emotionally intelligent
You’re ready to stop overriding your body’s signals and start responding differently
This May Not Be the Best Fit If…
You’re in acute emotional or physical crisis and need stabilization before doing deeper pattern work
You’re not comfortable using Zoom or learning a few simple tech tools like Google Drive or WhatsApp
You’re looking for a quick technique to eliminate pain without exploring the patterns underneath it
You’re committed to a biomedical view of pain and not open to exploring mind-body work
You want primarily cognitive insight work without engaging your nervous system or behavior
You’re only looking for short-term symptom control
Take the first step toward relief.
Start a conversation with me by submitting a quick form.
The next step is completing a short form (just 3–5 minutes) to give me a snapshot of what you’re experiencing, so when we connect, we can focus on what matters most to you.
I review each inquiry personally to be thoughtful about fit and timing. If it seems like a potential match, I may reach out with next steps or with a few additional questions.
If you’d rather reach out directly, you can call or text (775) 235-2406.
Meet Your Therapist
Dr. Anahita Kalianivala, PhD is a licensed clinical psychologist specializing in chronic pain and mind-body treatment.
She completed a fellowship in pain psychology at Stanford School of Medicine and has worked extensively with individuals navigating complex chronic pain conditions.
Her clinical work integrates neuroscience-informed pain treatment, nervous system regulation, and behavioral approaches that help people change long-standing pain patterns.
As a recovering perfectionist, professional overthinker, and deeply-feeling human,
I get where you’re at.
I’ve lived many of the same patterns that can keep chronic pain going: bracing for impact, overriding my wants and needs, powering through the “shoulds.”
For a long time, I looked functional on the outside while my nervous system was vibrating with overwhelm underneath.
Those experiences are part of what led me to this work.
In this intensive, I’ll help you understand the neuroscience behind what you’re feeling, why nervous system tools work for chronic pain, and how to apply them in ways that actually stick.
But real healing doesn’t happen from following a protocol alone. It happens through presence, pattern recognition, and learning how to be in relationship with your whole system.
This intensive is a container to support that process:
structured, steady, and rooted in relational safety.
Therapy services are fully virtual.
All sessions are held over secure video so you can access care from wherever you are—even on hard days.
*Dr. Kalianivala is a licensed psychologist in Nevada and eligible to provide online teletherapy to residents of PSYPACT states. Check your state for eligibility here.
What We Might Explore Together
Healing isn’t one-size-fits-all, and therapy here isn’t just “talking.” Below are some of the ideas, strategies, and discoveries we’ll dig into: equal parts science, soul, and practical tools to help you find real relief from chronic pain.
-
→ Why rest is NOT a reward—it’s your birthright. (And your nervous system agrees.)
→ Why you’re crashing at the end of the day, feeling numb, checked out, & like joy is a distant memory.
-
→ Ways your body has been talking to you—AKA how to decode the signals you didn’t know were clues.
→ What your body might be trying to tell you. (yep, even if no one’s figured it out yet).
→ The science behind why your pain flares when your stress does. (You’re not imagining it—and yes, we can work with it.)
-
→ Why hitting goals doesn’t make you happy anymore. (You’re not broken, by the way.)
→ Why the burnout-achievement loop isn’t your fault, how it messes with your body and brain—and what to do instead.
-
→ How to fully harness your brain's ability to change, for the better. (This time, you’re taking control)
→ How to escape survival mode. (Spoiler: there is an exit route, and I am here to help you find it.)
→ How to find your way back to you. It’s not just about coping—it’s about reclaiming your voice and your fire.
-
→ How strategies like hypnosis and mindfulness work in harmony with the textbook cognitive therapies.
→ My favorite strategies for navigating chronic pain, burnout, and the brain that refuses to chill.
→ Developing your personalized game plan for navigating life with meaning, zest, and joy.
-
→ Customized tools—rooted in science, grounded in soul—to help unravel the thought patterns that are not serving you.
→ Strategies to uncover the unconscious patterns that quietly run the show.
→ How to let go and let it be easy. Healing is allowed to be easy.
You don’t have to keep doing this alone.
If something in you knows it’s time for a different way,
let’s walk that path together.
Privacy Policy Terms of Service Cookie Policy Acceptable Use Policy No Surprises Act
You have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate of what your services may cost.