Therapy for Chronic Pain and Illness Available Throughout Michigan

Maybe you’re constantly reminded of all of the things you can’t do anymore. Or you spend a lot of time thinking about your life before the pain started, or before your diagnosis. You may be struggling with how to explain your condition and how you feel to your friends and loved ones. Perhaps you’re simply exhausted with the medical gaslighting, and feeling like no one understands your situation.

You may have these feelings, and more, and it’s starting to seriously impact every facet of your life:

  • Struggling to stay focused at work or home

  • Difficulties in your relationships

  • Feelings of loneliness and isolation

  • Worry about the future

Chronic pain and illness don’t have to be your identity.

It’s just one part of your story. We can help you reconnect to life.

My name is Holly, and I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, Ankylosing Spondylitis, in 2022. I spent years navigating a complex medical system that didn’t seem to care about who I was, or the pain I was suffering. I was gaslit by more providers than I can count! And when I was finally diagnosed, I felt equal parts relief and anxiety. What was my life going to be like with this disease? How was I going to manage pain? Was my life effectively over?

I see clients every day who share similar stories, and I’m here to share that while your life may look different, chronic illness and pain does NOT mean the end. Therapy can, and does, help.

Treatment with me for chronic pain and illness is a bit different than traditional therapy. I use a combination of Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Chronic Paint (CBT-CP) and Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) to treat pain and the trauma that often lies underneath. I have extensive training in both therapies and have been a client of both therapies myself. I know they work because they work for me.

I can’t promise your pain will disappear, or your illness will be cured. But I can promise that I will walk alongside you as you learn to live your best life in the present, right where you are now.

Evidence Based Approaches

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Chronic Pain (CBT-CP)

CBT-CP is a psychotherapy program that takes place over twelve, 50-minute sessions. It can help you do four things:

  • Increase activity in meaningful activities

  • Manage pain flare-ups more effectively

  • Reduce worries about increased pain and injury

  • Improve overall quality of life

Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART)

ART is a therapy similar to EMDR, that uses eye-movement and visualization to process traumatic memories and reduce the negative symptoms associated with those memories (PTSD, anxiety, depression, etc).

Since so many of us with a chronic illness or chronic pain also have a history of trauma, ART can be an effective tool to help process the underlying trauma that is sometimes connected to the pain and symptoms we experience.

FAQs

Q. What are sessions like?

Our sessions are structured around a central topic. Some topics include Relaxation Techniques, Cognitive Coping Skills, and Activities and Pacing.

Q. How long do I need to be in therapy?

The CBT-CP curriculum is 12 weeks long. Along the way, we may do some ART sessions. After completing the curriculum, you and I will make a decision together about the desire to continue working together in therapy.

Q. How do I know CBT-CP will work for me?

While no therapist can guarantee results of any treatment plan, CBT-CP and ART are evidence-based and has been shown in multiple clinical trials to significantly improve quality of life and the negative impacts pain and trauma can have on people’s lives.

Q. How do we get started?

Call me! We can chat about your pain and goals for treatment. If you decide therapy is something you’d like to pursue with me, we can schedule your intake and evaluation appointment.