Steven Prakken, MD

Professional Biography

Dr. Prakken is Board-Certified in both psychiatry and pain management. He attended medical school at the University of Oregon and completed a psychiatry residency at the University of California, San Francisco. Dr. Prakken has a general psychiatry practice treating adolescents and adults for anxiety, mood, adjustment and personality disorders as well as ADD and relationship issues. He uses psychopharmacology and does short-term as well as long-term psychotherapy.

Prior to becoming a pain management specialist, Dr. Prakken worked for 6 years as an emergency room physician and for 10 years in his own alternative medicine practice. He was employed by Spine Care of San Francisco and Bay Area Pain Management prior to moving to North Carolina. Dr. Prakken currently works in pain management and general psychiatry at HRC. He has published in the fields of psychiatry and pain management and has extensive teaching experience.

Personal Statement

As a psychiatrist and physician, I place great value on respecting the uniqueness of each individual. I have a patient-centered, collaborative approach. I am an active, curious, and compassionate listener. I am both supportive and able to ask the difficult questions. In the realm of pain management, I believe that I understand the life-changing quality of chronic pain. I do not reflexively believe that pain is “emotionally” based, and at the same time I understand the relationship between pain and emotional well-being. I believe that my psychiatric training and my extensive physical medicine experience enhance each other. That combination gives me a unique insight into the treatment and management of chronic pain.