Chronic Pain or Illness

With my own diagnosis of Type I Diabetes at an early age, I have learned coping strategies, skills, and developed my passion to help others similarly in coping with chronic illness. Working together we can regain our self-identity and coping with these big adjustments.

Living with chronic illness or pain means constantly adjusting—your plans, your energy, even your identity. The uncertainty, medical fatigue, and grief can feel overwhelming. In therapy, we focus on coping strategies that honor both your mind and body, helping you navigate flares, manage stress, and reclaim joy. I specialize in EDS, autoimmune disorders, and hypermobility conditions, providing support that acknowledges both the medical and emotional toll.

I support clients in navigating the complexities of chronic pain or illness by addressing both emotional and practical aspects, including *the stress and uncertainty* of significant medical diagnoses. This includes those disproportionately affected by COVID-19. Drawing from my own experience with unexpected health challenges, I bring a personal understanding to our work. Together, we'll collaborate on ways to better your quality of life and cope with the ongoing impacts of chronic conditions.

Working in the Spoonie community is one that has come from continuing to deconstruct the divide between mental and physical health. They interact and effect each other, every time. We also see chronic pain stem from trauma. Each person is different, here we could be addressing trauma or we could be learning to cope with the emotions that come from managing chronic pain or illness.

Living with illness, disability, and/or chronic pain can leave you feeling isolated as you navigate changing relationships, medical care, stretched finances, grief for what's been lost, fear about the future, experiences of invisibility/hypervisibility, and anger about how you've been treated. I work from a Disability Justice model, grappling with the ways in which our world often fails to provide accommodation and access, and how our lives become shaped by that lack of care and recognition.

You feel like crap all the time, and you’re not sure how much longer you can keep this up. Maybe your doctor brushed it off, or told you to lose weight. Maybe they labeled it as “anxiety” just because you have both a vagina and more than one medical problem. You’re starting to lose hope. I get it. I spent decades without diagnosis or treatment, surviving medical neglect, misdiagnosis, and gaslighting by medical professionals. I felt lost and alone, but you don’t have to. I BELIEVE YOU.

Experienced in helping clients manage and cope with chronic pain and illness

Living with illness, disability, and/or chronic pain can leave you feeling isolated as you navigate changing relationships, medical care, stretched finances, grief for what's been lost, fear about the future, experiences of invisibility/hypervisibility, and anger about how you've been treated. I work from a Disability Justice model, grappling with the ways in which our world often fails to provide accommodation and access, and how our lives become shaped by that lack of care and recognition.

Pain can cause you to limit social engagements, avoid meet new people and fear things that used to bring you pleasure. It can sometimes feel like a terrible game of which came first, the chicken or the egg. Stress tenses your muscles and can create a flare up of symptoms… but the our bodies naturally respond to pain with fear. When you’re living with a chronic condition finding a way with pain that allows you to live a meaningful and full life is a necessity.

We can work together collaboratively in softly challenging distorted unhelpful/exaggerated/unrealistic harsh judgements/thoughts/beliefs that appear during your pain. Just because we have a thought doesn't make it true. We can work together to accept uncomfortable emotions/pain rather than act harsh towards it. Our pain, although sometimes misguided, are trying to help us. Self compassion is powerful!

I cured myself of a repetitive stress injury issue in college using Dr. John Sarno's mind-body medicine approach. Since then this approach has become more sophisticated and trauma-informed and I use it frequently with clients to help them heal from chronic pain and/or illness provided there is no known serious medical condition.

I worked in medical and geriatric social work for over five years. In these practice settings, I gained familiarity with the psychosocial impact of chronic illness, chronic pain, and adjustment to changes in ability. I am familiar with many medical conditions, including cancer, POTS, macular degeneration and other forms of low vision, renal disease and organ transplant, and Alzheimer's and other dementias.

Chronic illness, fatigue, and/or pain can be incredibly overwhelming, and isolating. Do you find yourself stressing over self-care, feeling unsupported by loved ones, struggling to balance work, rest, relationships and your passions? Do you feel fragmented from your sense of self and the things that bring you joy? You are not alone! Through mindfulness techniques, nervous system support, and expressive art practices I hope to support you in experiencing more ease, joy, and wellbeing in your life

Dr. Clendaniel is a pediatric psychology who specializes in the treatment of children, adolescents and young adults with anxiety and health-related adjustment issues. She has particular expertise in pain management and treatment of chronic headache and functional gastrointestinal illness.

Not unlike my education regarding LGBTQ issues, my family life brought me to understand the challenges of chronic pain and illness. I would have much rather learned this through formal education, readings or seminars, but unfortunately I was enrolled in the school of hard knocks. While I don't want to share too much detail online, I'm particularly focused and supportive of the challenges of "long haulers" or long-COVID/PASC, cancer and autoimmune disorders.

I specialize in working with individuals living with chronic and invisible illnesses, as well as their caregivers. From both professional and personal experience, I understand the challenges faced by those with debilitating physical symptoms, chronic pain, fatigue, and the emotional distress that comes with these conditions. Many individuals experience isolation, diminished social connections, and feelings of invisibility. If this resonates with you, I am here to offer support and advocacy.

My background in working with adults with developmental disabilities, my education in ethics, and then my own experiences within the healthcare system shaped my enthusiasm for working with people who have chronic pain and illness. I bring an integrative approach and have found particular success with using EMDR and ego state work in supporting people with chronic health conditions including pain.

In my work with individuals, I support those looking to address anxiety, medical trauma, and chronic illness & pain. As someone who lives with a chronic illness, I am passionate about helping folks wherever they are in their journey of managing chronic illness and understand the complexities of navigating the healthcare system.

Living with illness, disability, and/or chronic pain can leave you feeling isolated as you navigate changing relationships, medical care, stretched finances, grief for what's been lost, fear about the future, experiences of invisibility/hypervisibility, and anger about how you've been treated. I work from a Disability Justice model, grappling with the ways in which our world often fails to provide accommodation and access, and how our lives become shaped by that lack of care and recognition.