Active Pain Coping

Active Pain Coping 

• LivePlanBe+ – Free online pain self-management and education program.
• My Pain My Way – Tools and strategies to help you live well with chronic pain.
• Pain BC – Resources, education, and support for people living with pain.
• Pain Management Guidebook – Free e-book from Del Brocco & others (2020).
• Pain Science Workbooks - Greg Lehman – Educational workbooks on pain, movement, and recovery.
• Pain Toolkit – Practical self-management tips for persistent pain.
• Pain U Online – Self-paced modules to improve pain management and function.
• Power Over Pain – Access to pain resources, courses, and peer support.
• painTRAINER – Eight online sessions teaching evidence-based pain management skills.
• Self-Care Resources – Free self-help guides for coping with chronic health conditions.

Alberta

• Alberta Virtual Pain Program – Free virtual program for Albertans with persistent pain to learn pain management skills, connect with others, and improve quality of life.
• Alberta Healthy Living Program – Free programs including exercise, nutrition education, and self-management workshops for Albertans.
• MyHealth.Alberta.ca – Online articles and videos on chronic pain, healthy coping strategies, medications, and self-management.
• The Wellness Centre at South Health Campus – Free wellness programs focused on nutrition, emotional well-being, chronic conditions, and life skills.
• The Pain Society of Alberta – Non-profit organization providing education and resources on pain conditions and treatment.

Canada

• Psychology Works Fact Sheets – Fact sheets on pain, including chronic pain, pediatric pain, and pain management.
• Pain Canada – National organization providing resources, education, and support for people living with chronic pain.

Loss & Grief

• MyGrief.ca - helps people understand and work through grief and loss.
• Centre for Loss & Life Transition - with Alan Wolfelt, an international speaker on grief and loss.

Mental Health

• BounceBack - Free program for managing depression, anxiety, stress, and worry.
• CCI Self-Help Resources - Free workbooks and information on mental health and well-being.
• NHS Self-Help Guides - Free downloadable guides for common mental health concerns.
• Exercise and Depression Toolkit - Evidence-based resource on using exercise to manage depression.

Loss & Grief

• Grief Resources – the Grief Support Centre, Alberta Health Services, a series of talks on grief.

Pain Science

• Getting a Grip on Pain and the Brain - Lorimer Moseley
• Pain: Do You Really Get It? - Lorimer Moseley
• Part 1 - Explain Chronic Pain in Less Than a Minute - Neil Pearson, B.C. physiotherapist and educator on chronic pain
• Part 2 - Explaining Chronic Pain in Detail - Neil Pearson, B.C. physiotherapist and educator on chronic pain
• Tame the Beast – It’s Time to Rethink Persistent Pain - Lorimer Moseley
• Treating Pain Using the Brain - David Butler
• Understanding pain: What to Do About it in Less Than 5 Minutes – by HPRC

Stress Management

• How to Make Stress Your Friend - TED Talk by Kelly McGonigal, health psychologist.
• DocMikeEvans - Dr. Mike Evans, evidence-based health information such as Healthy Eating 101, 90:10 Stress, and Best Advice for People Taking Opioid Medications.

• Canadian Migraine Tracker – Track migraine frequency, triggers, symptoms, and medication effectiveness.
• Curable – Pain education and evidence-based exercises, including meditation, CBT, and relaxation techniques.
• Migraine Buddy – Track migraine symptoms, triggers, lifestyle factors, and weather-related patterns.
• My Pain Diary – Monitor pain, symptoms, and triggers to identify trends and patterns.
• PainScale – Track pain, access educational resources, and connect with a pain management community.
• Virtual Hope Box – Mental health app with tools for coping, relaxation, distraction, and positive thinking.

Active Pain Coping

Caudill M (2015) (4th Ed). Managing pain before it manages you. New York: Guilford.
Dahl J & Lundgreen T (2006). Living beyond your pain: Using acceptance and commitment therapy to ease chronic pain. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger.
Gardner-Nix J (2009). The mindfulness solution to pain: Step-by-step techniques for chronic pain management. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger.
Otis JD (2007). Managing chronic pain: A cognitive behavioral therapy approach workbook. New York: Oxford University Press

Communication (Big Skill #5)

Bower SZ and Bower GH (2004) (updated addition). Asserting yourself: A practical guide for positive change. Perseus Books.
Eloff K (2023). The chronic pain couple: How to be a joyful partner & have a remarkable relationship in spite of chronic pain. Exisle Publishing.
Patterson K & others (2011). Crucial conversations tools for talking when stakes are high. New York: McGraw-Hill.

Fear Avoidance

Bourne, E. J. (2010). The anxiety and phobia workbook (5th ed.). Oakland, CA: New Harbinger
Wehrenberg M (2018) (2nd Ed). The 10 best-ever anxiety management techniques workbook. New York: W.W. Norton & Company.
Wilson R (2009) (3rd Ed). Don’t panic: Taking control of anxiety attacks. New York: Harper.

Goal Setting

Duhigg C (2014). The power of habit: Why we do what we do in life and business. Anchor Canada: Random House.
Prochaska JO & others (1995). Changing for good: A revolutionary six-stage program for overcoming bad habits and moving your life positively forward. New York: William Morrow and Company.

Loss & Grief

Devine M (2017). It's ok that you're not ok: Meeting grief and loss in a culture that doesn't understand. Boulder, CO: Sounds True, Inc.
Eifert GH & others (2006). Act on life not on anger: The new acceptance and commitment therapy guide to problem anger. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger.

Self-Talk (Big Skill #4)

Greenberger D & Padesky C (2015). Mind over mood: Change how you feel by changing the way you think. New York: Guilford. (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy)
Harris, R. (2022) (2nd Ed). The Happiness Trap: How to Stop Struggling and Start Living. Shambhala Publishing. (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy)
Van Dijk S. (2012). Calming the emotional storm: Using dialectical behavior therapy skills to manage your emotions and balance your life. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger. (Dialectical Behavior Therapy).

Stress Management

Elkin A (2025) (3rd Ed). Stress management for dummies. Published by For Dummies.
Siskov S (2021). Relaxation and stress management made simple: 7 proven strategies to calm your mind, stop negative thinking and improve your life.
 

Pain Science

Butler D & Moseley L (2013). Explain pain. Adelaide, Australia: Noigroup.
Butler D & Moseley L (2017). Explain pain supercharged. Adelaide, Australia: Noigroup. 
Doidge N (2007). The brain that changes itself. New York: Penguin.
Moseley L & Butler D (2015). The explain pain handbook: Protectometer. Adelaide, Australia: Noigroup.

Positive Psychology

Achor, S. (2013). Before happiness: The 5 hidden keys to achieving success, spreading happiness, and sustaining positive change. New York: Crown Business Publishing.
Fredrickson, B. (2009). Positivity: Top-notch research reveals the upward spiral that will change your life. New York: Three Rivers Press.
Seligman, M. (2011).Flourish: A v isionary new understanding of happiness and well-being. New York: Free Press.

Relaxation

• Dawn C. Buse, PhD - a licensed psychologist who specializes in helping people with chronic diseases including migraine, other headache diseases, and chronic pain. Free guided visual imagery and relaxation exercises tracks.
• MyHealth Alberta - relaxation audio tracks for stress, chronic pain, and headache relief.
• Relaxation & Stress Management - relaxation audio tracks and mindfulness tracks from the student counseling centre at Georgia Southern University.

Mindfulness

• Guided Meditations - Tara Brach - founder of the Insight Meditation Community of Washington, DC (IMCW), one of the largest non-residential meditation centres in the United States.
• The Breath Project - Dr. Philip Blustein, a local GI physician for over 30 years demonstrated the value of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction for irritable bowel syndrome. Includes free ebook, Mindfulness Medication: A Physician's Prescription for Stress Relief.
• Mindfulness Online | Student Wellness Services | University of Calgary - self-directed mindfulness program to cultivate mindfulness in daily life.
• UCLA Mindful - Mindfulness Education Centre - University of Los Angeles, California, The Mindfulness Education Centre is dedicated to advancing mindfulness education to promote individual and cultural well-being world-wide.

Self-Compassion

• Center of Mindful Self-Compassion - various practices and articles designed to cultivate self-compassion skills for daily life.
• Guided Meditation by Chris - mindful self-compassion with Dr. Chris Germer, clinical psychologist and lecturer at Harvard Medical School.
• Self-Compassion.Org - resources with Dr. Kristen Neff who is recognized as a most influential scholar in the field of psychology.

• Calm - a subscription-based app that promotes relaxation through meditations, sleeps stories, nature images, and sounds.
• Breathr - an app that introduces the concept of mindfulness and creates an easy access point for those who are new to this practice. Developed by the BC Children's Hospital.
• Headspace - meditation made simple. Learn online, when you want, wherever you are, in just 10 minutes a day.
• Medito - for people who have never meditated before or who want to deepen their meditation practice.
• Stop, Breathe and Think - allows you to check in with how you are feeling and recommends short activities and guided tuned to those emotions. 

Mindfulness

• Burch V & Penman D (2015). You are not your pain: Using mindfulness to relive pain, reduce stress, and restore well-being - an 8 - week program. New York: Flatiron Books.
• Siegel R (2010). The mindfulness solution: Everyday practices for everyday problems. New York: Guilford.

Relaxation

• Benson H & Proctor W (2011). Relaxation revolution: The science and genetics of mind body healing. New York: Scribner.
• Davis M and others (2019) (7^th Ed). The relaxation and stress reduction workbook. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger.

Self-Compassion

• Germer CK (2009). The mindful path to self-compassion: Freeing yourself from destructive thoughts and emotions. New York: Guilford.
• Neff K & Germer C (2018). The mindful self-compassion workbook: A proven way to accept yourself, build inner strength, and thrive. New York: Guilford.

• Caregivers Alberta - works closely with organizations across Alberta to offer caregiver programs in your community.

• Alberta Healthy Living Program - Better Choices Better Health: Self-Management Workshops. To register call 1-844-527-1160 or go online.
• Lending Emotional and Pain Support (LEAPS) - a peer-led support group, with participants who have chronic pain and have mostly been through the Calgary Chronic Pain Centre and other places. Groups are online. Email LeapsCalgary@gmail.com 
• Migraine Warriors - Facebook group provides education, advocacy, and fundraising for migraine and other headache disorders as well as their co-morbid conditions. 
• People in Pain Network - pain self-management support groups. Email infor@pipain.com (In-person groups delayed until further notice).
• Chronic Pain Association of Canada - Support groups across Canada.

• Calgary Concussion Awareness & Support - informational group to help raise awareness of concussion-how easily they happen, what the symptoms are, what the recovery process can be like. In-person support groups are delayed until further notice.
• Pink Concussions - various Facebook Groups moderated by PINK Concussions' volunteers. The purpose of the group is to have a place for female members to share their own experience with brain injury and see that they are not alone.

• Wellness Through Mindfulness YYC - meditation and teaching sessions on mindfulness for new and experienced individuals. Scheduled for the 3rd Thursday of each month from 7pm - 8pm. Classes are free if you have a library membership. These sessions a talk, meditation time, and Q&A.
• City of Calgary Wellness and Meditation Classes - increase your wellness through various movement based wellness classes, education sessions and intentional guided meditation practices.