Therapy For
Chronic Illness
Chronic illness is NOT your only story.
Get back into a life that is more than your diagnosis.
Living with chronic illness has taken away many things from you, things that once gave you a sense of joy or meaning.
My clients struggle like you. Despite being smart, loving, and having big dreams, life is hard. When they first come in, they feel overwhelmed, sad, resentful. Managing their symptoms feels like a full-time job. Their pain and fatigue often dictate how they spend their days. The dreams and goals that once got them excited feel out of reach. At times, they may feel like they are not “good enough"; as a friend, a partner, or a parent.
They miss spending time outside of the house, making memories with loved ones, being spontaneous. They worry about what the future holds. Yet, their here-and-now feels like too much to handle at times. Even day-to-day activities (cooking, getting ready for the day, working) are overwhelming.
They often go through life feeling invisible.
Before they came to see me, they were thinking that nothing would ever change, that they were doomed to feel this way. They felt lonely and questioned whether anyone could really understand them, let alone a stranger! They were sad, anxious, and their confidence was at an all-time low.
Like my clients, you deserve to learn new ways to connect with the experiences (and people!) that matter to you. Living a life that is more than a long list of symptoms to manage and doctors appointment to attend is not out of your reach. If you want to find more balance in life, I would love to help you get there!
You matter! You deserve to get some support to go through the ups and downs of your illness.
Therapy can help you better manage the day-to-day of life with chronic illness
Book A Session
Tired of feeling like chronic pain is bossing you around?
Therapy for chronic pain and illness can help you
- Better manage stress
- Increase participation in meaningful activities
- Manage chronic pain
- Find ways to connect with loved ones more authentically
- Cope with symptoms flare-up
- Implement activity pacing to manage energy levels
- Remind you that you are enough and that you matter
- Learn to be more mindful of your symptoms
- Use different relaxation skills
- Be okay with saying no
- Ask for the support you need
- Improve your sleep
Talking about IBS or other chronic illness with others often feel stressful, and sometimes overwhelming. Having a chronic illness elevator pitch allows you to communicate to others what you want them to know about your health while doing so on your own terms.
Chronic illness is frequently associated with loneliness. Many patients, whether they are diagnosed with IBS, headaches, or other type of pain, often share the difficulties of staying connected to others when they navigate extreme pain or fatigue. Ideas on how to communicate about pain and reach out for support are discussed in this article.
You often worry about your next flare. Especially if things have been going well for a little while and your symptoms are well-managed When you are flaring up, it can feel never-ending and you sometimes struggle to believe that things will ever get better In between flare-ups, you feel anxious about the slightest GI symptoms, wondering if it might the beginning of something more Navigating flare-ups often feels like an emotional and physical rollercoaster Even if things are going well, it feels like you’re always waiting for the other shoe to drop You often feel overwhelmed and like you can never catch a real break Anxiety: A common occurrence when living with Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis If you live with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis (also known as inflammatory bowel disease or IBD), you know the dreaded feeling of never being fully able to enjoy the present moment. You sometimes find yourself waiting for your symptoms to improve or, when things seem to be going well, you can’t help but worry about the next flare. And these diagnoses are often unpredictable, although you may have noticed things that seem to worsen its course (e.g., stress, certain foods, skipping your medication). If you are reading this and nodding your head, know that you are not alone. IBD is significant source of stress. Up to 40% of adults with IBD experience significant anxiety, and these numbers often go much higher during a flare up. A flare-up is broadly described as a resurgence or worsening of symptoms. Depending on your disease , it can be an increase in abdominal pain, fatigue, poor appetite, diarrhea and/or frequent bowel movements, etc. Some flare ups be mild, other may require more thorough medical care or hospitalization to stabilize your symptoms. From an emotional standpoint, flare ups can be associated with significant anxiety due to the disruption in your day-to-day functioning at home and/or at work, impact on relationships, canceled plans, and the uncertainty of what to expect. Not knowing what’s coming, how long symptoms will last and how severe they will be is often described as an important source of stress and overwhelm. As a health psychologist , I want to share 4 ideas that can help you cope with the stress of a Crohn’s or ulcerative colitis flare
