How can health professionals address both the physical and emotional dimensions of pain without bias or stigma? In this episode, clinical social worker and researcher Ned Presnall joins us to explore the critical overlap between mental health and physical health. Drawing from his experience in counseling, addiction treatment, and policy leadership, Ned highlights why taking patients’ pain seriously, whether physical, psychological, or both, is essential to building trust and improving outcomes.
We discuss the role of empathy and active listening in clinical practice, the harm of dismissing or labeling patients as “difficult” or “noncompliant,” and the barriers that billing and productivity pressures create for true patient-centered care. Ned also reflects on the tension between humanistic and biological models of mental health, and why both perspectives are necessary for meaningful treatment.
This conversation challenges practitioners, educators, and students to rethink their approach: trust isn’t a “soft skill”-it’s the foundation for care that heals.