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Multidisciplinary and Holistic Care Approaches

MHC-07 - Establishing the Therapeutic Alliance Across Cultures, Communities, Experiences, and Education

Thursday, September 10, 2026
11:10 AM - 12:00 PM PDT
Chronic pain outcomes are influenced by more than biology. Social determinants of health, internalized stigma, and the beliefs of both providers and patients influence treatment engagement, goal-setting, and therapeutic alliance. This session examines how personalized care, reframing goals, and strengthening therapeutic alliance and improve outcomes and engagement. Clinicians will learn to use validated tools to identify structural barriers, adopt culturally curious practices, and leverage a coaching model to prevent burnout. Highlighting the H.E.A.R. model (Humility, Exchange, Appreciation, Respect) and Whole Person care, the session incorporates case studies and actionable strategies, including world medicine approaches, to improve outcomes and honor diverse healing traditions.

Learning Objectives:

  • Apply validated screening tools to distinguish internalized chronic pain stigma from structural barriers affecting treatment engagement and apparent non-adherence.
  • Analyze how provider-held cultural assumptions, including implicit bias and productivity-centered recovery models, shape therapeutic alliance, communication, and patient outcomes in chronic pain populations.
  • Implement culturally responsive communication strategies grounded in cultural humility principles, including shared decision-making approaches that honor patients' goals, values, and socioeconomic circumstances.
  • Adapt evidence-based pain management interventions using the HEAR framework (Humility, Exchange, Appreciation, Respect) as a practical clinical organizing tool for culturally and socioeconomically responsive care.