“We cannot keep teaching people who are sick that they need to be healed before they can live their lives.” – Claire Wineland
Therapy for Chronic Pain
Chronic pain can be part of many different diagnoses and syndromes including chronic migraine, tension headaches, jaw pain, fibromyalgia, and chronic back pain. Physical pain is only part of the story - most people with chronic pain or illness also feel lost, anxious, depressed, and even hopeless about their lives. My job is to help you learn more about your body, harness the power of your mind and nervous system, improve your quality of life, and find hope again.
Does this sound familiar?
You got stuck with an experience you never asked for and definitely don't want - a life that seems overfilled with pain and fatigue. Maybe you received a diagnosis with no cure like: fibromyalgia, chronic pain syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis, chronic migraine with or without aura (or prolonged aura), high-frequency episodic migraine, and/or chronic low back pain. Maybe your doctors aren't sure and your blood work looks "normal." Everything happened so quickly and now you're up and moving without fully understanding what is happening and what's next.
Long days and nights can be filled with thoughts and questions:
Why am I in pain AGAIN? What if it doesn't go away this time? How bad can it get? Can I cope? What will I need to cancel this time? How will I function tomorrow? What am I going to ask my doctor/specialist/general practitioner? Will they even listen to me? Will my pain be dismissed again? How will I advocate for myself? Where do I even begin to learn about this condition I've been diagnosed with? How much can I share with friends and family before I become "too much"? I can't take off another day of work. How do I communicate my medication side effects to my doctors? I feel guilty, anxious, fearful, exhausted, devastated, overwhelmed, depressed, hopeless ...
Though you have friends and family around you, you know, deep down, that they don't understand completely. Who could? They're with you but they aren't in your shoes and will never fully - not really - GET IT. This journey can feel so scary and confusing - there are nights when you can't sleep, times when the worry just won't stop, and your pain and fatigue get dismissed or misunderstood.
You deserve someone who walks with you on this journey - someone who has been in your shoes and gets it. Therapy can help with all of these thoughts, fears, feelings, questions, and confusion. No matter what your mind and body throw at you - we can create a plan together to help you journey towards a life you want to be living.
How do I know this? Because I have been where you stand now on this journey. As a person with a dynamic disability - I GET IT. My passion is to help other people with disabilities and chronic illnesses live their best lives and find more peace and safety in their bodies.