 As a counselor, Kris treasures the moments she spends with people rebuilding a meaningful life after a significant injury or heartbreaking event. Specializing in Pain and Traumatic Brain Injury Rehabilitation, Kris supports people as they learn to accept their new life while finding ways to live whole heatedly and authentically. Kris utilizes a variety of modalities to facilitate this process, including mindfulness, expressive art, writing, movement, as well as Cognitive Behavior Therapy and Acceptance Commitment Therapy. Kris applies these modalities with individuals, couples, and with groups. When she is not at Progressive Rehabilitation Associates, you'll find Kris deep in the woods riding her off road motorcycle far from civilization.
One of Kris’s passions is using movement to facilitate healing for clients in our Comprehensive Multidisciplinary Pain Program. While Cognitive Behavioral Therapy helps people reframe problematic thoughts and challenge core beliefs about pain, movement helps clients access non-verbal emotions associated with their injury that are contributing to fear of movement and impeding full recovery. Using trauma-informed movement (https://www.traumasensitiveyoga.com/), clients experience the physiological symptoms of activating their sympathetic nervous system. The natural response to movement is increased heartrate and shortness of breath, which mimic a stress response, however when this stress response is engaged in the context of the therapeutic relationship and grounded in coping skills, the associated fear of movement that diminishes. In this practice, clients learn how to set boundaries and listen to their body, and with this newfound influence over their physiological state, their fear related pain often diminishes.
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Provider Spotlight: Dr. Thomas Stason, Medical Director for the Comprehensive Pain Program11/24/2020  Dr. Stason, D.O., is the Medical Director for the Comprehensive Pain Program here at Progressive Rehabilitation Associates. He is an osteopathic physician who specializes in musculoskeletal pain, mild Traumatic Brain Injury, vision issues, dizziness and psycho-somatic complaints. He is board certified in Neuromusculoskeletal Medicine/Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine through the American Osteopathic Association. He uses conventional medicine including medications, laboratory evaluation, imaging (x-rays, MRI's, etc) as well as osteopathic manipulation as part of his care. This manipulation is a hands on treatment that is gentle, safe and effective at unwinding strains and releasing tissues to function more normally. Being from Massachusetts, he went to the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine on the coast of Maine for osteopathic medical school, completed his medical internship in Worcester, MA and then his residency in the Bronx, NY. After teaching and practicing in New York City for a few years he made a sane decision and moved to Portland, OR in 2012 to continue in private practice as well as teaching second year Osteopathic medical students. He has been associated with PRA since 2015. He loves spending time with his 5 year old daughter, being outdoors, studying birds and bird language, windsurfing and when he can find the time, going on silent meditation retreats. Learn more about the Comprehensive Pain Program, Comprehensive Brain Injury Program (Brain Injury Rehabilitation Center), and the Vancouver Pain Rehabilitation Program at PRA.
 Greg Smith, PhD is founder and CEO of Progressive Rehabilitation Associates, which has operated brain injury rehabilitation, pain management, work hardening and work conditioning programs since 1991, and has locations in Portland, OR and Vancouver, WA. Dr. Smith is well rounded with extensive experience for more than 30 years as a clinician, educator, author, researcher, program surveyor and leader. Prior to launching Progressive, Dr. Smith was director of a multidisciplinary pain control program and then the director of the Health Psychology Department at Good Samaritan Hospital and Medical Center in Portland, OR. Following, he was the chief of the Psychology Department and then the co-director and program director at the Emanuel Pain Center, Emanuel Rehabilitation Center, Emanuel Hospital and Health Center in Portland. Since 1987, Dr. Smith has been on the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) surveyor team surveying rehabilitation programs all over the country. He has had opportunities to share best practices with national and international programs, often bringing his learnings back to Progressive to continually improve programs. He has also invited other organizations in to learn from Progressive about how to create successful brain injury and pain programs. Countries where Dr. Smith exchanged learnings include England, Canada, Mexico, Argentina, among others. Dr. Smith has done numerous lectures and workshops for CARF, Pain Society of Oregon, Physical Therapists professional associations and organizations around the world. His teaching experience includes writing the majority of the material in a chapter on Pain in the text book for medical students called Behavioral Medicine: A Guide for clinical Practice, and he served on the faculty for the dental school at Pacific University in Portland. Currently, Dr. Smith is on staff at Southwest Medical Center in Vancouver, Washington, seeing psychiatric inpatients weekly. “His hopeful, yet practical, ideas and suggestions challenge me to think and act beyond the constraining limits I set for myself so I can engage in activities that bring me joy.” Dr. Smith received his Ph.D. with an emphasis in Clinical Psychology and his M.A. from the California School of Professional Psychology. After serving his internships in rehabilitation, behavior modification, biofeedback, individual and conjoint psycho-diagnostics, and alcoholism, he did his residency at St. Jude Hospital and Rehabilitation Center. Dr. Smith’s clinical expertise and leadership have guided Progressive Rehabilitation Associates to become highly regarded by clients for making a huge impact on the quality of their lives. Dr. Smith believes that this success is due to the strong supportive interdisciplinary team at Progressive, stating: “I can’t do anything by myself. The team is the strength of rehab. All play an important role. I recognize the synergy of working together moves clients forward.” Interested in learning more about Progressive's Brain Injury Rehabilitation and Chronic Pain Rehab programs? Check out Dr. Smith's video on PRA's programs, mission, and treatment values "Dr. Greg Smith is approachable, compassionate, and wise in his understanding of chronic pain in all its complexities. His manner is relaxed and pleasant, and, no matter how stressed or physically uncomfortable I am upon arrival, I'm always calmer and more hopeful by the end of the hour. He listens extremely well. His hopeful, yet practical, ideas and suggestions challenge me to think and act beyond the constraining limits I set for myself so I can engage in activities that bring me joy." - Miriam Rosser, Healthgrades Are you a provider interested in learning from Greg Smith? Check out these publications and webinars
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360-828-8912 (800) 320-0681 FAX 503-292-5208 HOURS M-F: 7am - 5pm ADDRESS 406 SE 131st Avenue, Suite 303, Vancouver, Washington 98683 |
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WHAT OUR CLIENTS ARE SAYING...“The eight weeks I spent in therapy at PRA was some of the best spent time of my life” --Randy, Vancouver, WA
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