Chronic Pain & Illness

Individuals living with chronic pain or illness often find that their health problems affect every aspect of their lives. Their family relationships, careers, friendships, intimate relationships and even spiritual lives can all be significantly impacted. These problems may cause individuals to question their core beliefs about themselves. They frequently trigger feelings of grief for the losses the individuals have experienced because they simply cannot live their lives the way they did in the past. Many times people with significant health problems feel isolated and alone, believing that no one else understands their struggle. This is particularly true for those who have "invisible" health problems such as Fibromyalgia or Lupus, or those who don't "look sick."

I have extensive experience treating the psychological aspects of clients living with both chronic pain and chronic illness. My work ranges from teaching coping skills to helping clients manage chronic pain and increase quality of life, to much deeper work related to the personal impact of the challenges and changes clients encounter in their lives with chronic health problems. My experience includes working with individuals living with Lupus, Sjögren’s syndrome, Diabetic Neuropathy, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Colitis, Crohn’'s disease, Fibromyalgia, Interstitial Cystitis, Diabetes, Cystic Fibrosis, and Post-laminectomy syndrome.