Comfort Ability Patient Workshop

The Comfort Ability Patient Workshop is a one-day workshop that is designed to help equip you and your child with knowledge and skills to better manage pain. 

This will be held at the American Dental Association building. Please plan to arrive by 8:45 a.m. and meet us at in the 2nd floor conference center.

You and your child will participate in both group sessions and child-only/parent-only sessions during the day. If at any point you or your child would like to re-connect when in separate parts of the program, we have staff who can help to facilitate this on your behalf.  

What is The Comfort Ability® Program?

The Comfort Ability® Program helps kids and parents and caregivers learn how to better manage recurring functional symptoms such as chronic pain (nerve, muscle or joint pain, headaches, abdominal pain, etc.), nausea, dizziness, fatigue and muscle weakness. The program teaches how the nervous system works in the body and why skills rooted in psychology can help. It also gives kids and parents and caregivers the chance to learn and practice many proven coping skills based in cognitive behavioral therapy.

The Comfort Ability® Program offers workshops, health chats, newsletters, and other resources for teens and parents/caregivers. The workshops take place at many sites throughout the United States, Canada, and Australia. 

What is The Comfort Ability® Workshop?

The Comfort Ability® workshop is a clinical intervention developed Dr. Rachael Coakley at Boston Children's Hospital. In the workshop, kids and their caregivers learn strategies to better manage pain and functional symptoms and improve how they feel about what they can do each day. The workshop teaches many proven coping skills based in cognitive behavioral therapy. 

What happens at The Comfort Ability® Workshop?

Kids and parents are in separate groups for the workshop.

Kid/Teen group: 

The workshop for kids and teens provides a safe and comfortable space to connect with others who can really understand what it’s like to have ongoing pain and functional symptoms. Together, they learn about neuroscience, learn about psychology tools to control the symptoms, and use mind-body skills to boost comfort. Kids also explore how to manage symptom-related stress like isolation from friends, school problems, lack of sleep, missing out on activities, and how to cope with feeling anxious or sad. At the end of the workshop, kids develop their own Comfort Ability® plan to guide their coping and long-term recovery. 

Parent/Caregiver group:

The parent and caregiver workshop focuses on parenting skills that help to boost a child’s sense of comfort and well-being. Parents/caregivers learn about neuroscience and about cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), as well. Parents and caregivers explore new ways to respond to their child’s symptoms, focus on how to improve day-to-day activities at home and school, and create a specific plan that will help to boost comfort for their child. Parents and caregivers also have time to connect with other parents in supportive ways. 

Who can attend the Comfort Ability Workshop?

The Comfort Ability workshop is for kids and teens ages 10-17 who have recurring symptoms such as chronic pain, nausea, dizziness, fatigue and muscle weakness and their parents or caregivers. If a child has more than one parent/caregiver, it is recommended that all attend this workshop. The workshop has been shown to help with chronic pain problems such as headache, abdominal pain, nerve pain, joint pain, disease related pain, post-surgical pain, or any other kind of ongoing pain. 

Registration

The cost of this workshop is $120. 

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Refreshments/Snacks

We will provide light refreshments and snacks during the workshop

Lunch

Lunch is on your own. There is a cafeteria in the main hospital at which you can purchase food, as well as other food vendors within a short walking distance.

Parking

Discounted parking will be available in the Huron-Superior A Garage, which you can access on Huron or Superior east of St. Clair. There is a bridge on the 2nd floor of the parking garage that will bring you to the lobby. Get more parking details. If you have concerns regarding your ability to afford parking, please contact us at comfortability@luriechildrens.org. 

Questions?

If you have any questions regarding the program, please email comfortability@luriechildrens.org, and we will do our best to respond to your inquiry within one business day.