You are more than your diagnosis.
Therapy For Chronic Illness In Duluth, GA
In-person in Duluth, GA & online throughout the US
Do you feel like your life is controlled by your chronic illness?
Maybe you’re feeling worn down by your symptoms, or perhaps you’re stressed out by everything you have to do to take care of yourself. You may be worrying about what this means for you in the long term, or paralyzed with anxiety every time you have a flare up.
Are you beginning to notice how your chronic illness is impacting so many aspects of your everyday life?
Your life has been turned upside down by your diagnosis, and it feels like so much has been taken away from you.
You feel like a burden for needing so much help from the people in your life.
You can’t seem to accomplish things the way you used to, but you don’t want to take on less just because of your diagnosis.
You’re upset when your family and friends don’t understand what you’re going through.
It may feel impossible now, but you can find pleasure and joy in life again. And I can help you get there.
Typical Struggles Of A Spoonie*
*read more about spoon theory here
Wanting to satisfy obligations at work, home, and/or school, but knowing that doing so will be impossible or cause a flare up
Not wanting to ask for help even when it’s needed because you’re afraid of being seen as a burden
Being afraid of losing your independence
Dealing with the medical establishment on a regular basis and feeling like a professional patient
Having to go through difficult, painful, and traumatic medical procedures on a regular basis
Losing friends and acquaintances because of your inability to show up the way you want to in relationships
Feeling isolated and alone because the people around you don’t truly understand what you are going through
Read more about chronic illness in the articles below:
FOMO and Chronic Illness: How To Cope When You Can’t Do It All
Chronic Illness and Work: How To Juggle Both — Thoughts From A Chronic Illness Therapist
How can working with a chronic illness therapist in Duluth, Georgia help me?
As a chronic illness therapist, I’ve helped many people learn how to cope with their chronic illness and reduce the anxiety and depression that they were experiencing alongside their physical symptoms. As someone who has a chronic illness myself, I understand how hard it can be to juggle life’s obligations along with the symptoms of a chronic illness. Reaching out for support can make a huge different in your quality of life.
WHAT WE’LL DO TOGETHER
Chronic illness counseling can help you:
Cope with your diagnosis and symptoms
Finally getting an accurate diagnosis to explain your symptoms can be both a relief and can feel extremely overwhelming. It may answer some questions, but open up a whole bunch of other questions. Therapy will help you sort through how to learn about your diagnosis and how to advocate for yourself within the medical system when it comes to receiving treatment.
Manage your stress to reduce flare- ups
Although flare-ups can occur out of the blue, it has been shown that for many illnesses, stress can play a role in the frequency and severity of flare-ups. In therapy, we will work on stress management and relaxation techniques. This will decrease the frequency of your flare-ups and make them less severe when they do occur.
Ask for help without feeling like a burden
One of the hardest adjustments after being diagnosed with a chronic illness is getting used to having to ask for help from other people. If you were a pretty independent person before, this is particularly difficult. In therapy, we will work on strategies for asking for help without feeling guilty or as if you are burden on others, and how to accept help gracefully.
Common questions about chronic illness therapy
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For therapy sessions we will either meet online or in my office in Duluth, GA. In general, during therapy sessions we will talk about the issues that you are struggling with and focus on understanding both where these issues come from and ways that you can cope with your situation. We will discuss what you can do to decrease your symptoms and how you can improve your relationships. I take an active role in therapy sessions, meaning that I talk frequently and often provide feedback.
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What you are physically experiencing is definitely real and is not just all in your head. However, having to deal with a chronic illness can often lead to other problems such as anxiety and depression. Therapy can help you cope with the emotional difficulties that having a chronic illness can cause. Participating in therapy can also reduce the chances that emotional problems will cause your physical symptoms to get worse.
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This is why teletherapy can be so useful for certain clients. It allows you to meet with me from the comfort of your own home without having to get ready, drive to an appointment, potentially sit in an uncomfortable position for 50 minutes, and then drive home. With teletherapy, you can stay in bed and still have your therapy session, staying as comfortable as possible and still getting the benefits of therapy.
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Therapy is an investment, not only of money, but also of time and energy. My guess is that you’ve tried other things to improve your life, but that these things haven’t helped. Often people have been struggling for a long time, and have lost years of their life to their symptoms. It can be worth it to meet with a chronic illness therapist who has been helping people for many years to see how much you may be able to improve with treatment.
Begin therapy for chronic illness in Duluth, GA
You don’t have to keep dealing with your chronic illness on your own. Therapy can provide you with support and coping skills to deal with the effects of your illness. As a chronic illness therapist, I specialize in helping individuals with chronic illness to live their best lives. To start your therapy journey, follow these simple steps:
Click the Schedule Free Consultation button below.
Book a free, 15 minute phone consultation with me to talk more about what you are looking for from therapy and to ask me any questions you have for me about the process.
Schedule your first therapy session to start learning how you can reduce flare ups and improve your outlook on your situation.
Other services available from Ginny Kington, Psy.D.
Chronic illness treatment isn’t the only mental health service I provide. Oftentimes, if you are coping with a chronic illness, you are experiencing a considerable amount of anxiety and/or depression. Additionally, individuals who experience chronic illness are also more likely to have been through traumatic experiences. Therapeutic services are available in all of these areas. I am able to provide these services in my office in Duluth, Georgia or online in the following states: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Washington DC, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.
