Chronic Illness and Medical Conditions
Chronic illness
As a therapist with chronic illness, I know how hard it can be to adapt to living in a body you can't rely on. I work with you on maintaining identity, lessening your secondary responses to pain and illness in order to reduce overall suffering, learning how to create a daily structure that gives you the necessary time to rest and treat your symptoms, and navigating the effects chronic illness can have on your relationships.
Chronic conditions also involve ongoing loss and grief. We will spend time processing these and finding ways to make peace with your limitations as well as find joy in the life you have.
Acute medical conditions
Diagnosis of a terminal or life-threatening medical condition can shake your entire worldview and brings with it a certain kind of grief. You may struggle to absorb the information, to understand how your daily life will be affected, and to maintain any semblance of joy or contentment in your life.
Existential therapy, with its focus on fear of death and the fundamental anxiety of life, is uniquely suited to help you navigate what can feel like an impossible situation. I can support you in attending to the grief that arises, navigating interpersonal challenges, and learning how to go on with your life in an integrated way.
Please note that I also work with trauma. Medical trauma is, unfortunately, often a result of living with a complex medical condition, and can be treated with a combination of somatic and relational approaches.
As a therapist with chronic illness, I know how hard it can be to adapt to living in a body you can't rely on. I work with you on maintaining identity, lessening your secondary responses to pain and illness in order to reduce overall suffering, learning how to create a daily structure that gives you the necessary time to rest and treat your symptoms, and navigating the effects chronic illness can have on your relationships.
Chronic conditions also involve ongoing loss and grief. We will spend time processing these and finding ways to make peace with your limitations as well as find joy in the life you have.
Acute medical conditions
Diagnosis of a terminal or life-threatening medical condition can shake your entire worldview and brings with it a certain kind of grief. You may struggle to absorb the information, to understand how your daily life will be affected, and to maintain any semblance of joy or contentment in your life.
Existential therapy, with its focus on fear of death and the fundamental anxiety of life, is uniquely suited to help you navigate what can feel like an impossible situation. I can support you in attending to the grief that arises, navigating interpersonal challenges, and learning how to go on with your life in an integrated way.
Please note that I also work with trauma. Medical trauma is, unfortunately, often a result of living with a complex medical condition, and can be treated with a combination of somatic and relational approaches.
Resources:
How to Get On: A self-advocacy guide for anyone who is homebound or bedbound in the US
After the Diagnosis: From Crisis to Personal Renewal for Patients With Chronic Illness
Invisible: How Young Women with Serious Health Issues Navigate Work, Relationships, and the Pressure to Seem Just Fine
Living a Healthy Life with Chronic Conditions
How to Get On: A self-advocacy guide for anyone who is homebound or bedbound in the US
After the Diagnosis: From Crisis to Personal Renewal for Patients With Chronic Illness
Invisible: How Young Women with Serious Health Issues Navigate Work, Relationships, and the Pressure to Seem Just Fine
Living a Healthy Life with Chronic Conditions
Want to get started? Find answers to common questions on my contact page. Send me an email at augustinkendalltherapy@gmail.com or fill out the form below.
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