Psychologically Informed Collaborative Conversations

This is an interdisciplinary event between Irish Society of Chartered Physiotherapists (ISCP) and Association of Occupational Therapists of Ireland, and hosted by ISCP. The course has been funded by the HSCP Office, HSE. As such, places are available to therapists in the publicly funded healthcare service only (included S38/S39). 

Data Sharing:  As this is an online event, your email address will be shared with ISCP and the course facilitator for access purposes.

Location:

Online (Virtual Delivery) - 12 weekly sessions Tuesdays 16.00 to 17.30

Programme Overview:

This comprehensive training programme includes 12 hours of taught content incorporating experiential learning, followed by eight 60-minute facilitated peer reflection sessions (one per week).

The full programme comprises 20 hours of facilitated learning.

Schedule:

The programme begins on Tuesday 2nd September 2025, with sessions running weekly from 16:00 to 17:30.

It will continue for 16 weeks, concluding on Tuesday 16th December 2025.

Please note that sessions are not recorded and that attendance at every session is required for participants. 

Participant Allocation:

This is an interdisciplinary event between the Association of Occupational Therapists of Ireland (AOTI) and the Irish Society of Chartered Physiotherapists. The course has been funded by the HSCP Office, HSE.

Places on this event are limited.  Application and payment does not guarantee a place.  If your application is not successful you will be informed and payment will be rebated.

Presenter Information:

The course is co-facilitated by Diarmuid Denneny (specialist physiotherapist) and Dr John O'Sullivan (pain specialist psychologist experienced in working with people living with persistent pain).

Diarmuid is a physiotherapist and independent prescriber. He is a specialist in complex and persistent/chronic pain and has significant clinical experience in this area being lead physiotherapist at a large central London multi-professional NHS pain clinic for over 16 years. He is interested in communication skills and psychologically informed care to support those living with pain. He is also trained in coaching, narrative medicine, forest bathing, and mindfulness teaching.

You can read Diarmuid's recently published paper, 'Exploring physiotherapist experiences and beliefs about psychologically informed practice to inform development of a training programme' here.

Dr John O’Sullivan is a Clinical Psychologist with 10 years of experience working in the field of persistent pain, specialising in psychological therapies inclusive of ACT, CBT and EMDR; and the development and facilitation of pain management programmes, alongside much admired physiotherapy colleagues.  He holds a special interest in psychological assessment for spinal cord stimulation (SCS) and is the organiser of the Pain Psychologists in London (PPIL) professional group.  He has presented at national and international pain conferences.  John works full-time at the Pain Clinic at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in London and occasionally in private practice.

Background:

Chronic pain is a significant health issue in Ireland, affecting a substantial portion of the population. The Prevalence, Impact and Cost of Chronic Pain (PRIME) study, conducted by the Centre for Pain Research at NUI Galway, found that approximately 35% of adults in Ireland experience chronic pain. The annual cost associated with chronic pain in Ireland exceeds €5 billion, representing nearly 3% of the country's GDP. 

According to the Physiotherapy Pain Association in the UK, psychologically informed practice approaches are frequently recommended in various guidelines and treatment strategies. However, their exact nature remains ambiguous and clinicians often feel uncertain about implementing these approaches and supporting individuals living with chronic pain.

Psychologically Informed Collaborative Conversations (PIC-C) is an evidence based online training and supervision programme to help physiotherapists and HSCP’s to increase their confidence in delivering psychologically informed care and support to patients presenting with pain. The design is based on four key themes:

• Building a therapeutic alliance
• Reducing perceived threat of pain
• Reconceptualising pain beliefs and somatic experience
• Fostering self-efficacy for pain control

PIC-C was co-created with patients who were equal members of the project team, involved in reviewing, critiquing and contributing to content.

More information can be found here.

Learning Outcomes:

• Understand the principles of psychologically informed practice and define and explain key concepts of psychologically informed practice and its relevance in managing persistent pain.
• Describe the biopsychosocial model and its application in clinical conversations.
• Practice active listening and empathetic communication to build trust and rapport with patients.
• Identify barriers to progress and collaboratively develop strategies to overcome them.
• Recognise the influence of cognitive, emotional and behavioural factors on pain experiences.
• Apply techniques such as reframing, validation, and motivational interviewing to address maladaptive beliefs and emotions about pain.
• Equip patients with tools and strategies to increase confidence in managing their pain.
• Support patients in identifying and utilising personal strengths and resources for self-management.
• Teach methods to help patients reconceptualise pain as a manageable condition rather than a harmful or threatening experience.
• Develop individualised action plans to incorporate psychologically informed approaches into daily clinical interactions.
• Learn to assess the effectiveness of psychologically informed conversations through patient feedback and progress tracking.
• Adjust communication strategies based on individual responses and outcomes.

Please Note:

HSCP-funded CPD opportunities are available to all HSE-funded Health and Social Care Professionals, regardless of professional body membership. Offers are subject to caseload and service needs.

Data Sharing:

As this is an online event, your email address will be shared with the course facilitator for access purposes.

Application and Payment information:

• Payment in full is taken at the time of application.
• Payment of the fee does not guarantee you a place at this event.
• Full payment must be received prior to the closing date in order to secure your place.
• If the event is oversubscribed you will be provided with a full refund.
• Successful applicants will be notified that they have a place at the event following the closing date.
• Places are limited and members are advised to apply early to secure a place.
• Please note: notifications will be sent to the email address entered on this application form. Please make sure to enter correctly the email address you wish to use for communication about this event.
• Please read our CPD events cancellation/refund policy. See AOTI T&Cs