Online Therapy for Women with Chronic Pelvic Pain in New York

Dec 17

Chronic pelvic pain impacts the body and mind-our nervous system is on high alert and our emotions can become tied to our pain. Let’s be clear-at New York Women’s CBT, we believe your pain-your pain is real and it is not in your head. We value the expertise that experts like pelvic PTs, surgeons and pain management doctors bring and believe that stability is possible with chronic pelvic pain with a team behind you. Using third wave CBT therapy tools does not mean you think the pain is psychosomatic-rather, it is one piece of the puzzle that helps calm and down regulate the nervous system, defuse your emotions from your pain flares and hopefully turn down the volume of pain. These tools blend CBT, DBT and ACT therapeutic techniques for a mind-body lens with thought reframing, grounding and mindfulness.

Image of pelvis model used by pelvic pain specialists and pelvic floor physical therapy. Represents the benefits of having a multidisciplinary approach to chronic pelvic pain including a third wave CBT therapist in New York.

CBT Helps Rewire the Pain-Thought Loop and Create More Helpful Thought Patterns

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) can be a powerful support for women living with chronic pelvic pain because it gently helps interrupt the automatic cycle of fear, worry, and physical tension that pain often creates. Instead of seeing pain as an unchanging threat, CBT guides you to notice the thoughts and reactions that intensify discomfort and can turn the volume of your pain up, and to slowly replace them with more balanced, neutral or helpful thought reframes. Over time, this creates new pathways in the brain—ones that reduce feelings of helplessness, calm the nervous system, and make space for moments of relief. It doesn’t dismiss the reality of your pain; rather, it offers practical tools and emotional steadiness so you feel more in control, more understood, and more supported in your healing journey.

DBT Helps Soothe the Nervous System and Create Flexible Thought Patterns

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) tools can offer women living with chronic pelvic pain a gentle, grounded way to navigate the emotional waves that often accompany persistent discomfort and pain. Skills like mindfulness, distress tolerance, and cognitive flexibility help create more flexible thinking—so pain doesn’t automatically lead to spirals of fear or overwhelm. Instead of feeling trapped in “all-or-nothing” thoughts, DBT encourages noticing experiences with curiosity, reducing self-blame, and building confidence in your ability to cope. We foster the “wise mind” by acknowledging both the emotional mind and the rational, fact based mind. Over time, these practices strengthen emotional resilience, helping you meet difficult moments with steadiness and compassion while fostering a deeper sense of control and inner safety.

ACT Helps Make Space for Radical Acceptance of the Reality and Live in Alignment with Your Values

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) can offer women living with chronic pelvic pain a compassionate pathway toward greater ease and self-trust. Rather than fighting or judging the pain, ACT encourages a gentle practice of radical acceptance—acknowledging your experience without letting it define you. Through mindfulness and values exploration, ACT helps you reconnect with what truly matters to you, whether that’s nurturing relationships, creativity, movement, or rest. As you learn to make choices guided by your personal values rather than by pain or fear, life can begin to feel more aligned, more intentional, and more spacious. ACT doesn’t ask you to like the pain—it simply gives you tools to live a meaningful, fulfilling life alongside it, with kindness toward yourself at every step.

Why Third Wave CBT is a Helpful Part of the Puzzle with your Medical Team

Taxi cabs on manhattan street. Representing therapy available with New York Women's CBT for women with chronic pelvic pain conditions such as endometriosis, vulvodynia and adenomyosis.

Third Wave CBT is just one part of the puzzle when navigating chronic pelvic pain. Chronic pelvic pain impacts the mind and the body, which requires a multidisciplinary care team. We regularly collaborate with your medical team to help relieve mental load of communication and facilitate progress towards your goals. Your medical team may include pelvic floor physical therapy, an endometriosis excision surgeon, osteopathic manual therapy, pain management care, acupuncture, lymphatic massage, and more.

What types of chronic pelvic pain does New York Women’s CBT commonly work with?

Pelvic Floor Dysfunction

Pelvic floor dysfunction occurs when the muscles, ligaments, and connective tissues that support the bladder, uterus, rectum, and pelvic organs do not work properly, causing symptoms such as pelvic pain, urinary urgency or frequency, difficulty starting or stopping urine, painful intercourse, constipation, or a sense of pressure or heaviness in the pelvis; it can result from factors like childbirth, surgery, chronic straining, trauma, nerve irritation, hormonal changes, or conditions such as endometriosis and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, and is often best addressed through a combination of pelvic floor–specific physical therapy, guided cognitive-behavioral strategies, pain management, and coordinated care with pelvic health specialists.

Pudendal Neuralgia

Pudendal neuralgia is a chronic pain condition caused by irritation, compression, or injury to the pudendal nerve, which supplies sensation to the genital, perineal, and anal regions; it typically causes burning, sharp, electric, or stabbing pain that may worsen with sitting and improve when standing or lying down, and can be accompanied by numbness, sexual dysfunction, urinary or bowel disturbances, and hypersensitivity. Causes include pelvic trauma, childbirth, pelvic surgery, pelvic floor muscle spasm, or inflammatory conditions, and symptoms often fluctuate in intensity and distribution.

Endometriosis

Endometriosis is a chronic condition where tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside the uterus, often causing intense pelvic pain, heavy or irregular periods, fatigue, and sometimes infertility; its symptoms and the uncertainty around diagnosis can take a heavy emotional and practical toll. Third-wave CBT—an approach that blends traditional cognitive behavioral techniques with mindfulness, acceptance, and values-based strategies—can help women track and reframe unhelpful thoughts about pain and identity, develop compassionate acceptance of difficult sensations, reduce avoidance that limits life activities, and build meaningful coping routines that honor personal values. Together, these tools can decrease emotional distress, improve day-to-day functioning, and restore a sense of agency even when symptoms persist.

Adenomyosis

Adenomyosis is a gynecological condition in which the inner lining of the uterus (endometrium) grows into the muscular wall of the uterus, causing the organ to become enlarged and often resulting in heavy, painful periods, pelvic pain, bloating, and fatigue; because symptoms can be chronic, unpredictable, and medically complex, they commonly lead to anxiety, depression, and reduced quality of life. Third-wave cognitive behavioral therapies—such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), mindfulness-based approaches, and Compassion-Focused techniques—help women with adenomyosis by teaching skills to increase present-moment awareness, tolerate and accept difficult sensations and emotions without getting entangled in them, reduce catastrophic thinking about symptoms, and clarify personal values so daily life can be guided by meaningful action even while pain or uncertainty persists. These approaches emphasize adaptive coping over symptom elimination, support self-compassion in the face of often-misunderstood women’s health issues, and provide practical tools to lessen the emotional impact of chronic pelvic pain and improve functioning and wellbeing.

Vulvodynia

Vulvodynia is a chronic pain condition involving ongoing discomfort, burning, or irritation around the vulva with no clear cause and it can deeply affect a woman’s comfort, confidence, relationships, and sense of self. Living with vulvodynia can feel isolating and frustrating, especially when symptoms are invisible to others, but it’s important to know that the pain is real and valid. Third-wave cognitive behavioral therapies can be especially supportive by helping women change their relationship with pain rather than constantly battling it. These approaches gently build skills in mindfulness, self-compassion, and values-based living, helping reduce the emotional suffering, fear, and tension that can amplify physical pain. Over time, third-wave CBT can empower women to feel more at ease in their bodies, reconnect with meaningful parts of life, and move forward with greater resilience and kindness toward themselves.

Vestibulodynia

Vestibulodynia is a form of chronic vulvar pain that is felt specifically at the vestibule, the sensitive area at the entrance of the vagina, and it often shows up as burning, stinging, or sharp pain, especially with touch, tampon use, or sexual activity. Coping with vestibulodynia can be emotionally exhausting but these women are not alone and the pain they experience is real. Third-wave cognitive behavioral therapies, such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, can offer gentle and compassionate support by helping women relate differently to pain and distress. Rather than trying to eliminate every sensation, these approaches focus on building awareness, self-compassion, and flexibility, reducing fear and muscle tension that can worsen symptoms. With time, third-wave CBT can help women feel safer in their bodies, regain a sense of control, and re-engage in intimacy and daily life in ways that feel meaningful and aligned with their values.

Vaginismus

Vaginismus is a condition in which the pelvic floor muscles tighten involuntarily, making vaginal penetration painful or difficult, and it can affect tampon use, gynecological exams, and sexual intimacy. This experience can be confusing and distressing, and many women carry feelings of fear, shame, or self-blame, even though vaginismus is a common and very real mind–body response to perceived threat. Third-wave cognitive behavioral therapies, such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and mindfulness-based approaches, can be especially helpful by addressing both the physical tension and the emotional patterns that keep the cycle going. These therapies gently teach skills like mindfulness, self-compassion, and acceptance, helping women feel safer, reduce anticipatory anxiety, and respond to sensations with less fear. Over time, third-wave CBT can support women in rebuilding trust in their bodies, moving at their own pace, and reconnecting with intimacy and daily life in a way that feels empowered, kind, and aligned with their values.

PCOS

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is a common hormonal condition that can affect menstrual cycles, fertility, weight, skin, and energy levels, and it often comes with emotional challenges such as frustration, anxiety, low mood, or feeling disconnected from one’s body. Because PCOS is long-term and can be unpredictable, many women find themselves stuck in cycles of self-criticism, worry, or pressure to “fix” their bodies. Third-wave cognitive behavioral therapies, such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and mindfulness-based approaches, can offer warm and practical support by helping women develop a kinder, more flexible relationship with both their symptoms and their thoughts. Rather than focusing solely on controlling or eliminating difficulties, these therapies encourage self-compassion, stress reduction, and living in alignment with personal values, even when symptoms fluctuate. Over time, third-wave CBT can help women with PCOS feel more grounded, empowered, and at peace in their bodies, while supporting emotional wellbeing alongside medical care.

Interstitial Cystitis

Interstitial cystitis (also known as painful bladder syndrome) is a chronic condition involving bladder pressure, pelvic pain, and frequent or urgent urination, often without a clear infection or cause. Living with interstitial cystitis can be exhausting and disruptive, affecting sleep, work, social life, and emotional wellbeing, and many people feel frustrated or misunderstood along the way. Third-wave cognitive behavioral therapies, such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and mindfulness-based approaches, can provide gentle, compassionate support by helping individuals change how they relate to ongoing symptoms rather than constantly fighting them. These therapies build skills in mindfulness, emotional regulation, and self-compassion, which can reduce stress and nervous system reactivity that often intensify bladder pain. Over time, third-wave CBT can help people feel more in control, less defined by their symptoms, and better able to live a meaningful, fulfilling life alongside medical care.

Individual Therapy for Chronic Pelvic Pain at New York Women’s CBT

Black and white image of the Brooklyn Bridge. Represents third wave CBT available online in New York throughout all city boroughs and the state for women with chronic pelvic pain conditions.

Our team of trained, niched therapists are so passionate about working with women with chronic pelvic pain. If you are looking for concrete, helpful tools to move through chronic pelvic pain and find stability, you are in the right place. We utilize an integrative approach, blending CBT, DBT and ACT tools to help increase flexible thinking, create distress tolerance tools, lean in to radical acceptance and live life in alignment with your values-even with chronic pelvic pain.

Group Therapy for Chronic Pelvic Pain at New York Women’s CBT

New York Women’s CBT offers group therapy for women with chronic pelvic pain. Groups are lead by a licensed therapist niched in women’s health and chronic illness. If you are craving a space with other women who truly understand what you are going through and helpful third wave CBT tools to thrive living with chronic pelvic pain, learn about our groups and schedule your free phone consultation.