Chronic Pain or Illness

Psychotherapy with clinical hypnosis has been shown to be effective for treating chronic pain to decrease the intensity of pain and how it may interfere with your life. My VA Hospital research Treating Chronic Low Back Pain with Hypnosis or Biofeedback is published. Clinical hypnosis has also been shown to be very effective for treating Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and hotflashes.

I worked in medical and geriatric social work for over five years. In these practice settings, I gained familiarity with the psychosocial impact of chronic illness, chronic pain, and adjustment to changes in ability. I am familiar with many medical conditions, including cancer, POTS, macular degeneration and other forms of low vision, renal disease and organ transplant, and Alzheimer's and other dementias.

I have experience both managing my own chronic pain and counseling others to manage theirs. My approach often focuses on holding space for one's grieving process related to pain and/or illness, with a later emphasis on building motivation and optimism to identify actionable steps for rebuilding power and agency in spite of one's condition(s).

Issues resulting from medical conditions often include: grief and loss, family conflict, depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, loss of routine and/or job, trauma, loss of identify, and more. In my work with these populations, I processed their feelings regarding the changes, how to incorporate the changes, while working with them to prevent their entire lives from BEING these changes.

I have specialty training in supporting both pediatric and adult populations living with chronic pain or illness and caregivers. I have training in psychosocial oncology, organ transplant, cleft/craniofacial, rehab psychology, & HIV care among other specialties. I have worked at a number of academic medical hospitals including University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, and Children's Hospital Colorado.

Hi, I’m Dr. Catalina. I believe our sexual wellbeing is central to overall health. As a clinical health psychologist for the past 20 years, I’ve worked with individuals affected by the big guns – cancer, death and dying. Through this work, I witnessed that True Authentic Connection is what makes life worth living. Health impacts how we see ourselves and how we connect with others. I address sexual and relationship concerns for individuals and couples impacted by chronic illness

Life with chronic pain can be overwhelming and isolating. You grieve the life that you once had and the people and things that were once dear to you. I can help you manage your pain, change your relationship with your pain, and rediscover your life. I live with a chronic pain syndrome and know firsthand how pervasive and infuriating it can be.

Receiving a diagnosis; adjusting to lifestyle and medication changes; coping with related changes in mood, emotions, and relationships; managing symptoms and stress.

My work in hospitals has prepared me to help people living with pain,or adjusting to life changing medical issues.

Chronic pain and illness suck. They just do. But I can help you to find coping skills to make them suck less (because they're unfortunately never going away). As a fellow "spoonie", I can relate to the feelings of depression, jealousy when you can't do what your friends are doing, and anger at your body and the world for getting this chronic pain or illness.

Supporting individuals & families in all realms of Health, Healing & Life Transitions - coping with chronic illness; managing acute physical or mental illness; adjusting to chronic physical or mental health diagnosis; living better with chronic pain; healing after medical treatments; navigating uncertainty; managing cancer survivorship & chronic disease management; facing dying authentically.

My goal is to help youmanage their symptoms and improve their overall quality of life. I may use a variety of evidence-based therapies, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) or acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), to help you develop coping strategies and learn new ways of managing your symptoms. In some cases, medication may be helpful in managing symptoms of chronic pain or illness. I will also work collaboratively with your other healthcare providers!

Being diagnosed with a chronic illness, either personally or to someone you love, can be debilitating. I've worked with individuals, couples, and families navigating grief, loss, and illness. I also consider mental health to be a chronic illness and can be disruptive if not addressed in a safe space. Instead of talking about the illness itself (leave that to your medical team), we'll dig into thoughts, feelings, and emotions that surround the sickness.

Living with illness, disability, and/or chronic pain can leave you feeling isolated as you navigate changing relationships, medical care, stretched finances, grief for what's been lost, fear about the future, experiences of invisibility/hypervisibility, and anger about how you've been treated. I work from a Disability Justice model, grappling with the ways in which our world often fails to provide accommodation and access, and how our lives become shaped by that lack of care and recognition.

Drawing from CBT, DBT, psychodynamic, and narrative-therapy based approaches, my work surrounding chronic pain / illness aims to build personally-tailored grounding and coping skills in order to support individuals' unique daily needs and, perhaps more importantly, aspires to develop a broader sense of identity/self as a part of ongoing resilience and acceptance of various chronic conditions.

Fibromyalgia, Food Allergies/Anaphylaxis, Headache, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, IBD (Crohn's/Colitis), Infertility, ME/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Migraine

I am a CRC (Certified Rehabilitation Counselor) which is the rigorously earned credential for professionals trained to support people living with a chronic illness, chronic pain, or disability. I draw from personal experience of chronic pain & illness as well as my decade of work in healthcare research. I often draw from CBT and ACT evidence-based interventions to help clients reframe the story they tell about their physical limitations/pain to find greater freedom and fulfillment.

I am familiar with the multidimensionality of chronic pain as a person with chronic pain myself and from my decade-long work as a licensed massage therapist supporting clients with both acute, temporary, and chronic pain. As an expressive arts therapist, my research into the use of the arts in the management of chronic pain experiences reveals how translating elusive pain experiences into tangible art forms allows for a release of tension and greater understanding and meaning-making.

This is a deep area of interest of mine that has emerged from my own experiences of chronic illness. I have come to understand my life in new terms and with new freshness, frustration, and love for this journey. I am immersed in personal study of holistic health and the use of food, plants and nature for healing. I also have the spiritual skills to support those going through the uncertainty and vulnerability of these intensely human experiences.

Chronic pain and illness change your life significantly. Sometimes, it can be difficult finding answers from doctors and you can feel really hopeless about what to do next. Therapy can be a great place to talk about all of these experiences. I'm very open to finding a way to make therapy a helpful addition to any other treatment you may be having.