ABSTRACT
This chapter presents a case study of a 39-year-old woman (Jane), who experienced the account of a road accident and its immediate consequences, and her initial presentation for assessment and treatment. Jane had been diagnosed variously as having post-traumatic stress disorder, whiplash injury and chronic pain from a neck injury. A cognitive behavioural approach to therapy was adopted, concentrating on three interrelated domains: pain management, dealing with her fears, and managing her loss and grief. The treatment plan centred on a functional analysis of the relationship between her physical symptoms of pain and tension, and her emotional status, and the effect that these had on her daily thoughts, feelings and activities. It seems likely that had Jane started self-monitoring soon after injury, the extent and severity of her problems may well have been detected and so treated much earlier.
