Making the Invisible Visible

Learn about the six psychosocial stages and the grieving process that people with chronic pain and conditions experience.

About Gwenn Hermann
Gwenn Herman, BS '75, LCSW, DCSW, is the Clinical Director of Pain Connection programs for the U.S. Pain Foundation, Inc., since May 2016. She was the Founder and Executive Director of Pain Connection - Chronic Pain Outreach Center, Inc. from April, 1999 to May, 2016.

The personal experience that propelled Gwenn's commitment to this cause was being in a car accident more than twenty-five years ago. In a split second her whole life changed and the accident left her handicapped with chronic pain. Frustrated by the lack of awareness and understanding of chronic pain that she repeatedly confronted among medical professionals, Gwenn developed her ideas and founded Pain Connection®. Gwenn co-authored the book Making the Invisible Visible: Chronic Pain Manual for Health Care Providers with Mary French, RN, MSW, LCSW-C.

Gwenn is a Licensed Certified Clinical Social Worker and Diplomate in Clinical Social Work in Arizona. During the course of her career of 40 years she has worked with many different cultures and all age groups in inpatient hospital settings, schools, courts, family agencies, and private practice, specializing in evaluation, prevention, treatment, training, supervision, and consultation in the fields of alcohol and substance abuse, mental health issues, chronic pain, physical and sexual abuse, and dual diagnosis. Gwenn worked with Native American Centers in Buffalo, New York and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma writing proposals, working in the Health Clinic and developing The Indian Youth Council.

Ms. Herman has over twenty years’ experience in the field of chronic pain and presented at many national and local conferences, trainings and community meetings including: appointed in 2018 to the Interagency Pain Research Coordinating Committee (IPRCC), the highest-ranking pain policy oversight committee in the United States, appointed by the Maryland Department of Health and Hygiene to serve as an Advisory Council Member, for the Prescription Monitoring Program; presented at Annual Family Therapy Network Symposium, Maryland Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers Social Work Month Annual Conference:, Governor's Conference on Vital Aging, Osteogenesis Imperfect Foundation, Pain Management Conference, at Franklin Square Hospital, Baltimore, and NABVETS- National Association for Black Veterans. Ms. Herman has appeared on ABC News and Maryland local stations, stories have been written about her in The Washington Post, Lifescript, Montgomery Gazette, Montgomery Almanac, Pain Pathways Magazine, Bethesda Chronicle, “What Hit Me? How Families Are Affected by a Parent’s Chronic Pain”, KidsPeace Healing Magazine, and INFUSION - National Home Infusion Association.