Welcome to the latest Pain Free Living podcast with your hosts Bob Allen (osteopath) and Clare Elsby (therapy coach).

In this episode, you’ll find out exactly what to expect in your first osteopathy session or therapy coaching consultation, from taking your case history to active listening, and everything in between.

Bob takes you behind the scenes of what really happens when someone walks through his clinic door. A thorough case history is at the heart of osteopathic diagnosis, and Bob explains why he gives each patient time to share their story in full.

This isn’t a quick “where does it hurt?” appointment. Instead, it’s about uncovering key details, like forgotten operations or old injuries. These are important things that are often forgotten but can completely change your treatment picture.

He explains why those one-size-fits-all YouTube exercise plans to fix your low back pain often miss the mark, and why understanding the individual always comes first.

Clare then brings the conversation online — literally. As a therapy coach, most of her sessions happen virtually, giving clients the comfort of their own curated space. She explains how a structured discovery session helps identify what’s really going on beneath the surface, when to signpost clients safely to GPs or mental health professionals, and how a professionally managed conversation differs from chatting with friends.

A major theme in this episode is active listening where space is created for you to feel genuinely heard, without interruption or judgment.

Both Clare and Bob emphasise that listening well isn’t passive; it’s the foundation for trust, accurate assessment, and meaningful change.

Whether you’re curious about seeing an osteopath for pain relief or considering therapy coaching to untangle life’s challenges, this episode demystifies the process and shows how both approaches share a common thread: understanding you.

🦴 A thorough case history is the foundation of accurate diagnosis and effective treatment.

👂 Active listening helps clients feel heard and supported — and leads to better outcomes

🧠 Online therapy coaching is flexible, confidential, and surprisingly powerful.

🧾 One-size-fits-all exercise plans often fall short — personalised care matters.

🤝 Different professions, one goal: helping you move forward with clarity and confidence.

Find out more about us and stay connected

😎 Learn more about Bob’s story https://bit.ly/BobsOsteoStory

🤩 Find out more about Clare’s work https://www.clareelsby.com/

📰 Sign up for our Pain Free Living newsletter https://bit.ly/PFL_newsletter_signup

🎙️ Connect with us on socials & podcast platforms https://linktr.ee/Painfreeliving

You’re with Pain Free Living podcast hosts Bob Allen (osteopath) and Clare Elsby (therapy coach).

In this episode, you’ll find out how hands-on osteopathy and therapy coaching complement each other. We take you from your first contact with a therapist, whether it's for your physical or mental health, to safe signposting when something sits outside our scope.

We look at why osteopaths aren’t “just for low back pain,” what clinical training and diagnosis mean in practice, and how red-flag awareness (like potential medical emergencies such as cauda equina syndrome) protects you.

Clare shares how a free discovery session helps triage issues like anxiety, panic, or health worries — and when her network of psychiatrists, psychotherapists, and counsellors is the right next step.

You’ll also hear real-world stories like long-standing knee pain solved by treating a restriction in the opposite hip and parents who, while supporting their neurodiverse children through assessment, recognise similar patterns in themselves. The conversation also looks at what psychoeducation plus practical workarounds can unlock.

Don’t worry if any of this feels overwhelming, awareness is always the first step. Our job is to keep you safe, seen, heard, and making progress with the right person at the right time.

If today’s chat helped, subscribe, share this with a friend who’s stuck, and join the newsletter for more practical, jargon-free health guidance.

5 Key Takeaways

• Osteopathy goes beyond back pain: whole-body assessment, clinical reasoning, and the ability to diagnose and refer when needed.
• Scope of practice matters — knowing when to treat and when to signpost keeps care safe and effective.
• Red-flag awareness (e.g., suspected medical emergencies such as Cauda Equina Syndrome) = prompt referral; safety first, always.
• Therapy coaching triages issues like anxiety or low mood and, when appropriate, connects you to clinical therapy.
• Your mind and body aren’t separate: combining physical care with psychoeducation often accelerates progress.

Resources

More on Cauda Equina Syndrome: https://www.ihavecaudaequina.com/cauda-equina-syndrome/

Find out more about us and stay connected

😎 Learn more about Bob’s story https://bit.ly/BobsOsteoStory

🤩 Find out more about Clare’s work https://www.clareelsby.com/

📰 Sign up for our Pain Free Living newsletter https://bit.ly/PFL_newsletter_signup

🎙️ Connect with us on socials & podcast platforms https://linktr.ee/Painfreeliving

Welcome back to the Pain Free Living podcast with me, Bob Allen, osteopath, and MSK consultant with my co-host Clare Elsby, a therapy coach trained in positive psychology.

After a summer break, we’re back with Season Two and we’re opening this season by sharing our personal journeys into osteopathy and therapy coaching.

In this episode, you’ll find out how Clare’s career in accounting and HR led her to train in positive psychology, and why the pandemic pushed her toward supporting people through coaching, particularly around neurodiversity.

You’ll also hear my own story where I left a successful 20-year career in IT to retrain as an osteopath, which turned out to be the hardest, best, and yes, worst thing I’ve ever done.

We dive into why no single treatment approach works for everyone. We explore why osteopathy has evolved from Andrew Taylor Still’s hands-on, instinctive beginnings to today’s broader, evidence-based practice, and why therapy coaching has also adapted and evolved.

Whether it’s CBT, positive psychology, manual treatment, or exercise, the most important thing is that your care will always be tailored and personal to you and your needs.

If you have ever wondered what makes a therapist choose their path, or been curious about what really happens when you visit a therapy coach or osteopath, this is the episode for you.

We set the stage and give you the inside view on a treatment session before you take that big step into a clinic or online session.

Don’t worry if it feels unfamiliar; awareness is always the first step, and that’s exactly where we begin.

• Positive psychology focuses on moving from “where you are now” toward small, practical improvements.
• Neurodiversity awareness in workplaces and therapy is growing, but more support is needed.
• Career changes often come from personal experiences, and we reveal why Clare and I shifted paths to support people's wellbeing.
• Bob's Osteopathy combines tradition with evolving evidence-based tools ranging from manual hands-on treatment to the use of kinesiotape, shockwave treatment, and dry needling.
• The world of healthcare is finally realising that person-centred healthcare will always beat the “one-size-fits-all” solution.

If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to subscribe, share with a friend, and leave a review – it helps others discover the show and join the Pain Free Living movement!

Find out more about us and stay connected

😎 Learn more about Bob’s story

🤩 Find out more about Clare’s work

📰 Sign up for our Pain Free Living newsletter

🎙️ Connect with us on socials & podcast platforms