David Cosio, PhD

"I see my role as an educator, not only to patients who suffer from chronic pain, but also to providers who work with the chronic pain population.”

GPS Chicago, Illinois

Typical Day “As a psychologist working in a pain clinic, I see my role is to help patients learn better ways to manage stress or other difficult emotions connected to pain, and to help them create a better multidisciplinary self-management plan to address pain.”

Persona “I see my role as an educator, not only to patients who suffer from chronic pain, but also to providers who work with the chronic pain population.”

Social Media Habits “I tend to check Facebook and Twitter. I have my own accounts on both and am able to connect and communicate with other professionals in the field using those social media outlets.”

Politics “I have grown to admire Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren as public figures since the last election. Their approach to politics is similar to the approach I like to take when working with patients with chronic pain. I view chronic pain management to be not only a personal, but a social and public health concern. Together, we can help one another, and it is only when we love each other that we see true change.”

Words “I think the book Managing Pain Before It Manages You by Margaret A. Caudill, MD, PHD, MPH, should be required reading for anyone suffering from chronic pain or as a beginner’s guide for anyone beginning to work in the field of pain management.”

Popcorn “There are so many great, inspirational films out there. The one that comes to mind is Pay It Forward with Haley Joel Osment. I love how the film underlines how the actions of one person can have a large impact on those around him/her. It speaks to how we as providers can make a small change in our work that can then have a larger impact on the public.”

PAINWeek “I have been going to PAINWeek since 2009. Once I experienced the conference the first time…I was hooked! I thoroughly enjoy networking with professionals from all over the country and have learned best practices from several different disciplines. I always go back to work with several new good ideas or at the very least with improvements to old ones.”