We’re passionate about helping patients & practitioners make sense of chronic pain
About the Pain Team
What started as informal “team meetings” to share experiences and perspectives on working with clients living with chronic pain, turned into a working group to create a model to help explain why chronic pain may develop and how to guide clients to restoration. The process highlighted the importanace of a common approach that reasonated a with all members of the healthcare team, facilitating an interdisciplinary, not just a multi-disciplinary approach to pain.
It is also highlighted the importance of developing a model that helped clients’ understanding of their own unique situation and what they could do as an active participant in their restoration to a life with less pain and more enjoyment.
This work lead to developing PAMM, the Pain Avoidance and Meaning Model, that is now used as the framework for assessment of management in a tertiary pain management centre and the focus of ongoing research into its validity and effectiveness in a range of clinical settings.
Sharing our experiences showed us that not only do our clients do better when we work together, but the work is better when we work together.
The Pain Team is a committment to that idea, better together. Our aim is to to help other health professionals work as an interdisciplinary team through providing workshops, resources and mentoring. We endeavour to maintain the original spirit of those initial informal “team meetings” to foster innovation in the approach to helping clients living with chronic pain.
Dr Sharryn Lydall-Smith
Founding Member and Facilitator
Counselling Psychologist
As a psychologist with over 30 years of experience Dr Lydall-Smith has a diverse skill set and qualifications. Her professional life has always been split between research activities and psychological counselling both for individuals and groups and enjoys working as part of a team. Sharryn has worked in many roles including work as the psychologist of the Northern Aged Psychiatry Assessment and Treatment team, Manager of the Centre for Applied Gerontology, the Evaluation Coordinator of St Vincent’s Hospital Admission Risk Program (HARP) and the Local Evaluation Manager of the Victorian Coordinated Care Trial and Senior Psychologist for the Neurological and Musculoskeletal Community Rehabilitation Service at Eastern Health and Precision Ascend Pain Management Program.
In 2018 she joined the Monash Health Specialist Pain clinic as a Senior Counselling Psychologist where she works in various group programs and works individually with clients suffering from chronic pain and other trauma-related issues. She has utilised an array of psychological therapies both in private practice and my public health roles and a major focus of my work has been helping people manage both acute and chronic pain.
Justin Moar
Founding Member and Facilitator
Physiotherapist
As a physiotherapist with a fascination in persistent pain since starting his private practice career in the early 2000’s, Justin has focussed his attention on finding ways to help his patients understand their condition that builds confidence. He believes that this is the foundation for restoring quality of life with persistent pain, as well as giving patients the best opportunity to recover.
Justin has worked for over 10 years as a senior physiotherapist in an interdisciplinary pain management program that includes pain specialists, rehabilitation physicians, psychologists and physiotherapists. In his current role as clinical team lead he is responsible for pain management program design and evaluation, giving him valuable insight into the importance of providing a framework for assessment and treatment that makes sense to patients and facilitates collaboration across the clinical team.
Andrea Funke
Founding Member & Facilitator
Occupational Therapist
With over 16 years experience working in rehabilitation and pain management settings, Andrea believes that Occupational Therapists have a pivotal role in working with clinicians and clients to collaboratively solve problems presented by chronic pain from a broad perspective. Andrea wholeheartedly believes pain rehabilitation is “a team sport” and is passionate about contributing to best practice for pain management in Australia.
Andrea currently works as the Senior Occupational Therapist at a tertiary Pain Management Service in Melbourne. When she isn’t working, you might find Andrea at the theatre, in her garden, or enthusiastically cheering for one of her children at their various activities.
David Field
Founding Member
Mr David Field is a Clinical and Health Psychologist and is a Fellow of the Australian Psychological Society College of Clinical Psychologists and College of Health Psychologists and a member of the Australian Pain Society. David has worked as a psychologist for the past 30 years. He has an interest in strengths based and mindfulness-based therapies, chronic pain and trauma therapy. David provides an environment that is genuine, supportive and safe for people to talk about things that are important to them in relation to the life changes they aim to make. Counselling and psychology are seen as a process of collaboration and working together to achieve the desired outcomes.
He has specialist training in the assessment and treatment of chronic pain, PTSD, anxiety, depression, stress management, grief and relationship difficulties.
He has extensive experience in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT) together with Mindfulness Based Training (MBT).
David holds a Master of Clinical Psychology and a Bachelor of Social Science (Hon). He has conducted qualitative research with people who have experienced chronic pain and spinal cord stimulation and has published research into help seeking behaviour. David is a Consultant Clinical and Health Psychologist with Smart Health Psychology.
Chris Harris
Founding Member
Physiotherapist
Chris Harris is an experienced physiotherapist with a background in Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy, and over five years specializing in Persistent Pain management.
Chris has worked with Precision Ascend in Melbourne, Australia as part of a multidisciplinary team with Pain Specialists, Neurosurgeons, Psychologists, and Orthopaedic surgeons. This role involved assisting in the development of the Network pain Management program, and delivering group education and rehabilitation to patients with work and road traffic related injuries. Chris is currently working with University Hospital Lewisham, London, where he has recently developed the low back pain management course for patients of diverse cultural backgrounds. He is professionally associated with Pain Revolution and the NOI Group, both known for their contributions to pain education and research.
Chris believes that fostering a comprehensive understanding of pain mechanisms is a key tool to help people grasp their rehab and recovery.
Marcus Bowler
Facilitator
Physiotherapist
Marcus has worked in various settings, across various countries including the National Health Service (UK), South Africa, the Armed Services and private practice. He has been the Clinical Lead for the Monash Health Pain Management service for the past 15 years. He is a strong advocate that knowledge is powerful and that self-management is the keystone to pain management. The interdisciplinary team that he has shaped at Monash Health is built on that ethos.
He has a background in Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy and Manual Therapy, having trained in Manchester. These skills he uses in the interdisciplinary assessment and treatment approach of patients with complex pain and trauma histories.
Better Together
Supporting health professionals in the pursuit of innovation in holistic pain management
Growing networks of likeminded health professionals
Sharing the challenge: Enjoy what you do for longer
