Rachel V Aaron, Ph.D., M.A.

Headshot of Rachel V Aaron
  • Assistant Professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Female

Expertise

Adjustment to Chronic Illness, Chronic Pain, Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), Rehabilitation Psychology ...read more

Research Interests

Development and maintenance of chronic pain; Psychosocial interventions for chronic pain; Co-occuring mental and physical health symptoms; The role of emotional factors in pain and illness ...read more

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Insurance Information

Main Phone

Outside of Maryland & Washington D.C.

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Locations

The Johns Hopkins Hospital

Appointment Phone: 443-997-5476
600 N. Wolfe Street
Meyer Building 1-163
Baltimore, MD 21287 map
Fax: 410-614-4033

Background

Rachel Aaron, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist who specializes in chronic pain within a rehabilitation psychology setting. She treats patients with acute and chronic pain, illness and injury in outpatient settings. Dr. Aaron is committed to serving these patients through dedicated clinical care and research. She researches psychosocial factors that contribute to the experience of chronic pain, particularly the role of emotional factors in the development and maintenance of chronic pain. She applies this research to develop novel approaches to improve treatment outcomes in individuals living with chronic pain.

Dr. Aaron trained in rehabilitation psychology at the University of Washington School of Medicine, where she received the John E. Carr Award for Outstanding Achievement in Empirically-Supported Psychotherapies. She went on to complete a two-year chronic pain fellowship at the University of Washington. Both her fellowship and Ph.D. research training were supported by two prestigious training grants from the National Institutes of Health. She is the recipient of other numerous research awards and grants.

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Titles

  • Assistant Professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

Departments / Divisions

Education

Fellowships

  • Psychology; University of Washington School of Medicine (2018)

Additional Training

  • Vanderbilt University / Clinical Psychology Ph.D. (2016)
  • University of Washington / Behavioral Medicine and Neuropsychology Internship (2016)

Research & Publications

Research Summary

Dr. Aaron researches biopsychosocial factors related to the development and maintenance of chronic pain, particularly the role of emotional factors (e.g., emotion regulation, emotion awareness). She also investigates methods of improving pain-related outcomes in individuals with chronic pain.

Selected Publications

Law EF, Wan Tham S, Aaron RV, Dudeney J, Palermo TM. Hybrid Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy Intervention for Adolescents With Co-Occurring Migraine and Insomnia: A Single-Arm Pilot Trial. Headache. 2018 Jul;58(7):1060-1073. doi: 10.1111/head.13355. PMID: 30152164

Aaron, R., Noel, M., Dudeney, J., Wilson, A., Holley, A., & Palermo, T. (2019). The role of sleep quality on the relationship between posttraumatic stress symptoms and pain in women. Journal of behavioral medicine, 1-10.

Aaron, R. V., Fisher, E. A., de la Vega, R., Lumley, M. A., & Palermo, T. M. (2019). Alexithymia in individuals with chronic pain and its relation to pain intensity, physical interference, depression, and anxiety: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Pain, 160(5), 994-1006.

Skolasky RL, Wegener ST, Aaron RV, Ephraim P, Brennan G, Greene T, Lane E, Minick K, Hanley AW, Garland EL & Fritz JM. The OPTIMIZE Study: Protocol of a pragmatic sequential multiple assessment randomized trial of nonpharmacologic treatment for chronic, nonspecific low back pain. 2020. BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders, 21 (1-14).

Aaron, R.V., Finan, P., Wegener, S.T., Keefe, F. & Lumley, M.. Emotion Regulation as a Transdiagnostic Factor Underlying the Co-Occurrence of Chronic Pain and Problematic Opioid Use. 2020. American Psychologist, 75(6), 796. 

Activities & Honors

Honors

  • John E. Carr Award for Outstanding Achievement in Empirically-Supported Psychotherapies, University of Washington Medical Center, 2016 - 2016
  • Clinician Scientist Award, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 2022 - 2023
  • 2019 Award for Excellence in Psychology Teaching and Supervision, Johns Hopkins Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Division of Rehabilitation Psychology, 2019
  • 2020 Award for Excellence in Psychology Teaching and Supervision, Johns Hopkins Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Division of Rehabilitation Psychology, 2020

Memberships

  • Member, United States Association for the Study of Pain
  • Member, International Association for the Study of Pain
  • Member, Rehabilitation Psychology
  • Member, Society for Affective Science

Professional Activities

  • Member, Social Media Committee, Society for Affective Science, 2018

Videos & Media

Recent News Articles and Media Coverage

How Psychologists Can Help Treat Chronic Pain | The New York Times (November 2021)

Making Mental Health a PriorityLive Yes with Arthritis Podcast (January 2022)

Building a Personalized Pain PlanLive Yes with Arthritis Podcast (September 2020)

Patient Ratings & Comments

The Patient Rating score is an average of all responses to physician related questions on the national CG-CAHPS Medical Practice patient experience survey through Press Ganey. Responses are measured on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the best score. Comments are also gathered from our CG-CAHPS Medical Practice Survey through Press Ganey and displayed in their entirety. Patients are de-identified for confidentiality and patient privacy.

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