Therapy for Medical and chronic illness trauma

Finding Hope Beyond the Illness.

You may not have had the chance to fully acknowledge how illness has touched your life. And thinking about it can feel like too much to handle. Living with a chronic condition often brings a wave of sadness, loneliness, and overwhelm.

There are days when nothing seems to work, and it’s hard to believe you’ll ever feel like yourself again. You might find yourself wishing for a way to fast-forward to when you have answers and a clearer path. The uncertainty can feel like an unbearable weight.

Or maybe your diagnosis came out of nowhere, shifting everything in an instant. We often don’t talk about how traumatic tests and treatments can be. Even if you’re managing your condition now, it leaves a mark. You may long for a life that feels out of reach, grappling with the loss of who you were or who you hoped to be.

Healing for Every Part of You

Health conditions affect more than just your body; they touch every aspect of your being. While we often focus on physical symptoms, it’s just as important to consider how your illness impacts your mind, emotions, spirit, and soul. All these parts deserve care and healing, too.

  • You're feeling sad, lonely, hopeless, angry.  STUCK.

  • Struggling with how a God, the Universe, a larger force or higher power, could "let this happen to me". Feeling like this power  just doesn’t care or doesn’t want you to be happy.  Or maybe you feel as though this power has forgotten about you, you don't matter or worse, actually wants you to suffer. These are natural feelings to experience but they don't have to stay!

  • Illness is seriously soul-crushing.   Illness impacts your relationship with yourself and who you know yourself to be.  It has a way of causing people to feel like they are a failure and unworthy.  Feel betrayed by your body that isn’t working properly or coordinating with the rest of your “self.”  Causes a fracture inside that is very hard to understand or repair on your own.

  • Thinking that it’s your fault and struggling with negative beliefs such as "I’m a failure", "I should handle this a certain way", "Nobody gets it/me", "I’m alone" "This will never end", "Things don’t work out for me and they never will",  "bad things always happen to me" or "I must deserve bad things".

Illness affects all areas of your life, so it’s essential to have a healing approach that encompasses everything

EMDR is a powerful therapy that can promote healing for your whole self.

I’m Right Here With You

Through therapy for chronic illness & medical trauma, you’ll discover:

  • I understand that living with chronic illness can feel isolating. In therapy, you’ll find a supportive space where your struggles are validated and understood.

  • It's okay to feel overwhelmed, sad, or frustrated. We’ll explore these emotions together, helping you process and find relief from the weight they carry.

  • You may not see it right now, but you possess incredible resilience. Together, we’ll uncover your inner strength and develop coping strategies tailored to your unique journey.

  • Your experience is more than just physical symptoms. We’ll address the emotional and mental impact of your illness, fostering holistic healing for your entire self.

  • I’m here to help you express your needs and advocate for yourself. You deserve to be heard and supported, and we’ll work on building the confidence to communicate effectively with those around you.

FAQs about therapy for medical trauma and chronic illness

What is chronic Illness?

The CDC defines chronic diseases as conditions that persist for a year or longer, requiring ongoing medical care or restricting daily activities, or both. In the U.S., six out of ten adults are affected by a chronic condition, and four out of ten have more than one. Common examples include heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and gastrointestinal or autoimmune disorders.

How can EMDR help chronic illness?

Living with a long-term health condition can take a significant emotional toll. Therapy can help you navigate the changes it brings to your life. EMDR offers a way to find peace from the painful, frightening, or frustrating aspects of your experience. You can gain relief and clarity when addressing health-related issues. Additionally, therapy can assist you in managing life stressors that lead to unexpected flare-ups, empowering you with the confidence to handle them when they arise.

What is medical trauma

Medical trauma refers to the psychological and physiological responses triggered by pain, injury, serious illness, medical procedures, and distressing treatment experiences.

  • Experiencing a sudden, life-threatening illness or injury along with the associated treatment

  • Feeling shock and a loss of control upon receiving a frightening diagnosis

  • Facing life-altering complications or issues during or after a medical procedure

  • Undergoing unexpected medical interventions, such as needing emergency care

  • Dealing with the hospital environment, including constant noise, frequent checks, and disruptions to sleep

  • Encountering distressing images or thoughts while hospitalized

How can EMDR help medical trauma?

Medical emergencies and even planned procedures can be frightening and overwhelming, often leaving us with painful memories, strong emotions, and negative physical sensations. EMDR helps the brain process the lingering effects of medical trauma, allowing us to move forward.

Many people feel triggered when they enter a doctor’s office or hospital, with past experiences flooding back or leaving them feeling paralyzed. Since most of us will need to navigate medical settings again, we don’t want to keep reliving those difficult emotions. EMDR can help reduce that stress, enabling you to live your life without being controlled by the past.

I also support adults who experienced serious illnesses, like cancer, or medical emergencies in childhood, which continue to impact them today. You may believe you’ll always carry the pain of those memories, but healing and peace are possible. EMDR can facilitate that process.

Medical trauma and chronic illness trauma therapy in jacksonville, tampa, miami, orlando and pensacola and throughout florida in office and virtually