Rachel Zoffness

Dr. Rachel Zoffness is a pain scientist and psychologist who specializes in chronic pain management and pain neuroscience. Zoffness serves as an assistant clinical professor at the UCSF School of Medicine and lectures at Stanford. She completed her undergraduate studies at Brown University, majoring in human biology with a focus on brain and behavior, and conducted her honors thesis on pain neuroscience. Zoffness holds a master's degree from Columbia University, a second master's from San Diego State University, and a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of California, San Diego. She completed additional pre- and post-doctoral training at New York University, Rockefeller University, and Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City.

Central to Zoffness's work is the concept that pain is constructed by the brain and influenced by injuries, emotions, expectations, and environment. This approach emphasizes that individuals have more control over pain than previously understood. Zoffness advocates for integrating medicine and psychology to treat chronic pain, bridging the gap between brain and body through education and evidence-based care. Her work focuses on translating complex neuroscience into practical strategies for patients and healthcare providers.

Zoffness is the author of three books in the field of pain management. "The Pain Management Workbook" serves as a treatment guide for healthcare providers and adults living with pain. She also authored "The Chronic Pain and Illness Workbook for Teens," the first pain workbook designed for youth. Her book "Tell Me Where It Hurts" has been translated into multiple languages and addresses myths about pain, reconnecting physical and emotional aspects and offering a roadmap for healing. Zoffness is a columnist for Psychology Today, where she writes the column "Pain, Explained."

In addition to her writing, Zoffness is active as a public educator and speaker on pain science. Her appearances on The New York Times' "Ezra Klein Show," "Finding Mastery," "Ologies (Dolorology)," PBS's "Tell Me More with Kelly Corrigan," "The Liz Moody Podcast," "ZDoggMD," and "The Jordan Harbinger" Show have reached millions of viewers and listeners. Zoffness trains leaders in pain medicine internationally and is a regular speaker at hospital grand rounds and medical conferences. She serves as co-president of the American Association of Pain Psychology and sits on the board of the Society of Pediatric Pain Medicine. Zoffness is also a Mayday Fellow, recognized for her contributions to pain management. Her expertise in pain psychology, neuroscience, and patient education positions her as a leading voice in the field of chronic pain treatment and pain science.