Alan Gordon: Creator of Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT)

Published March 7, 2026 · 9 min read

By Tauri Urbanik, Pain Science Researcher

Who is Alan Gordon?

Alan Gordon's story starts where a lot of chronic pain stories start: in a doctor's office, getting nowhere.

During graduate school, Gordon developed chronic pain. Not just one kind. Twenty-two separate symptoms. Back pain, neck pain, stomach pain, knee pain, wrist pain, dizziness, fatigue, insomnia. He went from specialist to specialist. Nothing worked. Nothing explained why a young, healthy person was falling apart.

Then he discovered Dr. John Sarno's work. The idea that his brain was generating these symptoms as a response to emotional distress resonated deeply. And it led to his recovery. All 22 symptoms resolved without medical intervention.

That experience didn't just cure his pain. It redirected his career. Gordon, a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW), devoted his professional life to understanding why chronic pain happens and how to reverse it. He founded the Pain Psychology Center in Los Angeles, which has grown to approximately 40 therapists. He became an adjunct assistant professor at USC. And he developed Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT), the approach that would eventually produce the most important clinical trial in the field's history.

Gordon's contribution to neuroplastic pain science is singular: he took Sarno's clinical observation and validated it through the standards of modern evidence-based medicine. He brought chronic pain treatment from clinic surveys to JAMA Psychiatry.

Alan Gordon's approach to pain recovery

Pain Reprocessing Therapy is built on a specific neuroscience model: the fear-pain cycle. Gordon argues that chronic pain becomes a learned pattern in the brain. The brain interprets normal body sensations as dangerous and generates pain in response. That pain creates fear. Fear amplifies the danger signal. Pain intensifies. The cycle feeds itself.

PRT breaks this cycle through three core techniques:

Somatic tracking. When you feel pain, observe the sensation with curiosity rather than fear. Notice where it is, what it feels like, how it shifts moment to moment. While observing, remind yourself that this is a false alarm from your brain, not a signal from damaged tissue. Over time, this retrains your brain's interpretation of body signals from threatening to safe.

Safety reappraisal. Systematically evaluate the evidence for and against a structural cause of your pain. Does your pain move around? Do your imaging findings appear in millions of pain-free people? Does your pain fluctuate with stress? Each piece of evidence that your pain is neuroplastic weakens the brain's danger assessment.

Corrective experiences. Engage in activities your brain has labeled as dangerous. Touch, move, sit, bend, exercise. When the catastrophic outcome your brain predicted doesn't happen, the brain updates its model. Each corrective experience weakens the pain pattern.

What makes PRT distinct from Sarno's approach is the emphasis on fear rather than repressed rage. Gordon doesn't ask patients to excavate childhood trauma or identify unconscious anger. He focuses on the real-time fear-pain cycle and how to interrupt it. This makes PRT more accessible to people who don't connect with the psychoanalytic framework.

Key contributions to neuroplastic pain

Gordon's defining achievement is the Boulder Back Pain Study. Published in JAMA Psychiatry in 2022, it was the first rigorous randomized controlled trial of a brain-based approach to chronic pain (Ashar et al., JAMA Psychiatry, 2022↗).

The numbers were striking. 151 chronic back pain patients randomized into three groups: PRT, placebo injection, and usual care. After four weeks:

• 66% of the PRT group became pain-free or nearly pain-free
• 20% of the placebo group improved
• 10% of the usual care group improved

Results held at one-year follow-up. And the study included fMRI brain imaging showing actual changes in how participants' brains processed pain signals. The pain didn't just feel different. Their brains had physically changed.

This study transformed the field. Sarno's clinical observations were vindicated with gold-standard evidence. Insurance companies took notice. Physicians who had dismissed brain-based pain treatment started paying attention. JAMA Psychiatry isn't a fringe journal. It's one of the most respected publications in medicine.

Gordon also popularized the term "neuroplastic pain," helping bridge the gap between Sarno's TMS language and mainstream neuroscience. And his podcast "Tell Me About Your Pain" demonstrates PRT in real time with actual patients, making the approach tangible for listeners in a way that books alone can't achieve.

How to access Alan Gordon's work

Gordon's work is accessible at multiple price points:

Free resources. The "Tell Me About Your Pain" podcast is available on all podcast platforms. Episodes demonstrate PRT techniques with real patients and are an excellent way to understand the approach before committing to anything. Gordon has also given numerous talks and interviews available on YouTube.

The Way Out (book). Published in 2021 by Avery/Penguin, The Way Out is a comprehensive guide to PRT. It explains the fear-pain cycle, teaches somatic tracking, and walks readers through the recovery process. Available on Amazon and wherever books are sold. Rating: 4.39/5 on Goodreads from over 5,000 ratings.

Pain Psychology Center. Gordon's clinic in Los Angeles offers therapy sessions with approximately 40 trained PRT therapists. Most sessions are conducted via video, so location isn't a barrier. The center charges standard psychotherapy rates. Visit their website for current availability and pricing.

Training for therapists. Gordon also offers training programs for mental health professionals who want to learn PRT. This has expanded the reach of the approach beyond his own practice.

Structured daily practice options

Gordon's work through the Pain Psychology Center and his book has helped thousands of people recover. For those who want a structured daily practice built on the same neuroscience principles Gordon validated, several options complement his approach.

Unlearn Your Pain by Howard Schubiner offers a 28-day structured workbook that pairs well with PRT concepts. Schubiner's free Coursera course "Reign of Pain" covers related material at no cost.

Dan Buglio's daily YouTube videos on the Pain Free You channel provide free daily support using concepts that align with Gordon's fear-to-safety framework.

PainApp offers another accessible option. Built on the same neuroplastic pain science that Gordon's research validated, it includes pain tracking that reveals the patterns PRT targets (stress-pain correlations, central sensitization indicators, and F.I.T. observations), condition-specific audio courses, and an AI-powered Pain Coach available anytime. At $29.99/quarter, it's an accessible complement to Gordon's approach for people who want daily structure between therapy sessions or as a standalone tool.

Frequently asked questions

Who is Alan Gordon?

Alan Gordon is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) who developed Pain Reprocessing Therapy. He founded the Pain Psychology Center in Los Angeles, authored The Way Out, and co-produced the Boulder Back Pain Study showing 66% of chronic pain patients became pain-free with PRT.

What is Pain Reprocessing Therapy?

Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT) is a brain-based treatment for chronic pain that uses somatic tracking, safety reappraisal, and corrective experiences to break the fear-pain cycle. A 2022 JAMA Psychiatry trial showed 66% of participants became pain-free after 4 weeks.

How much does Alan Gordon's Pain Psychology Center cost?

The Pain Psychology Center charges standard psychotherapy rates, which vary by therapist. Sessions are typically conducted via video. The center has approximately 40 therapists. Gordon's book The Way Out and his podcast are more affordable entry points.

What is the Tell Me About Your Pain podcast?

Tell Me About Your Pain is a podcast co-hosted by Alan Gordon where he works with real chronic pain patients live. Episodes demonstrate PRT techniques in real time, making the approach tangible and accessible. It's available free on all podcast platforms.

References

1. Ashar YK, et al. Effect of Pain Reprocessing Therapy vs Placebo and Usual Care for Patients With Chronic Back Pain: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Psychiatry. 2022;79(1):13-23.DOI: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2021.2669
2. Woolf CJ. Central sensitization: implications for the diagnosis and treatment of pain. PAIN. 2011;152(3 Suppl):S2-S15.DOI: 10.1016/j.pain.2010.09.030
3. Brinjikji W, et al. Systematic Literature Review of Imaging Features of Spinal Degeneration in Asymptomatic Populations. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol. 2015;36(4):811-816.DOI: 10.3174/ajnr.A4173