Therapy for Chronic Illness & Health Issues

In-person in philadelphia, PA & online

It’s hard when you don’t feel well.

Health issues touch every part of your life.

Perhaps your health is creating physical challenges such as pain, difficulty with mobility, or weight changes. Maybe it’s straining your relationships. Professionally, you may feel like you’re falling behind or falling short. Daily activities and chores may be difficult to complete. Perhaps you have challenges getting medical information or making medical decisions.

Your psychological health is affected, too.

Although these challenges associated with health issues are common, they can leave you feeling anxious, overwhelmed, depressed, or isolated. These problems can also lead to other psychological challenges, such as poor body image or difficulty sleeping or concentrating, which make living with health issues even more difficult.

Finding time for it all can be challenging.

After all the time you’ve spent managing your health, you may be wondering if you even have time for therapy, or you may be feeling guilty for wanting or needing this type of support. You’ve been doing everything you can, yet you’re still not feeling like yourself.

Our Bodies and Minds Heal Together

Your emotional health needs care, too.

Believing that our bodies and minds heal together, therapy for health issues emphasizes health and illness's emotional and psychological aspects. The treatment focuses on reducing emotional distress, managing issues like pain or insomnia, and addressing illness-related concerns. This work doesn’t need to take a lot of time or energy. It’s meant to reduce your stress, not add to it, and your therapy goals can be big or small, depending on what you want.

You can learn valuable tools to handle everyday challenges.

Through therapy, you can gain practical skills like strategies for relaxation, realistic goal-setting, or improving your sleep. You will also learn to recognize and express your emotions more effectively, notice how your thoughts shape your feelings and actions, identify when you're slipping into negative thinking patterns, and turn that negativity around. This will help you feel more confident that you have the tools to manage today’s health-related challenges and those that lie ahead. You may also feel more in control.

There are many types of chronic illnesses and health issues. Here are some examples of how therapy can help:

Emotional distress is common for cancer patients, survivors, and their families. A cancer diagnosis can be shocking, treatments can have uncomfortable side effects, and the shift to survivorship can feel overwhelming. Feeling scared or uncertain is okay, and taking care of your emotional health is an integral part of cancer care.
I have specialized training in psychosocial oncology, which focuses on the emotional and social aspects of living with cancer. In our work together, we can address issues such as stress & emotional distress, fear of recurrence, and returning to work after treatment.
I work with people undergoing treatment as well as those who completed treatment. When one person has cancer, the whole family is affected, so I work with parents and siblings as well.
Autoimmune diseases can be challenging to diagnose and manage. You may be uncertain about the cause of your symptoms or which treatments will work best. Even if you don't have clear answers, your symptoms are real and impact your daily life. Managing the emotional toll of your illness is just as important as managing your physical health.
Autoimmune diseases affect life in many ways. I'm here to help you manage the day-to-day stress of your challenges.
Pelvic pain can have many causes. Its effect on your day-to-day activities and responsibilities can be challenging. In therapy, I can help you learn relaxation strategies to supplement your pain management plan. I can also help you understand when pelvic pain is most difficult and plan for those times so they don't interrupt your life as much. This way, therapy can help you be as active as possible and enjoy the important things in your life.
Recovering from a stroke is a significant adjustment, both physically and emotionally. Whether the effects are visible or not, you may experience stress, physical limitations, or feel different inside. Acknowledging how these changes affect your emotional well-being as part of your recovery is essential.
Having worked at the Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital, I've worked with many people after their stroke, and I've seen the hard work they do to recover.

What we’ll work on