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OHIP-Funded Headache Management

We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.

-Albert Einstein

Many patients struggle with headaches despite medical management.  Often, whatever triggered headaches has gone but the headaches persist.  Like weeds in a garden headaches can be resilient.  Neuroscience suggests another approach: training your brain for wellness.  That is, rather than focusing on eliminating the weeds of headache, we can crowd the weeds out by focusing on the neuropsychological health so that our physiology is not fertile soil for headaches.  

Our headache management program starts out by teaching patients the modus operandi of functional headache management.  Then, patients will learn playbooks to run in strengthening their neuropsychology (with the side effect of crowding out headaches).  In these sessions, you will learn many skills.  You will be taught how to hone these skills through cognitive behavioural approaches. Some of these skills may have especially powerful effect on your physiology.  With continued commitment to the skills, you will shape your neurophysiology towards better health (and away from headaches).

functional management of chronic headache, IBFM Institute for Behavioural & Functional Medicine Ontario, Canada

Functional Management of Headache

Training resilience to chronic headache

Level 101:   8 Sessions

relaxation training, ibfm, Institute for Behavioural & Functional Medicine, ontario, canada

Progressive Muscle Relaxation

Skills in relaxing your nervous system

Level 201:   8 Sessions

Solution-Focused Brief Therapy, psychotherapy, ibfm, Institute for Behavioural & Functional Medicine, ontario, canada

Headache Behavioural Therapy

Functional management of chronic headache

Level 202:   8 Sessions

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, ibfm, Institute for Behavioural & Functional Medicine, ontario, canada

CBT-HA

Cognitive behavioural therapy for headaches

Level 203:   8 Sessions

Next Start Dates: 

  • To be determined

Duration: Each level lasts 8 weeks. 60-minute sessions/per week online over Zoom Healthcare

Counseling facilitator: Dr. Taher Chugh

Please note:
While we endeavor to limit the session to the allotted time, at times, the sessions go overtime because of discussion and questions. Please keep this in mind when scheduling group counseling appointments. We recommend that you do not book anything else for 30 minutes after each group session.