Chronic Pain 5-week Self-Management Course
2025-10-06 14:00 - 16:00, 2025-10-13 14:00 - 16:00, 2025-10-20 14:00 - 16:00, 2025-10-27 14:00 - 16:00 (Europe/Dublin) | online, Ireland
Chronic Pain Ireland is holding our 5-week Self-Management Course for people living with chronic pain. This 5 session course is delivered online over a 5 week period and is a 2 hour session. The course focus is to look at key ideas in the self-management of chronic pain and encourages participants to explore ways to both manage their condition and cope better. The course offers a special kind of flexible interactive experience in which questions, feedback, discussion and mutual support are an important part of the process.
There are key topics that will always be covered and there is a ‘direction of travel’ (per topics listed) but the exact order in which topics are discussed and the focus given to each area, depends on the needs and interests of the group at the time. The course is delivered in a non-linear way such that topics overlap and ‘inform’ each other. A good example would be how Pacing for instance requires that we also look at the effects of stress, beliefs
and issues around acceptance.
The topics covered during the course will be:

Introduction â€“ in which participants will be asked what they want to achieve and a big picture of pain management is shared including an explanation of the bio-psycho-social model
Understanding chronic pain
Boom-Bust, Pacing, Baselines, goal setting
Stress awareness and management ideas, breaking the pain stress cycle
Anxiety
Sleep
Social aspects
Acceptance & emotions
Flare ups

Live notes from each session will be e-mailed along with more formal pre-prepared materials including audio recordings for relaxation practice. This means that people wanting to explore a focus specifically on a topic can do so in-between sessions and the sessions can help explain things further and deal with questions and challenges.
Chronic Pain Ireland has for many years offered self-management training for all living with chronic pain and are partners with the Pain Association Scotland, who (having pioneered the development and delivery of self-management training) have run community programmes for over 20 years. Both CPI and PAS share mutual aims of helping to improve the quality of life for all living with chronic pain. The focus of these interactive workshops is therefore on introducing people to, and quickly building, self-management skills, thereby creating practical, positive change leading to an improved quality of life and well-being. Our trained facilitator has delivered over 10,000 workshops to date.
These workshops are offered to members of Chronic Pain Ireland and are support by way of a Hospital Saturday Fund grant.
To avail of all our chronic pain support services including: self-management workshops, telephone support line, chronic pain courses and programmes, online meetings, webinars and networking opportunities â€“ Join here

HSE Living Well with Chronic Pain
2025-10-08 19:00 - 21:30, 2025-10-10 10:30 - 12:30, 2025-10-15 19:00 - 21:30, 2025-10-22 19:00 - 21:30, 2025-10-29 19:00 - 21:30 | Carmichael Centre, North Brunswick Street, Dublin 7, Dublin, d07 rha8, Ireland
HSE Living Well with Chronic Pain programme in partnership with Chronic Pain Ireland
The HSE Living Well with Chronic Pain programme is now open for registration. This free, 6 week programme can help you develop skills and confidence to manage your condition.
Workshop Topics
Techniques to deal with symptoms of chronic pain conditions, such as fatigue, sleeplessness, stress, and emotional problems such as depression, anger, fear, and frustration, with emphasis on cognitive behavioural therapy techniques for managing pain.
Topics include:
ï‚· Appropriate exercise for maintaining and improving strength and endurance
ï‚· Balancing activity with rest
ï‚· Tools for overcoming worst-case thinking
ï‚· How our minds affect pain and how we can use our minds to lessen pain
ï‚· Negative emotions
ï‚· Healthy eating
ï‚· Appropriate use of medication
ï‚· Working more effectively with health care providers
ï‚· Communicating with friends and family
ï‚· Communicating with the health care system
ï‚· Communicating with oneself
ï‚· Action-planning, problem-solving, decision-making
Why join the Living Well with pain programme?
People who are supported in this way increase their knowledge, skills and confidence to better manage their health in partnership with their health care provider(s).
Note: This is an in-person event taking place in Chronic Pain Ireland located in the Carmichael Centre, Dublin 7.
To Register: For more information or to register, contact the Living Well Team via Email LivingWellDNCC@hse.ie

Accessible Chair Yoga online course for chronic pain in Leitrim
2025-10-09 10:00 - 11:00, 2025-10-16 10:00 - 11:00, 2025-10-23 10:00 - 11:00 | online, Ireland
Accessible Chair Yoga online Course for chronic pain in Leitrim
This free 6-week online programme is a collaboration between Chronic Pain Ireland, Leitrim Sports Partnership, and facilitator Sinead Campbell, bringing together health expertise, community wellbeing, and lived experience to support people in Leitrim. If you struggle with chronic pain and live in the locality, please reach out to Sinead who knows what is it like to live daily with pain. This pilot programme combines her yoga, holistic and nursing knowledge in ways that help people to create an overall sense of balance and calm in their lives. Our overall aim is to promote relaxation, reduce stress, enhance the body’s natural pain coping mechanisms and improve quality of life.
What you’ll learn:

simple breath awareness to develop a sense of control and safety in any given moment, including in acute pain.
specific breathing techniques for dealing with pain.
how to listen to your body and develop intuition about what it needs
physical exercises of accessible yoga â€“ moving with the breath (vinyasa) and holding poses and stretches (asana).
how to experience deep relaxation, which is the key to unlearning chronic muscle tension, pain sensitivity, stress and anxiety.
some meditation techniques, each targeting a specific aspect of chronic pain.

Course details:

When: Starts Thursday, September 18th, 10am (6 weeks, 1 hour per week)
Where: Online via Zoom
Who: Residents of Co. Leitrim living with chronic pain
Places: 10 (first come, first served â€“ waiting list if full)
Cost: Free thanks to the support of Leitrim Sports Partnership

Extras:

Tailored to your needs and abilities
Option to join a WhatsApp group for reminders & resources
Time for Q&A at the end of each class

ðŸ“ž To register or find out more, contact Sinead at 086 811 4406
About the Facilitator â€“ Sinead Campbell is a qualified nurse, yoga teacher, and accessible yoga ambassador who lives with chronic pain herself. Diagnosed with myofascial pain syndrome and fibromyalgia, she turned to yoga as a way to manage her own health and wellbeing. Her lived experience gives her a unique understanding of how movement, breathwork, and relaxation can support those living with pain. She is certified in chair yoga, adaptive practices for people with limited mobility, and holistic therapies. Today, she combines her professional skills and personal journey to guide others in finding balance, calm, and practical tools for daily life. Her website is https://balancewithsinead.ie
About Leitrim Sports Partnership, – Leitrim Sports Partnership aims to increase the number of people involved in sport or physical activity in Leitrim. The sports partnership encourages and facilitates participation in sport, recreation, and physical activity across all members of the community. The LSP is part of a national structure to co-ordinate and promote the development of sport at local level and is supported by Sport Ireland.

CPI Members Network meeting
2025-10-14 11:00 - 12:00, 2025-11-11 11:00 - 12:00, 2025-12-09 11:00 - 12:00
Each month CPI holds our peer to peer network meetings which are facilitated by our current Chairperson. It’s a safe, inclusive space to meet others, to chat, share and support each other. Our membership feedback regularly mentions the importance of speaking with others where they can chat openly without judgement and connect with others.
This event is open to members of Chronic Pain Ireland and if you would like to join, membership is €22.00 per year. See here for more details.
Many of our members have formed life long friendships as a result of attending CPI events, workshops and taking part in research. Please, consider becoming part of our community.

Chronic Pain - The importance of food and nutrition
2025-10-15 10:30 - 12:30
Chronic Pain – The importance of food and nutritionHippocrates said: Let food by thy medicine and medicine be thy food. And yet this old ideathat food has an important role to play in health is often ignored, perhaps eclipsed by thebelief in more technical approaches. And yet what we eat and drink can have a huge impacton us and sadly pain can often mean comfort eating, which often achieves the opposite.Whilst we may not get to see a nutritionist or dietician, we unwittingly play these roles forourselves
This workshop aims to raise your awareness of the importance of food and drink as valuablepart of pain and general health management.
We will look at‘Goodies and baddies’Allergy and intoleranceThe importance of the microbiomeAnti-inflammatory dietSimple ways to make changesPractical issuesThe role of supplements
Why Attend?

Discover a new approach to pain management.
Look at simple practical ways to eat better.
Understand more about the topic to set you off on your own journey of discovery.

Chronic Pain Ireland has for many years offered self-management training for all living with chronic pain and are partnering with the Pain Association Scotland, who (having pioneered the development and delivery of self-management training) have run community programmes for over 20 years. Both CPI and PAS share mutual aims of helping to improve the quality of life for all living with chronic pain. The focus of these interactive workshops is therefore on introducing people to, and quickly building, self-management skills, thereby creating practical, positive change leading to an improved quality of life and well-being. Our trained facilitator has delivered over 10,000 workshops to date.
These workshops are offered to members of Chronic Pain Ireland and are support by way of a Hospital Saturday Fund grant.
To avail of all our chronic pain support services including: self-management workshops, telephone support line, chronic pain courses and programmes, online meetings, webinars and networking opportunities â€“ Join here

Pain in Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Irritable Bowel Syndrome
2025-10-23 18:30 - 19:30 | University College Galway OR online, University Road, Galway, H91 W5P7, Ireland
Breaking through the Pain Barrier: Insights on Pain in Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Breaking through the Pain Barrier: Insights on Pain in Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Join us on the 23rd of October from 6:30pm for an interactive event at University of Galway for the National Public and Patient Involvement Festival! This event, featuring patients, gastroenterology healthcare professionals, and pain researchers, will explore abdominal pain in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) – from lived experience to the laboratory bench. Discover why and influence how we investigate the body’s own cannabis-like system in relation to abdominal pain, take a tour of our cutting-edge research facilities, and engage in meaningful conversations over tea and coffee.

Spaces are limited, please register here: https://forms.office.com/e/U0g0hdCXsz“

Chronic Pain Mental Health support group
2025-10-30 19:00 - 20:00 | online, Ireland
Mental Health and Chronic Pain support group
Chronic Pain Ireland has partnered with Turn2Me an Irish online mental health charity that provides free, anonymous and confidential online professional health services to anyone that needs it. They provide a range of online services which anyone can access via their website www.Turn2Me.ie
Chronic Pain Group Counselling
Chronic Pain is invisible, you cannot show it to your doctor, friends, or family. There isn’t always a scar or any visual cues to the pain you are suffering. This support group is a place where you can seek support from others who can empathise with what you are going through, and your experience will resonate with other Chronic Pain Ireland members. Empower yourself to take control and arm yourself with ways to improve your quality of everyday life, strengthen your resilience, prioritise your mental health and self-care. The support group is facilitated by an experienced Psychotherapist who lives with Chronic Pain.
Turn2Me in partnership with Chronic Pain Ireland will facilitate a specific ‘chronic pain group counselling support group’ on the last Tuesday evening of every month. Please note that while the above group is open only to Chronic Pain Ireland members at this time however all other mental health services are available to the general public and you can sign up directly via www.Turn2Me.ie
If you would like to learn more about CPI membership see here
About Turn2Me:
Turn2Me is supported by the HSE’s National Office for Suicide Prevention to deliver counselling online. Turn2me is a national mental health charity that was founded in 2009 by Oisin and Diarmuid Scollard, who tragically lost their brother, Cormac, to suicide in 2003. Turn2me offers adult counselling and support group services to adults and young people aged 12 plus. Turn2Me has helped over 120,000 people since it was set up in 2009. Turn2Me offers up to six free counselling sessions to adults living in Ireland. To sign up, go to www.Turn2Me.ie

Guided Mindfulness & Meditation for Chronic Pain
2025-11-05 19:00 - 20:00, 2025-12-03 19:00 - 20:00 | online, Ireland
Guided Mindfulness & Meditation for chronic pain

How can mindfulness help chronic pain?
There is now a growing body of research to show that mindfulness programmes, often referred to as Mindfulness-Based Interventions or MBI’s, can have a positive effect in a range of situations, one example being that MBI’s have been found to reduce pain intensity (Paschali et al 2023)
During Brain Awareness Week 2024 we are delighted to launch our newest online support service in collaboration with Alfie Golden (see bio below) who will facilitate a small group of CPI members through a mindfulness and meditation session with time at the end for reflection and questions. These events are safe, inclusive, open and engaging and we hope that you enjoy the experience. Alfie explains that ‘in the context of mindfulness, we might speak of two types of pain – primary and secondary. Primary pain is the physical sensation we experience with illness or injury. Secondary pain relates more to the thoughts and emotions that accompany primary pain. For example, we might label the physical feeling of a broken bone or a cut as primary pain and the accompanying worry (“How am I going to work with a broken arm?”, “What if this doesn’t heal properly?”) would be secondary pain.
Mindfulness can’t directly help get rid of the primary pain but can drastically reduce our secondary pain, which often has a longer lasting impact on us.
Mindfulness can help us to manage the mental/emotional side of long-term illness by changing our relationship to our symptoms, reducing the amount of worry, anxiety or stress that goes with them. This can then actually lower the amount of primary pain we perceive.
We may not have control over what is happening to our bodies but by developing a sense of kindness and compassion towards ourselves, along with the ability to clearly see our experience, we can change our experience of pain and learn to live well with it.
These stand alone sessions will run on the following Wednesday’s at 7pm however it is vital that you register in advance as places are limited. To register please log into your account via https://chronicpain.ie/my-account/

Not a member – Join today

Facilitated and guided by Alfie Golden a graduate member of the Psychological Society of Ireland and accredited by the Mindfulness Teachers Association of Ireland. Having graduated from UCC with both a degree in Applied Psychology and a master’s degree in Mindfulness-Based Wellbeing, he has been practicing mindfulness meditation for over 10 years and is passionate about helping others to discover the benefits for themselves of following evidence-based training in mindfulness.

Alfie offers courses in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, Mindfulness in the Workplace, talks and workshops along with one-to-one mindfulness training and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy.

Social Interaction & Communication with Chronic Pain
2025-11-12 14:00 - 16:00
Join our NEW workshop to enhance your social interaction and communication skills, specifically designed for individuals managing chronic pain.
Workshop Highlights:
Interaction and Agendas: Learn the importance of clear communication and how to manage conversations effectively.
Identifying Hot Buttons: Discover the common triggers in social interactions and how to handle them.
Understanding Transference: Gain insight into emotional transference and its impact on relationships.
Responding to Comments from Family and Friends: Learn strategies to address well-meaning but sometimes hurtful comments such as “You look well,” “Not better yet?”, isn’t that all in your head? and “Have you tried…?”
Debunking Myths: Tackle misconceptions about chronic pain.
Building Understanding: Foster mutual understanding and support from those around you.
Effective Communication About Pain: Develop skills to articulate your pain experience clearly and effectively.
Why Attend?

Improve your social interactions and communication skills.
Learn practical strategies to manage and respond to common comments and questions.
Enhance your ability to explain and discuss your chronic pain with others.

Chronic Pain Ireland has for many years offered self-management training for all living with chronic pain and are partnering with the Pain Association Scotland, who (having pioneered the development and delivery of self-management training) have run community programmes for over 20 years. Both CPI and PAS share mutual aims of helping to improve the quality of life for all living with chronic pain. The focus of these interactive workshops is therefore on introducing people to, and quickly building, self-management skills, thereby creating practical, positive change leading to an improved quality of life and well-being. Our trained facilitator has delivered over 10,000 workshops to date.
These workshops are offered to members of Chronic Pain Ireland and are support by way of a Hospital Saturday Fund grant.
To avail of all our chronic pain support services including: self-management workshops, telephone support line, chronic pain courses and programmes, online meetings, webinars and networking opportunities â€“ Join here

Working and living with chronic pain
2025-11-13 18:00 - 20:00 | online, Ireland
Working and living with chronic pain
This online workshop is targeted for those who are in employment or wish to return to employment and who are living with chronic pain.
The focus of the evening workshop is to find ways to manage and cope with chronic pain by understanding and addressing the non-medical issues that drive pain and make it hard to accept and cope. The facilitator and group will look at the big picture of chronic pain and self management. Attendees can bring up issues that they are currently experiencing with the facilitator and each workshop will also cover topics including:

understanding chronic vs acute
pain, stress,
boom-bust cycles
how we react to change.

There will be a focus on a specific topic for each meeting together with the opportunity to discuss things more widely. The style of the sessions is friendly and interactive with the opportunity to ask questions and benefit from the support of others in a similar situation.
Participation in this workshop can provide practical strategies to support you in the workforce.
Chronic Pain Ireland has for many years offered self-management training for all living with chronic pain and are partners with the Pain Association Scotland, who (having pioneered the development and delivery of self-management training) have run community programmes for over 20 years. Both CPI and PAS share mutual aims of helping to improve the quality of life for all living with chronic pain. The focus of these interactive workshops is therefore on introducing people to, and quickly building, self-management skills, thereby creating practical, positive change leading to an improved quality of life and well-being. Our trained facilitator has delivered over 10,000 workshops to date.
These workshops are offered to members of Chronic Pain Ireland and are support by way of a Hospital Saturday Fund grant.
To avail of all our chronic pain support services including: self-management workshops, telephone support line, chronic pain courses and programmes, online meetings, webinars and networking opportunities â€“ Join here

Chronic Pain 5-week Self-Management Course
2025-11-17 10:30 - 12:30, 2025-11-24 10:30 - 12:30, 2025-12-01 10:30 - 12:30, 2025-12-08 10:30 - 12:30 | online, Ireland
Chronic Pain Ireland is holding our 5-week Self-Management Course for people living with chronic pain. This 5 session course is delivered online over a 5 week period and is a 2 hour session. The course focusses and looks at key ideas in the self-management of chronic pain and encourages participants to explore ways to both manage their condition and cope better. The course offers a special kind of flexible interactive experience in which questions, feedback, discussion and mutual support are an important part of the process.
There are key topics that will always be covered and there is a ‘direction of travel’ (per topics listed) but the exact order in which topics are discussed and the focus given to each area, depends on the needs and interests of the group at the time. The course is delivered in a non-linear way such that topics overlap and ‘inform’ each other. A good example would be how Pacing for instance requires that we also look at the effects of stress, beliefs
and issues around acceptance.
The topics covered during the course will be:

Introduction â€“ in which participants will be asked what they want to achieve and a big picture of pain management is shared including an explanation of the bio-psycho-social model
Understanding chronic pain
Boom-Bust, Pacing, Baselines, goal setting
Stress awareness and management ideas, breaking the pain stress cycle
Anxiety
Sleep
Social aspects
Acceptance & emotions
Flare ups

Live notes from each session will be e-mailed along with more formal pre-prepared materials including audio recordings for relaxation practice. This means that people wanting to explore a focus specifically on a topic can do so in-between sessions and the sessions can help explain things further and deal with questions and challenges.
Facilitator for this programme is the Lead Trainer of Pain Association of Scotland, Phil Sizer who has delivered thousands of workshops throughout Ireland and the UK and is the author of Chronic Pain, the drug free way which is available from your local library or via amazon.co.uk. Chronic Pain Ireland has for many years offered self-management training for all living with chronic pain and are partnering with the Pain Association Scotland, who (having pioneered the development and delivery of self-management training) have run community programmes for over 20 years. Both CPI and PAS share mutual aims of helping to improve the quality of life for all living with chronic pain.
These courses are offered to members of Chronic Pain Ireland and are support by way of a Hospital Saturday Fund grant.
To avail of all our chronic pain support services including: self-management workshops, telephone support line, chronic pain courses and programmes, online meetings, webinars and networking opportunities â€“ Join here

Pain Management: Chronic Pain Booster & Implementation Workshop
2025-11-26 14:00 - 16:00, 2025-12-10 14:00 - 16:00 | online, Ireland
Pain Management: Chronic Pain Booster & Implementation Workshop
Our series of courses and workshops look at ways to manage and cope with the challenge of chronic pain. As you will know, pain management involves adapting to change by adopting a new set of habits that are often the opposite of what we are used to. It’s no surprise that it’s hard to do!
People often fly high for a while after a course or workshop, but it’s easy to lose momentum and slip back into those old unhelpful habits. With this in mind, we are pleased to offer a bi-monthly session which focusses on helping you to regain the motivation to get back in to the habit of pain management.
These sessions are open to anyone who has completed any of the following: Living Well courses, CPI “5 week” course, all 12 CPI workshops or a hospital run pain management programme. The sessions are there for you to bring your questions and to explore whatever is needed to help you to re-invigorate your pain management habit. The aim is to give you a boost, perhaps to re-assure, to re-motivate or just to know it’s ok to keep doing what helps.
The sessions are not so much about new information, rather they’re about finding ways to put what you know back into practice. The sessions will be friendly and interactive. The topic(s) and focus are set at the start of each meeting within the group.
Chronic Pain Ireland has for many years offered self-management training for all living with chronic pain and are partners with the Pain Association Scotland, who (having pioneered the development and delivery of self-management training) have run community programmes for over 20 years. Both CPI and PAS share mutual aims of helping to improve the quality of life for all living with chronic pain. The focus of these interactive workshops is therefore on introducing people to, and quickly building, self-management skills, thereby creating practical, positive change leading to an improved quality of life and well-being. Our trained facilitator has delivered over 10,000 workshops to date.
These workshops are offered to members of Chronic Pain Ireland and are supported by way of a Hospital Saturday Fund grant.
To avail of all our chronic pain support services including: self-management workshops, telephone support line, chronic pain courses and programmes, online meetings, webinars and networking opportunities â€“ Join here

Working and living with chronic pain
2025-12-04 18:00 - 20:00 | online, Ireland
Working and living with chronic pain
This online workshop is targeted for those who are in employment or wish to return to employment and who are living with chronic pain.
The focus of the evening workshops is to find ways to manage and cope with chronic pain by understanding and addressing the non-medical issues that drive pain and make it hard to accept and cope. The facilitator and group will look at the big picture of chronic pain and self management. Attendees can bring up issues that they are currently experiencing with the facilitator and each workshop will also cover topics including:

understanding chronic vs acute
pain, stress,
boom-bust cycles
how we react to change.

There will be a focus on a specific topic for each meeting together with the opportunity to discuss things more widely. The style of the sessions is friendly and interactive with the opportunity to ask questions and benefit from the support of others in a similar situation.
Participation in this workshop can provide practical strategies to support you in staying in work and reclaiming control from the impact of chronic pain
Chronic Pain Ireland has for many years offered self-management training for all living with chronic pain and are partners with the Pain Association Scotland, who (having pioneered the development and delivery of self-management training) have run community programmes for over 20 years. Both CPI and PAS share mutual aims of helping to improve the quality of life for all living with chronic pain. The focus of these interactive workshops is therefore on introducing people to, and quickly building, self-management skills, thereby creating practical, positive change leading to an improved quality of life and well-being. Our trained facilitator has delivered over 10,000 workshops to date.
These workshops are offered to members of Chronic Pain Ireland and are support by way of a Hospital Saturday Fund grant.
To avail of all our chronic pain support services including: self-management workshops, telephone support line, chronic pain courses and programmes, online meetings, webinars and networking opportunities â€“ Join here

Managing the Festive Season with Chronic Pain
2025-12-11 10:30 - 12:30
Managing the Festive Season with Chronic Pain
Join our December workshop, to learn how to effectively manage the festive season while living with chronic pain.
Workshop Highlights:

Pacing: Discover techniques to balance activities and rest during the holidays.
Setting Boundaries: Learn to establish and maintain healthy boundaries with family and friends.
Effective Communication: Improve your ability to communicate your needs and limitations.
Gaining Control: Find ways to take control of your environment and holiday plans.
Making Choices: Learn to make choices that prioritize your well-being and manage expectations.

Why Attend?

Equip yourself with strategies to handle the festive season more comfortably.
Gain practical tools for managing holiday stress and social demands.
Enhance your ability to enjoy the holidays while managing chronic pain.

Chronic Pain Ireland has for many years offered self-management training for all living with chronic pain and are partnering with the Pain Association Scotland, who (having pioneered the development and delivery of self-management training) have run community programmes for over 20 years. Both CPI and PAS share mutual aims of helping to improve the quality of life for all living with chronic pain. The focus of these interactive workshops is therefore on introducing people to, and quickly building, self-management skills, thereby creating practical, positive change leading to an improved quality of life and well-being. Our trained facilitator has delivered over 10,000 workshops to date.
These workshops are offered to members of Chronic Pain Ireland and are support by way of a Hospital Saturday Fund grant.
To avail of all our chronic pain support services including: self-management workshops, telephone support line, chronic pain courses and programmes, online meetings, webinars and networking opportunities â€“ Join here
