Chronic pain that doesn’t add up?
Pain doesn’t always mean something is broken.
Sometimes it means your system is trying to communicate.
Let me guess…
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 finally 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 about chronic pain (that I think you already know)
It isn’t solved by doing more. It shifts when your system feels safe enough to slow down.
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 help you have an 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.
This isn’t never-ending weekly therapy
This is a specialized and focused pathway designed to help you understand your pain patterns and start shifting them in a way your system can actually track.
It all starts 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 weekly 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
After the first phase, we collaborate on next steps…
Because I’m not here to keep you in a type of work that isn’t actually helpful to you.
Not every approach works for every person, and I take “fit” 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.
Ex: 1 session per week (60min) for 4 weeks.
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.
Ex: 2 sessions per week (90min each) for 4 weeks.
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.
Ex: 1 session per week (60min each) for 4 weeks.
Expansion
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 as you take ownership of the work.
This is the place the healing becomes something you’re choosing, practicing, and reinforcing in real time.
Ex: 1 session per month (60min each) for 6 months.
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 happening for you, not on some predetermined course.
Clicking the button above will take you to an application form within my website that will allow you to share your interest in working together.
Read more about why this works.
Read more about who this work is for.
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.
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.
Because recovering from chronic pain isn’t about working harder or throwing more effort at the wall. In fact, that usually 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. Giving it a voice, allowing it space, and inviting in compassion.
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.
As a chronic pain therapist, 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 work 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.
You don’t have to keep doing this alone.
If something in you knows it’s time for a different path (or just took the deepest exhale you’ve had in a while),
I’m here.
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