On Demand Webinar
Chronic pain is rarely experienced in isolation — 70% of adults are in cohabiting relationships, making family context central to care. Evidence shows that partner responses can profoundly shape pain outcomes: solicitous or punishing reactions can reinforce disability and distress, while empathic, validating, and autonomy-supportive behaviours can foster resilience and self-efficacy.
This talk will argue that effective chronic pain management should involve “partnering with the partner,” integrating family dynamics and considering couple interventions to optimise outcomes for both patients and their loved ones. Recent literature in this area will be presented, as well as relevant clinical options.
Toby Newton-John is Professor of Clinical Psychology and Interim Dean of the Faculty of Health at the University of Technology Sydney. He is an internationally recognised clinical psychologist who has been treating and researching psychological aspects of chronic physical illnesses for 30 years, with a particular interest in how couples cope when one partner suffers from a long-term physical health condition.
Toby has worked in world-leading pain clinics at St Thomas’ Hospital London, the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery London, and the ADAPT pain program at Royal North Shore Hospital Sydney. He has published over 100 peer-reviewed articles, book chapters and reviews on the psychology of chronic pain, lectured in six countries, and is a Chief Investigator on research grants totalling more than $9.6 million since 2020. He has supervised ten PhD students to completion and is an Associate Editor of Australian Psychologist.
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