Therapy for Chronic Illness in Washington, DC and New York

Sketch of a woman sitting crosslegged with a book and cup of coffee representing someone who has found peace with Therapy for Chronic Illness in Washington, DC.

Impact of Chronic Illness on Mental Health

Chronic pain is pain that persists longer than a typical healing period, which the NIH estimates from 3-6 months. Similarly, chronic illness refers to a health condition that is long-lasting, typically for at least a year according to the CDC. These statistics illustrate the need for mental health support in the midst of long-term physical pain. The mind and body both need support and a team of medical professionals to help them find stability and begin to thrive again.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Chronic Illness and Chronic Pain

Woman sitting on the floor working on understanding the link between thoughts and actions with the help of Therapy for Chronic Illness in Washington, DC.

Cognitive behavior therapy, or CBT, is an evidence-based therapy that helps us recognize unhelpful thought patterns and replace them with more helpful thoughts.

The Link Between Thoughts and Actions

CBT illustrates the link between thoughts, actions, and emotions. Practicing reframing your thoughts, can create behavioral change and decrease your experience of unhelpful emotions.


Trauma-informed cognitive behavioral therapy

As a therapist, this is my approach at my DC Based Practice when navigating anxiety and depression in tandem with complex chronic health issues. It is important to validate the feelings and emotions you are having while also acknowledging that the unhelpful thought patterns, or stuck points, are sometimes rooted in real medical trauma and prior experiences you may have endured.

Traditional CBT uses the language of irrational thoughts vs rational thoughts. While this may apply to some thought patterns, it is usually not the approach best suited to validating medical trauma, chronic pain, and chronic illness.

Cognitive Processing Trauma as a Treatment for Chronic Illness and Pain Related to Trauma


Cognitive processing therapy, or CPT, is a form of CBT specifically for post-traumatic stress disorder. In some cases, clients will choose to do a 12-week course of CPT treatment. In others, clients will choose to incorporate cognitive processing therapy modules into their CBT treatment as helpful and appropriate. I will provide psychoeducation on what these different approaches look like, and the benefits of each approach, and create a treatment plan that is best suited to each client together.

Mindfulness Techniques for Complex Chronic Health Issues

Mindfulness techniques are helpful to learn how to calm the nervous system. When you are managing chronic pain and chronic illness daily, your nervous system becomes overstimulated and disregulated. The pain and symptoms you are experiencing are not in your head-they are real. Incorporating mindfulness techniques is just one tool out of many to help you activate your parasympathetic nervous system.

Mindfulness techniques that are helpful to learn in therapy include grounding exercises, deep breathing exercises, guided meditations, and visualizations. These tools can help activate your parasympathetic nervous system or the rest and repair the state of the body. Learn ways to break the cycle of fight, flight, and freeze the response of the sympathetic nervous system.

Distress Tolerance Techniques to Manage Pain Flares

Sketch of a woman reclinging on a blue bean bag representing someone practicing mindfulness techniques learned in Therapy for Chronic Illness in Washington, DC.
Sketch of a woman happily repotting plants as a distress toerance technique learned in Therapy for Chronic Illness in Washington, DC.

Distress tolerance techniques can help provide healthy distractions when navigating big emotions or intense pain. These may look like acceptance strategies, sensory activities to help self-soothe, and mindfulness exercises to help improve the moment. Distress tolerance helps us recognize that painful feelings and emotions are temporary and we can withstand them.



Woman painting a picture of a pink flower representing healthy activities learned in Therapy for Chronic Illness in Washington, DC to combat chronic pain.

Acceptance of the moment

These exercises may include healthy distractions in the form of activities, like doing a puzzle, reading a book, or watching a favorite movie. Self-soothing activities to incorporate your senses may look like taking a scenic hike, listening to nature outside your window or music, tasting a favorite food, smelling a scented candle, or petting your pup. Utilizing mindfulness to improve your moment includes visualizations, finding meaning in a gratitude practice, prayer or relaxation, taking a break, and encouraging yourself.

Tools to Increase Acceptance of Chronic Pain and Chronic Illness

Sketch of a woman practicing therapeutic exercises in an effort to combat chronic pain. Therapy for Chronic Illness in Washington, DC can help you learn these skills and more.

Therapeutic exercises rooted in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, or ACT, can help increase feelings of acceptance when managing chronic pain and chronic illness. Acceptance does not mean that you are okay with your diagnosis or you that like having to manage this new life and pain. It simply means you are accepting this new reality and you are committed to making changes if needed to live in alignment with your values.


Acceptance is a very abstract concept.

ACT tools help make it a more concrete experience by exploring your values and how you feel fulfillment in major areas of life. Acceptance recognizes the pain that you are experiencing, and the grief that you have endured and acknowledges that you can withstand this reality. Our hope in therapeutic work is to help you thrive in the midst of pain and find fulfillment in everyday life.

Women’s Health Issues We Work with During Therapy for Chronic Illness in Washington, DC and New York:

  • Endometriosis

  • Adenomyosis

  • Chronic Pelvic Pain

  • Dysautonomia/POTS

  • Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/ME

  • Fibromyalgia

  • Ehlers Danlos/Hypermobility Spectrum Disorder

  • Pelvic Floor Dysfunction

  • Breast Cancer

  • Cervical Cancer

  • Ovarian Cancer

  • Uterine Cancer

  • Infertility

  • Pregnancy Loss

  • Crohn’s Disease/IBS

  • Autoimmune Diseases

    • Rheumatoid Arthritis

    • Lupus

    • Celiac

    • Multiple Sclerosis

    • Ankylosing Spondylitis

    • Hashimotos

  • Interstitial Cystitis & Bladder Pain

  • Vulvodynia

  • Vestibulodynia

Are You in Need of Therapy for Chronic Illness in New York and Washington, DC?

Dealing with chronic illness and chronic pain can deplete you and make it impossible to function normally in your life. At my DC-based Therapy office, as a trained therapist I understand the isolation and fear you are feeling and am ready to help you. Follow the steps below to get started on your journey to mental health healing and well-being.

One

Get to know us here.

Two

Fill out my convenient online mental health services contact form.

Three

Begin your journey to healing.

Other Mental Health Services Offered at Greater Washington DC and New York City CBT Counseling for Women

I understand that women face a unique set of mental health challenges in today’s society and need specialized support. In addition to Therapy for Chronic Illness, I offer a wide variety of other services geared specifically toward women. These services include therapy for anxiety and depression in both Individual and Women’s Support Groups. I also specialize in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, CPT for Medical Trauma, Perinatal Therapy, and PTSD Treatment. For more helpful information check out my blogs and videos!