Deborah Nicholson

Bonjour! Je m'excuse, je ne parle past francais ... si vous parlez anglais, ma biographie:

Deborah Nicholson

Deborah is the published author of five successful novels in the Kate Carpenter Mysteries series, distributed in

eight countries. Deborah has also done extensive work in creating and writing corporate websites, brochures and other promotional materials. Her first play, The Pain Diaries, for which she won the National Pain Awareness Award, was produced in 2010. Her new medical thriller, Mind Games, hit the shelves in the summer of 2011. Deborah has written two children series, The Magic Aprons and Charlie the Cello, the latter of which was adapted into a children’s symphony with original music by the Calgary Philharmonic’s principal cellist, Philip Hansen. Charlie will make his debut on stage in February 2012.

Dr. Arlene Cox

Dr. Arlene Cox has been working in the field of health psychology her entire career. Health psychology is a fascinating field that explores how and why we make choices about our health and how best to promote good health choices.

Dr. Cox spent 10 years working at the Canmore Pain Clinic, a private interdisciplinary program for people with chronic pain. The last five years at the clinic were as the Director. In 2005 she moved to the Calgary Chronic Pain Program, one of the first publicly funded pain programs in Canada. Research and clinical interests include: stage of change for health behaviours, motivation, PTSD and neuroplasticity.

Initially eager to help people change, Dr. Cox has become increasingly aware of the complexity of all health issues and the need to be aware of the whole body/mind. “The people I work with aren’t crazy, it is not ‘all in their head’ and they deserve respect for the choices they have made to survive their world so far.” One of the most difficult challenges folks with chronic pain experience is the struggle with weight gain. Many of the medications used have weight gain as a side effect. Further, clients are no longer as active and their metabolism has slowed, partly due to ongoing stress and sympathetic arousal.

We have learned far more about what doesn’t work over these last two decades. Zero tolerance doesn’t work, telling people to stop doesn’t work, shaming people, threatening people, ordering people around… do not work. What does work? Listening, sharing, respect, exploring connections, focusing on skills, feelings and thoughts and overall being curious … works.