Chronic Pain or Illness

Chronic illness can take a toll on your mental health. Chronic pain/illness is not just a physical sensation. It also has psychological and emotional aspects. Chronic pain can lead to mental health issues, such as anxiety and depression. Fortunately, therapy can improve your mental well-being and help you manage chronic pain. We will discuss in therapy ways in which you can learn new skills to live with chronic pain.

Health problems - including sleep issues, sexual concerns, and pain - are increasingly common, but not often discussed in a meaningful, productive way. Your concerns may be related to illnesses or injuries, medications, or normal aging. They may also have an unknown cause but create distress in your life or relationships. I provide an opportunity to address underlying psychological contributions to your health concerns. You will also CBT techniques to have a more fulfilling and healthy life.

Numerous non-medical interventions for chronic pain and illness exist and new research enhances our treatment techniques. Pain researchers such as Dr. Daniel Clauw continue to advance our understanding. Psychodynamic and mindfulness techniques are helpful in coping with these issues. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy is also considered an effective treatment for chronic pain and illness.

I also work with clients who have been diagnosed with one or more chronic illnesses. They often experience symptoms of anxiety or depression due to the toll that the illness has taken on their lives. We work together to develop a plan to decrease their anxiety and depression and to help them cope with the symptoms of their illness. We also work to help them increase their support network, and to become more willing to ask for help from others since this can often be difficult for them.

Living with illness, disability, and/or chronic pain can leave you feeling isolated as you navigate changing relationships, medical care, stretched finances, grief for what's been lost, fear about the future, experiences of invisibility/hypervisibility, and anger about how you've been treated. I work from a Disability Justice model, grappling with the ways in which our world often fails to provide accommodation and access, and how our lives become shaped by that lack of care and recognition.

I have specialty training in supporting both pediatric and adult populations living with chronic pain or illness and caregivers. I have training in psychosocial oncology, organ transplant, cleft/craniofacial, rehab psychology, & HIV care among other specialties. I have worked at a number of academic medical hospitals including University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, and Children's Hospital Colorado.

This is a deep area of interest of mine that has emerged from my own experiences of chronic illness. I have come to understand my life in new terms and with new freshness, frustration, and love for this journey. I am immersed in personal study of holistic health and the use of food, plants and nature for healing. I also have the spiritual skills to support those going through the uncertainty and vulnerability of these intensely human experiences.

I take a holistic approach to therapy, exploring with you how your mind, body, spirit and environment are all interconnected. Often we experience pain and illness more intensely when our mental health is misaligned and vice versa.

Sometimes hating your body isn't about wanting to be skinny. You listen to others talk about their difficulties together, offering suggestions and support. You struggle to understand why you feel so separate from those around you. Even though others are friendly, you feel disconnected. You feel betrayed by your body. Forced into accepting a reality you would have never dreamt up, you search for control because your sense of control of your life has been ripped away from you.

I am health psychologist and have worked with people with chronic illness or life limiting illnesses like cancer, autoimmune disease, diabetes, injuries, amputations, functional neurological conditions, GI diseases, as well as many others. I also have worked with clients and their families at the end of their life. Coping with physical symptoms and medical systems can be incredibly stressful and therapy can help improve quality of life while living with medical challenges.

Being diagnosed with a chronic illness, either personally or to someone you love, can be debilitating. I've worked with individuals, couples, and families navigating grief, loss, and illness. I also consider mental health to be a chronic illness and can be disruptive if not addressed in a safe space. Instead of talking about the illness itself (leave that to your medical team), we'll dig into thoughts, feelings, and emotions that surround the sickness.

It is no secret that chronic pain or illness impacts not only all facets of our lives (work, relationships, etc.), but also all layers of the self (mind, body, spirit/soul). Then, healing should also be holistic and integrative. Through mind-body techniques like mindfulness, yoga, and somatic tracking we will work together on navigating the challenges of chronic pain/illness, while cultivating healing and building a meaningful life along the way.

Chronic illness, fatigue, and/or pain can be incredibly overwhelming, and isolating. Do you find yourself stressing over self-care, feeling unsupported by loved ones, struggling to balance work, rest, relationships and your passions? Do you feel fragmented from your sense of self and the things that bring you joy? You are not alone! Through mindfulness techniques, nervous system support, and expressive art practices I hope to support you in experiencing more ease, joy, and wellbeing in your life

My primary focus is working with the too often over-looked Familial Caregivers of someone with a chronic illness. I have both professionsal and personal experience working with caregivers. I served as the Clinical Director of Supervision at the Parkinson's Association of San Diego, and I witnessed first hand the incredible stress, overwhelm, and exhaustion of the family caregivers who cared for my grandfather who had Parkinson's and my eldest sister who had aggressive ALS.

Adults struggling with chronic illness or chronic pain often feel alone, isolated, and misunderstood. They struggle to make sense of medical trauma and dismissive medical providers. We will use holistic and somatic approaches to manage the impacts of illness management.

I am trained as a CRC (clinical rehabilitation counselor), which means specializing in disabilities. Having a disability can be confusing and a non-linear process from feeling grief/loss to acceptance and coping. I particularly enjoy working with people with "invisible disabilities" such as chronic illnesses and believe my holistic mindfulness-based body-centered approach is particularly helpful for integrating a mind-body connection.

Fibromyalgia, Food Allergies/Anaphylaxis, Headache, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, IBD (Crohn's/Colitis), Infertility, ME/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Migraine

I worked in medical and geriatric social work for over five years. In these practice settings, I gained familiarity with the psychosocial impact of chronic illness, chronic pain, and adjustment to changes in ability. I am familiar with many medical conditions, including cancer, POTS, macular degeneration and other forms of low vision, renal disease and organ transplant, and Alzheimer's and other dementias.

Managing chronic illness as a woman comes with unique challenges, and I specialize in providing empathetic support. In our collaborative journey, we develop coping strategies and a personalized approach to enhance your overall well-being. With a focus on resilience, I guide you in navigating the complexities of living with chronic conditions. Together, we'll empower you to thrive and find joy despite the challenges that chronic illness may bring.