Hello My Name Is Pain

This book is about healing from chronic pain without drugs or invasive procedures.

This book takes the readers through the healing model of care that Terrie Carpenter has created. It re-defines the term chronic pain and uses the model of Prolonged Pain Complex and a blueprint for healing.

My name is Terrie Carpenter. I am the founder of Allies for Change, a private health-care practice that specializes in Non-Medication Pain Management and Sustainable Recovery. I began my career in 1967 when I graduated from the Army Medical Specialist Corps as a physical therapist and first lieutenant. I remained in the army until 1969 and attained the rank of captain. The time that I served was during the height of the Vietnam war. I mention this because during wartime medical advances must be made rapidly. We were treating new and different types of injuries and I was privileged to be on the forefront of those medical advances. My experience in the army shaped my career. I learned to be a “thinking therapist” and always think outside of the box. I also learned to collaborate with my medical colleagues to attain the highest quality of patient care and still strive to value and embody this ideal. After I was discharged from the army, I began a 50-year civilian physical therapy career. My career has been exciting and multifaceted to say the least. I have worked in a variety of settings and roles that include: Direct patient care Clinical teaching Patient/family education Internship program development Designing and implementing treatment models for pulmonary physical therapy Joining Federal grants teams involved in training rural hospitals in acute care. For the last 15 years, I have specialized in the fields of chronic pain and addiction. Serving as an integral part of pain management teams, I have consulted as a pain management specialist to several residential treatment programs in my area as well. The knowledge I gained from working in these varied clinical settings has created the foundation for Allies for Change, my current private practice in pain management, Throughout my life’s journey, one thing has remained constant and that is my passion to support individuals and systems to heal by making positive and lasting changes. Combining my education, training, professional and personal experiences lead me to create “The Change Model,” an integral part of the philosophy and practice at Allies for Change. It is my firm belief that every individual has within them the capacity to change and heal, if they are given the adequate knowledge, the healthy life skills, and the right kind of support.