Therapy for Chronic Illness
Living with a chronic illness leaves you carrying a burden on your shoulders that others may not always see - an unending exhaustion from the 24/7 constant awareness of your body’s needs.
We might even try to delude ourselves, pretending the strain is purely physical. But it isn’t. Chronic illness impacts everything: what you eat, how you plan your days, whether you can attend events, what career paths you’re able to pursue.
People who aren’t sick just don’t get how draining it is. They wouldn’t know how taking medications consistently is hard when you have to do it for years with no end in sight. They can’t understand, as much as they might try. And that leaves you feeling isolated, frustrated, hopeless, and heartbroken because you can’t participate in life the way that you want to.
I’ve had type 1 diabetes since I was 13 years old, so I get it. I can’t go a few hours without thinking about my blood sugar. I have to carry my diabetic supplies with me wherever I go. I haven’t had a day off from caring for it in decades, and I can’t, or else I would die. That’s the reality of it. Along the way, I’ve picked up a couple of other chronic illnesses, like POTS, and PCOS, and I’m sure I’ll find a few more as I age.
How Chronic Illness Impacts Mental Health
Grief over the life you imagined having
Watching friends meet milestones you can’t, and feeling stuck between pride and sadness
Mourning the version of yourself you feel you had to leave behind
Medical trauma and mistrust of the healthcare system
Having your symptoms dismissed or minimized
Feeling triggered by doctor’s appointments, hospitals, or even scheduling care
Anxiety and hypervigilance around symptoms and medical crises
Constantly scanning your body for signs that something might be wrong
Feeling unable to relax because the next flare-up could happen at any moment
Isolation and loneliness
Struggling to explain your reality to healthy friends or family
Feeling like a burden when asking for help or accommodations
Identity shifts and self-esteem struggles
Feeling like your body has betrayed you
Wondering who you are now, outside of your illness
Family and relationship stress
Navigating complicated dynamics when your needs change
Feeling guilty for how your illness impacts others—or alternatively resenting how little some people seem to understand
Living with chronic illness often means facing limitations and then learning how to live fully anyways. Especially in the U.S., many of us are shaped with an ableist perspective that our ability to produce represents how much we are worth. So, as we become chronically ill, we have to fight an internalized perspective of ourselves that sees us as a burden. Beyond that, even after being able to love and accept ourselves, we are constantly faced with having to advocate and push back against others who haven’t questioned their own biases, as well as a system that isn’t set up to support us.
How I Help
As someone who personally understands chronic illness, I approach therapy with a knowing respect for what you’re carrying, all of it. I won’t minimize your pain, and I won’t offer toxic positivity or shallow platitudes about “mind over matter.” Instead, we’ll honor the complexities of what you are dealing with, while working toward relief, resilience, and self-compassion.
Our work might include:
Processing the grief and anger that naturally arise from living in a body with different needs
Addressing medical trauma and rebuilding trust in yourself and your instincts
Building emotional regulation skills to help when symptoms flare or when navigating healthcare systems
Exploring identity and self-worth outside of productivity, independence, or health status
Strengthening relationships and communication around boundaries, support needs, and advocacy
I often integrate:
Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) or Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR) to help process traumatic healthcare experiences, overwhelming memories tied to your illness, and any emotional roots impacting the severity of your symptoms
Internal Family Systems (IFS) to help you explore the parts of you that feel scared, angry, or defeated—and nurture the parts of you that remain hopeful and strong.
Sandtray Therapy for when verbal processing feels too tiring or when experiences are difficult to put into words—allowing creative expression without needing to “explain” everything.
What Healing Can Look Like
Therapy won’t “fix” your body, and that’s not the goal within our time together. But what therapy can offer is:
A space where you don’t have to perform strength for anyone else
Relief from some of the emotional weight you’ve been carrying alone
A more compassionate relationship with yourself—one that doesn’t hinge on how “productive” or “able” you are that day
Confidence in advocating for your needs without apology
The ability to hold both grief and hope, without feeling like you have to choose one over the other.
You don’t have to prove your pain to me. And unlike how it may feel in many other places, you don’t have to minimize your victories with me either.
What It’s Like to Work Together
I try to bring a mix of warmth, authenticity, and a mutual respect for ourselves as fallible humans to each of our sessions. I know how draining it can be to have to explain yourself all the time, and here, you won’t have to, because I can relate. Whether you need a place to process heavy and complex emotions, celebrate small wins, or just exist without judgment, we’ll create a space where you can show up exactly as you are.
Together, we’ll work toward building a life that feels meaningful, spacious, and supportive, making your life feel full alongside everything else you’re carrying.
You Deserve Care, Not Just Management
When you see medical providers, they talk about your diagnosis and symptom management but often forget to care about YOU (the most vital part of your care team!). You deserve more than just survival. You deserve support that sees you as whole, capable, and worth tending to. When you’re ready for care that sees all of you, I’m here.