Chronic Pain and Chronic Illness Support Group For Women
You've Been Showing Up For Everyone Else, Now It's Time To Show Up For Yourself.
You are incredibly successful and achieve almost anything you put your mind to. But lately, you are feeling overwhelmed and exhausted trying to juggle work, your personal life, and managing chronic pain or a chronic illness. You want to keep achieving but feel like your body is failing you and you don't know how to balance it all. You're trying to accept that your life may look different than you planned and it's hard to come to terms with.
YOU NEED A PLACE TO GO FOR SUPPORT
Even though you are not feeling 100% you are still showing up for your family, friends, and all the other commitments that come with being an adult woman. You're even fostering relationships and navigating the ups and downs of intimate partnerships. But even with all this, your health is slipping and you're in pain. No one sees how hard you work to get out of bed and dressed, survive the day, and come home to do it all over again. You feel like you have no one who can relate to what you're going through. You need a place where you go for support and show up for yourself, not anyone else.
What are Chronic Pain and Chronic Illness?
Chronic pain and chronic illness is a long-term and often invisible and/or debilitating illness or pain that affects your day-to-day life along with your ability to work, your quality of life, relationships, and mental health. It can be very difficult to face this barrier each day but often individuals persevere. They look for coping skills and emotional support so that they can keep fighting, working, and living a meaningful life.
SOME EXAMPLES OF CHRONIC ILLNESSES AND CHRONIC PAIN THAT I FREQUENTLY SEE IN MY PRACTICE ARE:
Endometriosis
Adenomyosis
POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome)
Lupus
Fibromyalgia
Ehlers Danlos/Hypermobility Spectrum Disorder
Chronic Pelvic Pain
Pelvic Floor Dysfunction
Breast and Cervical Cancer
Multiple Sclerosis
Infertility
Pregnancy Loss
Crohn's/IBS
Why Might Women Seek Chronic Pain and Chronic Illness Therapy & Support Groups?
Women navigating a chronic illness or pain can be feeling overwhelmed and frustrated with their bodies and disappointed that they are having to navigate pain or illness on a daily basis. They might be trying to figure out how to accept that their life may look different for the immediate future than they planned. This experience can be isolating as they may not know others who are going through a similar experience or have the same diagnosis.
OTHER REASONS WHY WOMEN JOIN CAN INCLUDE:
Wanting to connect with other women on their own journey
Helping them stay motivated
Having a safe space to talk openly about their feelings
Developing tools to cope with the emotional effects of having a chronic illness or pain
Feeling validated and seen in their struggles
Learning how to best advocate for themselves with their healthcare providers
Receiving helpful information from a mental health professional on how to manage the emotional effects of chronic illness and pain
Gaining insight and strategies for managing their illness or pain
Sharing experiences to learn from one another
I Understand, and I'm Here For You
I niched in women's health simply because after countless years of struggling to find a correct diagnosis, surgeries, and treatments, I understand firsthand the impact of women's health issues on mental health. I empathize with the toll it takes on your body and every important relationship. I have worked with many women who are navigating chronic pain and/or a chronic illness.
I HAVE SEEN THE POWER OF BEING ABLE TO TALK OPENLY WITH OTHER WOMEN WHO UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY ARE GOING THROUGH.
Before attending Chronic Pain and Chronic Illness Therapy & Support group these women were feeling as if they were all alone in their fight. They felt that no one truly understood what it was like to live with this illness or pain, and did not know where to turn for help. Joining this group provided them with the opportunity to give and receive support from those that fully understood, and to connect with other women who were on similar journeys. They felt supported, understood, and validated in their experiences.
PSYCHOEDUCATIONAL SUPPORT AND THERAPY GROUP
In this group, I will be the therapist guiding this 12 week psychoeducational support and therapy group for women in their 20’s and 30’s. I want to help you manage the mental impact of your chronic illness or pain and to feel supported, understood, and validated in your experiences. You deserve to show up for yourself and keep achieving your goals.
My Approach to the Chronic Pain and Chronic Illness Therapy & Support Group
In the Chronic Pain and Chronic Illness Therapy & Support Group for Women, alongside psychoeducation, I will be using CBT and ACT approaches. These approaches are grounded in the idea that how we think and how we act influences how we feel. We will be exploring different ways to interact with our thoughts, feelings, and experiences to better manage our chronic pain or illness.
COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL THERAPY
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a trauma-informed approach where I will validate the medical trauma you have experienced. When trauma has been experienced, you may have thought patterns that keep you stuck. They are not irrational but not helpful to your movement forward. We will discuss different ways of thinking so you can start moving through your grief, loss, and trauma so that you can move forward in your day-to-day life.
ACCEPTANCE AND COMMITMENT THERAPY
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a mindfulness-based approach where we will practice mindfulness and self-compassion exercises. In our group sessions, we will talk about different ways to be present with our emotions without judgment. No emotions are good or bad, they are just present. All emotions are valid and we can observe them.
We will also talk about what acceptance really is, and that it does not mean that you are giving up on your medical treatment or that you are “ok” with your illness. Because of this, we can talk about the reality gap between what we have and what we want and honor the joy and meaning that can still be found around that gap.
Interested in Women’s Support Groups in Washington, DC and New York?
Showing up for others is only possible when you show up for yourself first. You deserve support from someone who understands the mental impact of chronic pain and illness. The Chronic Pain and Chronic Illness Therapy & Support Group for Women is a place where you can find that support and move forward. A place where other women will notice your struggle, validate your experience, and offer you support. Follow the steps below to get started on your journey to healing.
Get to know me here.
Fill out our convenient online mental health services contact form.
Begin showing up for yourself and keep achieving your goals!
Other Mental Health Services Offered at Greater Washington DC and New York City CBT Counseling for Women
You deserve to have support from someone who understands the mental impact of chronic pain and illness. I am an expert that specializes in women's health and wants to help you navigate your unique journey. At Greater Washington DC and New York City CBT Counseling for Women, I offer an array of therapeutic services for anxiety, depression, and PTSD in both Individual and Group counseling settings. I also specialize in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Cognitive Processing Therapy in addition to CBT.