Disabilities & Chronic Illness Therapy
“Survival is insufficient.”
- Station Eleven/ Star Trek: Voyager
According to the CDC (2018), 6 in 10 adults or approx. 133 million people in the US have a chronic disease. In addition, 1 in 4 (27%) of adults in the United States have some type of disability.
There is mounting research between the mind-body connection, or the way that our physical health affects our mental health and visa-versa.
Therapy for those who struggle with chronic illnesses or disabilities can benefit from therapy by:
Learning new or strengthening existing coping skills
Fostering compassionate mind-body connection
Increasing distress tolerance (“feel your feelings”)
Addressing societal challenges and fostering self-advocacy and self-determination
Having space for validation, grieving, and processing
Strengthening support system
My approach to chronic illness & disability therapy
You are the expert of your own body and experiences. I am to create a safe, compassionate, and non-judgmental place for you to process your experiences. Whatever your goals are, my plan is to guide you as you work towards those goals, helping you identify, accept, and overcome barriers along the way.
Some of my most used modalities to provide disability & chronic illness therapy are: Internal Family Systems (IFS), Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Somatic/Experiential interventions. These modalities focus on promoting internal trust & curiosity, calming the autonomic nervous system, psychoeducation, and creating your own value-based behaviors & beliefs.