PRT apps and programs
How to compare pain reprocessing therapy apps and programs
Pain Reprocessing Therapy, or PRT, helps the brain respond differently to pain signals that are being interpreted as dangerous. Nervana brings this work into daily life with bite-sized education, guided mind-body practices, AI coaching, bookable human coaching, and a directory of therapists and health coaches.
Educational support for persistent symptoms. Not a substitute for medical or mental-health care.
Updated August 18, 2026 by the Nervana editorial team.
The wider picture
First, what is Pain Reprocessing Therapy?
Pain Reprocessing Therapy is a psychological treatment developed for primary chronic pain. It uses pain education and guided exercises to help the brain interpret safe sensations with less fear and threat. In the best-known randomized trial, trained clinicians delivered the treatment.
You can now find several ways to learn or practice these ideas. Some programs pair you with a clinician or coach. Others offer lessons and exercises you complete on your own. The right choice depends on the kind of support you want.
Nervana brings several parts of mind-body recovery into one place: guided learning and practice, an AI coach, optional live mind-body coaching, and a directory where you can find independent therapists and health coaches.
Inside the program
How Nervana can support the work
Nervana gives you a structured program to use on your own, plus human support when you want it.
Learn and practice in the app
Follow short lessons, nervous-system and somatic practices, reflection, and check-ins drawn from PRT, PSRT, and EAET.
Talk with the AI coach
Use the Nervana coach to work through a flare, notice a pattern, or apply what you are learning to a real situation.
Book human mind-body coaching
When you want live support, you can book a session with a Nervana mind-body coach directly in the app.
Find a therapist or health coach
Browse Nervana’s provider directory to find PRT therapists, health coaches, clinicians, and other mind-body providers.
Format comparison
Five kinds of support you may encounter
The below may be a helpful starting point, but is not an exhaustive list. Features, eligibility, pricing, and availability can change, so confirm the current details with each provider.
| Option | Format | May fit |
|---|---|---|
| Therapist-delivered PRT | Individual treatment with a trained clinician | People who want assessment, a therapeutic relationship, and individualized treatment |
| Lin Health | Physician review, weekly pain-recovery coaching, in-app messaging, and structured app exercises | People who want a coach-led chronic pain program and meet Lin’s location or insurance requirements |
| Curable | Self-guided pain education and exercises with a virtual guide | People who prefer a library of short, self-paced activities |
| PainApp | Self-guided app and web program with pain-neuroscience, PRT, and EAET content | People comparing structured, app-based pain education programs |
| Nervana (you are here) | Mind-body coaching app with guided practice, an AI coach, bookable human coaching, and a provider directory | People who want a daily program with both on-demand and optional live human support |
The descriptions above summarize the providers’ own public materials as of August 2026. Inclusion does not imply endorsement, clinical equivalence, or identical evidence.
Choosing support
When PRT may be worth exploring
PRT may fit if
- Your chronic pain or symptoms have been medically evaluated, and your care team has not found an untreated injury or condition that fully explains them.
- Your symptoms move, change, flare with stress, or improve when you feel safer or less focused on them.
- Your symptoms have continued after an injury healed, or feel more intense than your current medical findings would suggest.
- You feel stuck in a cycle of fear, body monitoring, or avoiding activities and are open to learning how the brain and nervous system may be involved.
Seek other support when
- You need diagnosis, individualized treatment, trauma care, or support for a complex mental-health condition.
- Your symptoms are new, changing, unexplained, or have not been appropriately evaluated.
- A program implies that all chronic pain has one cause or guarantees recovery.
Common questions
What people ask before trying an app
Is Nervana Pain Reprocessing Therapy?
Nervana is a mind-body coaching app informed by PRT, PSRT, and EAET. It combines bite-sized education, guided practice, AI coaching, optional live human coaching, and a provider directory. It does not replace therapy or medical care.
Is there evidence for PRT?
A randomized clinical trial found meaningful results for a specific course of clinician-delivered PRT in people with primary chronic back pain. Those findings should not automatically be applied to every app or self-guided program that uses related ideas.
What is Emotional Awareness and Expression Therapy (EAET)?
EAET is a psychological therapy that helps people explore emotions, stress, and relationship patterns that may interact with chronic pain. Research has studied clinician-led EAET, including individual and group sessions. Those results should not be treated as proof that an app provides the same intervention or outcomes.
Do I need a therapist to try mind-body pain skills?
Not necessarily. Some people begin with education, app-based practice, or mind-body coaching. Others need or prefer a licensed clinician. Nervana offers bookable human coaching and a provider directory that can help you look for an independent PRT therapist, health coach, or other mind-body provider.
Does Nervana offer human mind-body coaching?
Yes. You can book a live session with a Nervana mind-body coach in the app. Human coaching is optional and separate from the independent providers listed in Nervana’s provider directory.
What should I avoid when comparing programs?
Be cautious with guarantees, claims that all pain has one cause, pressure to ignore medical advice, or app outcome claims based only on research into a different clinician-delivered treatment.
Sources
Practice with Nervana
A clear next step, one short session at a time
Explore the program and decide whether this kind of support fits your life and care.