Dr Laura Katz

Dr Laura Katz, PhD, CPsych is a registered Clinical, Health and Rehabilitation Psychologist based in Ontario, Canada, and a leading voice in the psychological understanding of chronic and pelvic pain. She is Director of Health Psychology at the multidisciplinary psychology clinic MindFit, where she works with adults using evidence‑based, compassionate approaches to support emotional well‑being and coping with chronic health challenges, including chronic pain, anxiety, and mood concerns.

Dr Katz’s clinical and research work bridges psychology and pain science. She has developed and evaluated interdisciplinary chronic pain programs at the Michael G. DeGroote Pain Clinic and McMaster University, where her research has shown meaningful improvements in quality of life, pain‑related self‑efficacy, and psychological outcomes for people living with persistent pain.

Dr Katz has cofounded and plays a central role in the Endometriosis360 programme, a cutting‑edge interdisciplinary initiative that brings together psychology, physiotherapy, nutrition, and medical expertise to support people with endometriosis through comprehensive assessment and group education. In this role, she focuses on enhancing psychological well‑being, helping individuals manage chronic pain and related emotional challenges, and advocating for whole‑person care within a biopsychosocial framework.

A New Understanding of Pain

Pain has often been framed in starkly physical terms: a signal that something in the body is wrong and needs fixing. But that framework, while familiar, is increasingly being challenged, particularly in the context of chronic pain conditions.

As clinical and health psychologist Dr Laura Katz explains, “medical science has really taught us all, both medically and societally, that pain is a physical thing that happens that signals something is very wrong, and we need help.” Yet this understanding only scratches the surface. Pain, she argues, is far more complex, it is shaped not only by biology, but by the environments we move through every day.

“Our stress, our emotions, our food, our physical activity, our relationships, our work environments, politically what's happening…” all shape how pain is experienced.

Rather than being a simple warning sign, pain becomes “an environmental cue to start to try to think what else might be going on.”

One Body, Not Two

Dr Katz’s work sits at the intersection of psychology and medicine, something she says has long been overlooked.

“We're now starting to understand that the nervous system is all one. We don't have a mental nervous system and a physical nervous system. We just have one body.”

This integrated perspective is crucial in conditions like endometriosis and chronic pelvic pain, where symptoms are often complex, persistent, and poorly understood.

“The tricky thing is, is there's lots of different reasons… that that alarm system keeps going off and so the more and more that alarm goes off and actually stays on, it starts to sensitise the system.”

This process, known as central sensitisation, means the body can continue to send pain signals even when there is no immediate danger.

“Somewhere along the lines… the system gets way too sensitised and starts to send out signals without there actually being any damage or danger.”

When Healthcare Fails, the Body Responds

For many patients, the journey to diagnosis is long and invalidating. Dr Katz is clear about the psychological impact of this.

“It’s huge. It's one of the big reasons our systems can get sensitised and what we see a lot of within this population is medical trauma.”

Repeated dismissal doesn’t just affect trust in doctors; it affects trust in the body itself. “People stop trusting their bodies. They feel really out of control… all of the uncertainty and lack of power and control can hugely lead to your system being over-sensitised.”

Over time, the body adapts to survive in that environment.

“It made a lot of sense for the system to be hypersensitive because all of your symptoms and all of this pain got you the medical care and treatment that you really actually needed.”

But those adaptations can outstay their usefulness. “While that was effective, it's actually not serving you anymore.”

Why Endometriosis Care Needs to Be Interdisciplinary

One of the biggest gaps in healthcare, according to Dr Katz, is the lack of coordinated, interdisciplinary care.

“There's no connection. You'll get bounced from your gynae to your gastroenterologist, back to your physio, to your psychologist, [which some have] never heard of endo or know what to do with it.”

Her work with Endometriosis360 aims to change that by bringing multiple disciplines together. “It's the three of us in the appointment all together, every single time, we're all in the same virtual room treating you all together.”

This model reflects what research has already shown.

“Time and time again, [research] shows that this is what helps to create results and make lasting changes in the nervous system - in the brain and the body.”

So why isn’t this the norm?

“It’s money and politics. That’s just the reality of it. We don't need another research study that shows that this is the best kind of care, it really is a matter of healthcare systems, funding and resource management.”

Moving Beyond “It’s All in Your Head”

One of the biggest barriers to psychological support in chronic illness, especially endometriosis, is stigma. Many patients fear that acknowledging mental health will invalidate their physical symptoms.

Dr Katz challenges this directly. “It's not that it's in their head, but the science of the brain is actually just trying to protect you, and the body is reacting to that, creating real pain, real sensations, real physiological symptoms and distress.”

Understanding this biology is key.

“When individuals have that kind of psychoeducation, they're much more likely to understand how to actually improve and change things in their body and psychologically.”

In fact, in endometriosis care, mental health symptoms are often a response, not a cause. Dr Katz recognises this in her work with patients, “I understand anxiety and depression almost as a symptom of what you're going through, your mental health is an adaptive reaction to a maladaptive situation.”

Reclaiming Autonomy Through Understanding

Chronic pain doesn’t just affect the body, it reshapes identity, autonomy, and daily life.

“Pain is such a heavy tax on our attention systems and our ability to really engage in meaningful activities.”

Over time, this can lead to dependence and loss of self. However, treatment, she says, is about rebuilding that connection.

“What really helps people get their independence and efficacy back is be able to do the things that are really important to them in their life.”

This starts with insight. “Sometimes 75% of treatment is just having insight into what's happening in your body, and cognitively, psychologically, and emotionally.”

And crucially, recognising that change is possible. “The nervous system is plastic, workable, shiftable, and changeable.”

Finding the Right Support

For those starting their journey with psychological care, Dr Katz emphasises one thing above all: fit.

“I think it's all about fit. Sometimes the alliance and the fit between you and the mental health practitioner actually is more important than the kind of therapy they practise.”

Her advice is simple but empowering: “Interview a few people, ask the hard questions, you don't have to just pick and choose anyone who has availability.”

And if it doesn’t work the first time? That’s normal.

“It often takes people a couple of different practitioners to find what feels right. And that is normal and okay.”

A Field Finally Changing…

Despite the challenges, Dr Katz is optimistic about the future of endometriosis care.

“I love to see the field just blossoming… people being passionate, funding, supporting new ways of diagnosis, assessments, and treatments.”

Change is coming from both professionals and patients.

“Everyone is demanding that they deserve more. People are voicing their power and stepping up and changing healthcare.”

For the first time in a long time, progress feels tangible.

Thank you so much to Dr Katz for your time and sharing your insight and experience with us.

Where to find Dr Katz:

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/drlaurakatz/

Endometriosis360 programme (international version coming soon!!)

https://endometriosis360.ca

For Ontario patients:

https://mindfit.ca/team/dr-laura-katz/

Papers:

The development and efficacy of an interdisciplinary chronic pelvic pain program

Laura Katz et al

Check out our article with fellow endometriosis360 founder and pelvic physiotherapist Jill Mueller here