Chronic Pelvic Pain, Mast Cell Activation Syndrome, and trauma are three of the most commonly misunderstood, complex, and often co-occurring disorders that both behavioral health providers and medical health providers struggle to appropriately and accurately assess and treat. The primary goal of the presentation is to provide an effective, efficient, and comprehensive approach to not only understanding the common thread between chronic pelvic pain, MCAS, and trauma, but also how to educate and treat patients navigating these complex, and often co-occurring, disorders. Research from multiple fields, including psychoneuroimmunology, will be reviewed. Clinical knowledge, guidance on interdisciplinary care and collaboration, and clinical skills will be provided utilizing two complex case studies.
Learning Objectives:
Understand the common thread between Chronic Pelvic Pain, MCAS, and trauma
Explain how to simultaneously take a patient history and provide pain science education
Understand the key components of treating clients with Chronic Pelvic Pain, MCAS, and trauma
AASECT CKA:
A. Ethics and ethical behavior.
G. Sexual and reproductive anatomy/physiology.
H. Health/medical factors that may influence sexuality including, but not limited to, illness, disability, drugs, mental health, conception, pregnancy, childbirth, pregnancy termination, contraception, fertility, HIV/AIDS, sexually transmitted infection, other infections, sexual trauma, injury and safer sex practices.
AASECT ST:
A. Theory and methods of sex-related psychotherapy, including several different models.