Accepting new patients

Thomas Kern, Ph.D.

Accepting new patients

  • APOM Director of Pain Psychology
  • Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, School of Medicine

Specialty

  • Psychology

Clinical focus

  • Health Psychology

Locations and contact

I see patients at
Tall building with the ariel tram to its left
Center for Health & Healing, Building 1
503-494-8311
Read clinic details

About me

Dr. Kern specializes in helping patients manage chronic pain and other chronic conditions.  His emphasis is on improving quality of life and increasing functioning within the reality of having a chronic condition.  Pain affects much more than the part of the body that hurts and Dr. Kern helps patients manage all of the life disruption that accompanies a difficult medical problem.

 He spends his spare time with his family and he enjoys hobbies including making pottery and sculpture, working on an old sports car, and going fly fishing.

Languages spoken

  • English

Education and training

  • Degrees

    • Ph.D., 1992, University of Missouri
Read faculty profile

Insurance

Before scheduling an appointment

  1. Check your network. If you have health insurance,  call your company to find out if the OHSU Health location or provider you plan to visit is part of your network.
  2. Ask what you will pay. Your insurance company can tell you what your costs are likely to be.

If you schedule an appointment and your health insurance does not include OHSU Health, you may have to pay more than if you go to a provider in your insurance network. 

Visit our billing and insurance page for more information.

Ratings and reviews

Overall: 4.9 out of 5 (36 Ratings, 12 Reviews)

The patient ratings score is an average of all responses to the question "How likely would you be to recommend this provider to your family and friends (on a scale of 0 to 10)" on our nationally-recognized Press Ganey patient surveys.

  1. Dr. Kern listens, then suggests & guides. He's great!

  2. I feel heard, validated and I'm given tools to apply to situations. When I'm wrong, this provider gently redirects without shame but gets the point across.

  3. He is very skilled and experienced with my specific issues and has been able to help move me back into a healthy direction over time. Very grateful for his ability to help me with this.

  4. Knowledgeable, able to identify do-able things vs. Finding new things to build in to make things work - very simple things with a new framework around it. Has really helped me grow as a person and learn to deal with my many struggles more effectively.

  5. I have been a patient of Dr Kern for some time now he is extremely professional, patient and kind. He has been with me through real life situations he is a great listener and has provided me with suggestions also Solutions too deal with my anxiety over the years. I appreciate him.

  6. I see Dr. Kern under the auspices of two clinics he is involved with. He is very versitile and personable. He is a good listener and if a suggestion doesn't work for me he processes other methods to achieve the same type of result. I feel that Dr. Kern's expertise is very worthwhile & important to me. He can relate to many different experiences that are helpful in me achieving my goals.

  7. He was helpful, attentive and caring

  8. I have been seeing Dr. Kern for 12 years and I feel so lucky when I get an appointment with him. He very special and so effective at his job. He understands your needs and he remembers things from your last visits and your history. He's just incredibly wise and I'm not being effusive. And he surprises me sometimes .. Because he gives a creative response that you're not expecting and it's just the perfect guidance.

  9. I have been Dr Kern's patient for approximately 11:12 years he is always there for me extremely professional and kind. The continuity of his care has helped get me through some rough times not to mention the laughter as well, it's like having a friend to talk to, with his guidance and support I've become more positive about the overall outcome of things in my life that I have no control of.

  10. Mr Kern was attentive, interested, and knowledgeable. I could not be happier with the experience. I learned a lot and feel comfortable going forward.

  11. He listens really well, and gives constructive advice, that is tailored to my multiple medical conditions

  12. I feel heard by this provider. He helps me by affirming my plan and helps with solutions for the pain, fatigue, pacing and planning ahead for feeling poorly. Also for pre planning events known to exacerbate symptoms.