Disability, Chronic Pain & Illness
Throughout my career I have been inspired by the resilience of the human spirit. There are many life circumstances that at first seem impossible to get beyond or overcome. However, often I have had the opportunity to witness much strength, courage, human connection and emotional growth comes from difficult or tragic circumstances.
Individuals who are experiencing chronic illness or pain along with their family and significant others often feel overwhelmed by the situation. Learning to go on with life in these circumstances has many emotional challenges. Certainly these conditions can increase feelings such as hopelessness, despair, anger, resentment, powerlessness, fear and vulnerability. These same feelings can increase your experience of pain and or dysfunction.
Before becoming a psychotherapist I have had a career in the field of physical therapy and held the position of Rehabilitation Director for several post acute care facilities in the area. In this capacity I have worked extensively with disabilities and illnesses of many types. As part of my responsibilities as a Rehabilitation Director I have helped families negotiate through their confusion, family conflict, grief and guilt as they learn to cope with a variety of issues regarding their aging parents, or newly disabled loved one.
If chronic illness, disability, or pain is interfering with your enjoyment of life, or of someone you care for, call for a free phone consultation to determine if I can be of service to you. A phone call is not a commitment, but is the first step to trying something different that could help. You are no longer alone in your efforts to cope.
Some of the possible benefits of psychotherapy for these issues are:
- Reduction in feelings of isolation
- Increase in activity whether it be leisure or work related
- Decreased reliance on pain medication
- Decreased feelings of powerlessness
- Awareness of the correlation between perceived pain level and the cause whether physical or emotional
- Increased feelings of hope while decreasing feelings of hopelessness and despair
- Improved self-esteem
- Better relationship skills
