Empowered Relief®
for Pain Management
Empowered Relief® is a one-time class that equips individuals with essential pain relief skills. Participants apply the skills and tools to create their own personalized plan. Applied daily at home, the personalized plan helps participants master the skills. Multiple published studies show Empowered Relief® helps reduce pain and pain impacts on activity, mood, anxiety, and sleep up to six months after taking the class. Low back pain is one of the most common types of pain, and while therapy can help, many people have trouble accessing treatment. Empowered Relief® teaches pain management skills and has been shown to help people with chronic low back pain. Participants in a study conducted by Carriere, et al. (2025) found that after four weeks, they tended to report less pain, improved mood, and better physical function. The biggest improvements were seen in those who had back pain for 1-3 months.According to several clinical trials, participation in the class reduced pain intensity, stress, anxiety, depression, and sleep problems. Empowered Relief® is currently delivered as part of standard pain and pre-surgical care at Cleveland Clinic, the Department of Veterans Affairs, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, and other major health systems.
As a nurse, bodyworker, and certified Empowered Relief® instructor specializing in holistic pain management, one of my primary goals is helping clients regain control over their pain and enhance their overall wellbeing. This course helps to provide a pattern of reshaping the way the nervous system processes chronic pain.
Empowered Relief® has been shown to be effective in people who have chronic and acute pain, as well as people who are about to undergo surgery. It does not matter how long you have been in pain, or whether you are treating your pain in other ways, for the intervention to be effective.
Components of the Class
This pain-management intervention is designed to empower individuals with skills to manage pain more effectively. This evidence-based program combines cognitive behavioral therapy for pain with pain neuroscience education. By learning these skills, participants can reduce pain intensity and interference, while also improving sleep, mood, and overall quality of life.
♦ Learn how pain works in the brain and body
♦ Learn techniques to change negative thoughts and behaviors related to pain, such as catastrophizing and avoidance
♦ Learn practical skills to manage the pain response, such as relaxation techniques, mindfulness practices, and activity pacing
♦ Create a personalized plan to incorporate learned skills into your life
♦ Receive access to a free binaural relaxation audio app for ongoing use and support
How do I know if Empowered Relief® will help me?
Empowered Relief® has been shown to be effective in people who have chronic and acute pain, as well as people who are about to undergo surgery. It doesn’t matter how long you have been in pain, or whether you are treating your pain in other ways, for the intervention to be effective.
What is the cancellation policy?
If unable to attend class, please let me know, and we’ll get you rescheduled for the next offering.
Is this a class or a support group?
Empowered Relief® is a single, one-time class and not a support group.
Benefits of Empowered Relief®
♦ The program helps to decrease the intensity of pain and its impact on daily life.
♦ Participants often experience improvements in sleep quality and mood, leading to a better overall sense of well-being.
♦ By managing pain more effectively, individuals can enjoy a higher quality of life.
♦ With regular practice and skills use, the benefits of Empowered Relief® can be sustained long-term.
♦ Empowered Relief® is designed to be an accessible and manageable intervention.
The program was developed at Stanford University by pain researchers and is delivered exclusively by over 1,500 certified clinicians world-wide. You can find a certified provider or virtual class through the Empowered Relief® website.
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Research
Carriere, J., Coutu, M., Darnall, B., et al. (2025). Changes in pain catastrophizing and related outcomes following a single-session Empowered Relief® intervention delivered by physical therapists in workers with low back pain: A pilot study. Journal of Pain Research.
Darnall, B., Burns, J., Hong, J., et al. (2024). Empowered Relief®, cognitive behavioral therapy, and health education for people with chronic pain: A comparison of outcomes at 6-month follow-up for a randomized controlled trial. Pain Reports.
Darnall, B., Roy, A., Chen, A., et al. (2021). Comparison of a single-session pain management skills intervention with a single-session health education intervention and 8 sessions of cognitive behavioral therapy in adults with chronic low back pain: A randomized clinical trial. JAMA Network Open.
Darnall, B., Ziadni, M., Krishnamurthy, P., et al. (2020). “My surgical success:” Effect of a digital behavioral pain medicine intervention on time to opioid cessation after breast cancer surgery — A pilot randomized controlled clinical trial. Pain Medicine.
Edwards, K., Dildine, T., You, D., et al. (2025). Zoom-delivered Empowered Relief® for chronic oain: Observational longitudinal pilot study exploring feasibility and pain-related outcomes in patients on long-term opioids. JMIR Formative Research.
Falasinnu, T., Hailu, A., Monson, E., et al. (2026). Empowered Relief® versus cognitive behavioral therapy for patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and chronic pain: Study protocol for a national, randomized, noninferiority trial. JMIR Publications.
Monson, E., Mardian, A., Saxena, K., et al. (2026). Randomized comparative effectiveness study of 1-session versus 8-session online behavioral treatment for chronic pain: Protocol for the national PROGRESS study. Pain Medicine.
Perez, L., Palenski, P., Monson, E., et al. (2026). Online 1-session Empowered Relief® in Marfan syndrome and related diseases: A single-arm feasibility and pilot efficacy study. Scientific Reports.
Simons, L., Harrison, L., Bhandari, R., et al. (2026). Empowered Relief® for youth: Development, feasibility and early effectiveness of a single session pain relief skills class. The Journal of Pain.
Watson, H., Bazinski, M., & Filoramo, M. (2025). Building a community of practice to support the ERA study and deliver Empowered Relief® with American Society for Pain Management Nursing members. Pain Management Nursing.
Watson, H., Perez, L., Bindler, R., et al. (2026). A national randomized controlled trial evaluating ASPMN nurse-delivered Empowered Relief®. Pain Management Nursing.
You, D., Palenski, P., Perez, L. (2026). Empowered Relief® on-demand for chronic pain and opioid misuse: Findings from a national randomized control trial — the MOBILE relief study. The Journal of Pain.
Ziadni, M., Anderson, S., Gonzalez-Castro, L., et al. (2021). Comparative efficacy of a single-session “Empowered Relief®” videoconference-delivered group intervention for chronic pain: Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial. Trials.
Ziadni, M., Gonzalez-Castro, L., Anderson, S., et al. (2021). Efficacy of a single-session “Empowered Relief®” Zoom-delivered group intervention for chronic pain: Randomized controlled trial conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Medical Internet Research.
Ziadni, M., Sturgeon, J., & Lumley, M. (2022). “Pain, stress, and emotions:” Uncontrolled trial of a single-session, telehealth, emotional awareness and expression therapy class for patients with chronic pain. Frontiers in Pain Research.
Additional Information
Benefits of a single-session pain skills class last for 6 months in people with chronic low-back pain | National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health
Can just one pain management class help your chronic back pain? | Health Central
Empowered Relief®: Meeting the needs of a nation in pain | Psychology Today
Empowered Relief™ scientific updates and NYTimes coverage | Stanford University
Empowered Relief® versus CBT versus health education for low back pain | Clinician.com
New approach effectively relieves chronic low back pain | Stanford Medicine
This class is also available through Anna Yam, Beth Darnall, and Naomi Edelson.
Empowered Relief® does not replace a medical evaluation and does not represent medical treatment.
Empowered Relief® is an educational class, and attendance does not establish a therapist-client (or treating) relationship with the instructor.