Individual Therapy for Physical Illness and Caregiving
Illness doesn’t just affect your body—it reshapes your entire world. The life you once knew is suddenly replaced with endless appointments, unfamiliar medical terms, and the overwhelming challenge of juggling uncertainty with a world that refuses to pause.
For caregivers, the shift is just as profound, stepping into roles you never imagined, often without any map to guide you.
People often refer to you as “strong,” but that label can feel more like something imposed on you than something you’ve chosen. In your position, strength isn’t optional—it’s a survival instinct.
While others admire your resilience, they often overlook the exhaustion, fear, and grief that linger just beneath the surface. It’s as if they need you to be strong for them too, reinforcing your desire to bury those feelings even deeper.
The truth is, you are strong—but “strong” can be a very lonely place to be. While the world applauds your ability to hold it all together, what you truly need is a space where you don’t have to. Together, we’ll navigate this uncharted terrain, giving you the time and support to set down your armor when you’re ready, and reconnect with the parts of yourself that have been waiting to be seen.
for individuals navigating
physical illness
Finding Yourself in the Midst of Illness
You feel the weight of expectations to “fight,” “be strong,” and “stay positive”—even when you’re exhausted. Of course, you want to overcome this, but the way others expect you to feel while you’re “in it” doesn’t match the reality of how terrifying, miserable, and vulnerable your day-to-day experiences are. Letting down your guard feels risky, as if everything might fall apart.
Everyone expects you to celebrate milestones in your treatment, but for you, they don’t feel like endings worth celebrating—just the beginning of new, uncertain chapters. While you’re grateful for making it through each stage, outside of treatment, there’s a lingering unease. To others, your life may seem “back to normal,” but beneath the surface, you carry the fear of your symptoms worsening, grief for the life you once knew, and the ongoing challenge of adjusting to a changed body. All while navigating shifting relationships, evolving roles, and a sense of self that no longer feels familiar.
You often feel like a burden—even though you know that if the roles were reversed, you’d be there for your loved ones without hesitation. But you’re not used to being the one who needs help and support; you’re used to being the one who gives it. You want to be honest with loved ones about how you’re really feeling, but you don’t want to add to their worries.
You lack spaces where you can express yourself freely, without pressure to mask how you’re feeling to protect others from your pain. You want to feel empowered and in control, confident in making decisions about your life, healing, and how to move forward.
In our work together, we will:
Create a space where you can truly show up as yourself—without feeling the weight of always having to be “strong” or “positive” for fear of burdening others.
Acknowledge the depth and complexity of your experiences, and dive into how your life story, identities, and roles have shaped your illness experience.
Explore your fears, grief, and uncertainties with care, understanding how they shape your decisions, relationships, and sense of who you are.
Support you in navigating the uncertain transition from life in treatment to life beyond it, while helping you cultivate a sense of inner resource and stability.
Uncover ways to reconnect with your needs, setting boundaries that feel right for you, and finding ways to make decisions about your healing and future that are empowering, without adding more stress.
for family caregivers
Navigating the Emotional Terrain of Caregiving
You’re feeling drained, caught in the never-ending cycle of updating others on your loved one’s health status while trying to manage your own emotions. One moment, you’re holding onto hope; the next, you’re overwhelmed by sadness, fear, and helplessness. It’s hard not to feel guilty for struggling—after all, you’re not the one who’s sick. Yet, beneath that guilt, anger creeps in—anger at the situation, at the unfairness, and even at others who don’t have to face this burden. Watching others live their lives without the heavy shadow of illness is a painful, raw reminder of what you’re missing.
Your grief is deep and layered. Even though your loved one is still here, you’re mourning the life you once knew. Your relationship has changed. They’ve changed. You’ve changed. And as their illness evolves, so does the grief—shifting and growing in ways you can’t always make sense of.
You want to cherish your time together, but the worry and exhaustion often cloud your ability to be fully present. You might even find yourself criticizing yourself for not being more in the moment, but it’s hard when you’re carrying so much.
You know you can’t keep going at this pace forever, but slowing down feels impossible—like a luxury you don’t have. The idea of pausing only adds to your anxiety because without the constant push to keep everything together, the emotions you’ve been holding back might finally catch up to you. The ones that surface in quiet moments, keeping you awake at night, or creeping in when you least expect them. You know you need care too, but with so much to manage, finding the time or energy for yourself feels out of reach.
In our work together, we will:
Explore and understand the wisdom of the many emotions that arise in caregiving—guilt, anger, grief, and fear—while helping you connect with the parts of yourself that need care too.
Acknowledge and nurture the parts of you that feel exhausted or overwhelmed, so you can find a way to care for yourself without feeling selfish or disconnected.
Help you ground yourself in the present, so you can be more fully in relation to your loved one, while easing the pressure of constantly worrying about what’s next.
Support you in gaining clarity and confidence in your decisions, allowing you to feel empowered and aligned with your values.
Guide you through the layers of your grief, helping you understand the changing dynamics in your relationships, roles, and identity, while reconnecting with parts of yourself that may have been pushed aside.
Unite For HER
Through the Unite for HER Provider Network’s Wellness Passport Program, I offer therapy to women, men, and nonbinary individuals impacted by breast and ovarian cancers.
Discover how to access Unite for HER’s integrative and supportive services here.
