#65 Creativity in Pediatric Pain Management

Did you know that he pediatric pain patients rate feeling of isolation as the absolute worst thing, even above their pain?

Georgia Weston, MSW, endured years of isolation as a teen, suffering through her chronic pain alone, feeling not being believed. Now, she’s the Executive Director of Creative Healing for Youth in Pain (CHYP), a nonprofit that helps youths suffering from chronic pain by focusing on creative healing experiences. We discuss her firsthand experiences with her own pain, her work as the director of CHYP and the simple steps healthcare providers can take that will make a world of difference to their patients. 

 

Takeaways in This Episode

Georgia's experiences with chronic pain as a child and how she became interested in pediatric pain management Her journey to becoming the Executive Director of CHYP Aspects of chronic pain that are worse than the physical pain itself Barriers to accessibility of pain care for youth with chronic pain What is CHYP, what  they offer the youth and their families How has CHYP helps bridge the gap of accessibility to pain care Who/how the programs and services offered in CHYP are curated Unique aspects of CHYP compared with other pediatric pain management support services, programs and organizations How healthcare professionals, patients and families can access these resources Georgia's advice to healthcare professionals dealing with pediatric pain issues.

 

Links

Georgia Weston, MSW

www.mychyp.org Linkedin Twitter Facebook Instagram YouTube: Creative Healing for Youth in Pain

Pedia Pain Focus Epi#62. Metaphors for Better Pediatric Pain Management

Clinicians Pain Evaluation Toolkit

Proactive Pain Solutions

Books by Georgia Huston Weston

PAIN: An Owner's Manual: Intimate conversations about pain

Vienna's Waiting: A teenage girl’s battle with pain

 

About the Guest

Georgia Weston, MSW

Georgia Weston is the author of two books, Vienna’s Waiting and PAIN: An Owner’s Manual, where she provides insight into the mysterious world of chronic pain through her own story and the stories of others. In 2011, she founded the Teen Pain Help Foundation, a 501(c)3 charitable corporation created to help children and adolescents with chronic pain. Since founding the Teen Pain Help Foundation, Georgia has served as the Executive Director, raising funds for treatment, research, education, and increased public awareness of pediatric chronic pain. She also co-founded and was the Director of Programming for Art Rx, strengthening the partnership between the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work and the USC Keck School of Medicine, specifically to better understand how art impacts pain. Georgia has experience creating and leading programs for organizations that provide therapeutic services for struggling individuals and families. She also has clinical social work experience, both as an outpatient therapist and residential therapist, for youth dealing with complex cognitive, behavioral, and social needs. In addition to her work with chyp, Georgia is a Research Associate on a Rally grant for an adolescent/young adult cancer pain telemedicine intervention study with the UCLA Pediatric Pain Research Program. Georgia has a Bachelor of Arts in psychology, with a minor in art, from St. Edward’s University. She has a Master of Social Work degree from the University of Southern California, with a concentration in Children, Youth, and Families, as well as a focus in Child and Adolescent Mental Health. In recognition of her humanitarian services, Georgia received the David Chow Humanitarian Foundation Award for 2019. Georgia is dedicated to empowering youth with chronic pain and their families through creative healing techniques and social support.