In-person Sessions
Meet in a calm, private space to receive support and process grief related to chronic pain, autoimmune disease, cancer or other life-altering diagnoses. You do not have to carry it alone.
Virtual Sessions
Get support from the comfort of your home to deepen your understanding of the connection between your body, mind and emotions.
Chronic pain therapy focuses on understanding the complex relationship between your body, mind, and emotions when living with ongoing physical symptoms. This may include chronic pain, autoimmune diseases, somatic symptoms, or life-altering health diagnoses such as cancer.
Whether processing a health diagnosis or navigating the frustration of doctors being unable to determine the source of your pain, support can help validate your experience and process grief around your diagnosis as you learn how to feel connected to a body that’s in pain. We will explore your feelings surrounding a potential invisible diagnosis that leads to isolation, disconnection, and constant invalidation. Conversely, if your diagnosis is visible, we will explore your feelings around changes in physical appearance, which can lead to vulnerability and sometimes shame.
In chronic pain therapy, you will explore both the physical and emotional impact of your condition and work toward decreasing emotional suffering. Together, we will explore how stress and emotions live in the body, releasing any psychosomatic symptoms that contribute to additional pain in your body. If in need, we will explore ways to increase self-advocacy and navigate the unfortunately flawed medical system. You do not have to carry this alone.
Chronic pain and life-altering diagnoses contribute to intense loneliness and isolation, especially when the people in your life do not understand or minimize what you are experiencing. Having someone to compassionately and caringly help you navigate the unpredictability of chronic illness can make a huge impact.
Chronic pain therapy can help reduce the intensity of emotional suffering that often accompanies ongoing physical symptoms, even when the pain itself does not fully disappear. By feeling and releasing emotions in a safe space, clients frequently experience less pain and autoimmune flare-ups, increased nervous system regulation, and decreased depression, grief, and anxiety.
Beyond symptom relief, this work supports a deeper sense of empowerment, body acceptance, and reconnection with the self. Ideally, you will move out of isolation, feel empowered to access more support, and more easily engage in life with meaning, self-compassion, and acceptance.
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If you are navigating chronic body pain, autoimmune disease, cancer or other life-altering diagnoses, chances are that you could benefit from support. People often come in to process shock and grief related to a diagnosis, address psychosomatic symptoms, and work through illness-related anxiety and depression.
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Absolutely not. Many people experience chronic pain and are told by doctors that it is simply psychosomatic. It can take doctors years to provide an actual diagnosis, especially with autoimmune conditions and other invisible, hard to diagnose diseases. Rae Therapy Group therapists are here to hear you, validate you, and support you regardless of whether you have a diagnosis or not.
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Like all first sessions, your therapist will focus on creating a strong and collaborative therapeutic alliance with you, helping you identify your goals, and understanding your current life situation living with chronic illness or chronic pain.
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We cannot guarantee that your physical pain will decrease or fully go away. That being said, suppressed emotions are often held somatically in the body, increasing physical pain. Clients often report a decrease in flare-ups and chronic pain by releasing emotion with a safe person in a safe place.
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Chronic pain therapy may help you feel less alone, empower you to self-advocate within the medical system, process illness related shock and grief, support you in life transitions, decrease depression and anxiety, increase body acceptance and feelings of inner peace, and potentially eliminate psychosomatic symptoms.
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Yes. We offer secure virtual sessions, which can be helpful if you are traveling in California, or prefer to meet from home. Online therapy can still provide meaningful support and connection.
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In almost all situations, what you share is confidential and not shared without your written permission. Your therapist will explain the few legal and ethical exceptions related to safety so you understand how privacy is protected.
You do not have to navigate the emotional toll of chronic health conditions alone. Therapy can help you build coping tools, feel more supported, and move through life with greater steadiness.
