experienced public speaker & trainer
SPEAKING
SPEAKER & TRAINER
I help healthcare professionals, people living with chronic pain and community groups turn complex pain and health science into practical, compassionate action.
As an experienced public speaker and trainer, I regularly present to diverse audiences across South Africa and internationally – including people living with chronic pain, healthcare practitioners, church groups and the general public.
My strength is translating complex topics in pain science, healthcare and wellbeing into clear, actionable insights that people can use in real life. Presentations are engaging and interactive, often incorporating personal reflection exercises, group discussion and Q&A.
SPEAKING TOPICS
Drawing on a diverse background in healthcare, pain management, law and Christian theology and spirituality, I speak on topics including:
Chronic Pain & Fibromyalgia Self-Management
Holistic Health & Wellbeing
Compassion Fatigue & Practitioner Self-care
Ethical Healthcare & Pain Management
WORKSHOPS, seminars & webinar TOPICS
I have presented numerous CPD-accredited workshops, seminars and webinars, and appeared as a guest on podcasts.
With specialist expertise in Fibromyalgia, I am frequently invited to present on the condition and deliver best-practice training to other healthcare professionals.
Understanding, Assessing & Managing Pain
Fibromyalgia Assessment & Management
Your Body, Your Brain & Pain After Trauma
Supporting Pain Self-Management
Ethical Challenges in Pain Management
Cultivating Compassion to Prevent Burnout
Past audiences & clients
- PainSA Annual Congress
- Train Pain Academy
- Occupational Therapy Association of South Africa (OTASA)
- Royal College of Occupational Therapists (RCOT), UK
- Occupational Therapy Australia
- New Zealand Pain Society (NZPS)
- National School Nurses Annual Conference
- University of KwaZulu-Natal
- Massage Therapy Association of South Africa (MTASA)
- The OT Link
- The Skills Basket
- The Health Coaches Academy
- Durban Small Business Podcast
- The Pain Toolkit Conversations
My credentials & affiliations
Helen Roome is a registered Occupational Therapist, author and leading voice in chronic pain self-management, grounded in more than three decades of clinical experience in adult physical and mental healthcare.
Over the past decade she has specialised in the management of complex pain conditions, such as Fibromyalgia, combining clinical expertise with a deep understanding of the lived experience of persistent pain. She has held leadership roles in professional associations and the non-profit sector, including serving as Chairperson of the Occupational Therapy Pain Management Group of South Africa and as a council member of PainSA. Drawing on her rich interdisciplinary background that spans healthcare, pain science, law and spirituality, Helen offers practical, transformative insights into pain, mental health, holistic living and sustainable self-management.
My credentials and affiliations
- BSc Occupational Therapy (Hons) - Wits University, 1996. (HPCSA: 0T 0030066)
- Diploma Practical Labour Law - UNISA Business centre, 2009
- Masters in Practical Theology - Tabor College, AUS, 2014
- Post-graduate Diploma in Interdisciplinary Pain Management - University of Cape Town, 2019
YOUR PAIN PLAYBOOK
MY WRITING
I write to make sense of persistent pain—and turn experience into usable insights. My book Your Pain Playbook offers practical tools for navigating life with persistent pain. I have also contributed to published journal articles, such as the open-access article:
“Occupational Therapy pain management to enable occupational engagement”
(SAJOT, Vol 54, no 3, December 2024) and written for medical magazines
On my blog, I share ongoing reflections and practical tips for developing habits that support more resilient living with chronic pain and Fibromyalgia.