Chronic Illness Therapist
for Chronic Pain
& Invisible Illness
Jessica Healy, LMHC, LCPC
Therapy in NY, MA, ME, FL
Supporting people impacted by symptoms of:
- Lyme Disease
- Migraine
- Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS)
- Sciatica
- Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME/CFS)
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
- Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS)
- Polycystic Ovary Syndrome/Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS/PMOS)
- Fibromyalgia
- Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)
- Crohn’s Disease
- Dysautonomia
- Chronic inflammation
- Adrenal fatigue
- Endometriosis
- Pelvic pain
- Autoimmune diseases
& similar conditions.
Therapy for Chronic Illness:
When Your Body Changes the Rules
Your body’s felt off for a while, and it’s hard to put your finger on what it is, exactly.
You’ve gone from doctor to doctor in the hopes of gaining clarity, and found yourself with more questions than answers. It seems like no one’s listening.
Frustration is mounting as your symptoms continue to interfere with your daily life.
You’re beginning to worry that the medical system isn’t built for cases like yours.
You might even begin to question your own experience and start to believe that “it’s all in your head.” IT’S NOT.
A Somatic Approach
to Chronic Pain Therapy
It’s especially important for those with chronic illness and chronic pain to approach therapy not only “top-down,” by talking through your patterns and implementing cognitive tools, but also “bottom-up,” by seeking the invaluable data held by the body through slowing down in learning mindful awareness.
With extensive postgraduate training in Internal Family Systems (IFS), Hakomi mindfulness-centered somatic therapy, and somatic IFS, as well as two years as a certified massage practitioner in the state of California, I have a deeply somatically-informed take on chronic pain therapy.
Medical Trauma Therapy
Health Anxiety & Living in an
Unpredictable Body
Online Chronic Illness Therapy
in New York, Massachusetts, Florida and Maine
Virtual sessions via Zoom
- Use pillows and props for comfort
- No pressure to make it to in-person appointments consistently
- Audio-only option for those who are screen sensitive
In-person appointments available in Portland, Maine, as well as twice per year in Brooklyn, NY.
How Chronic Illness Therapy Works
Frequently Asked Questions About Chronic Illness Therapy
How is therapy for chronic illness any different from regular talk therapy?
Therapy with me will include the body as a source of data in addition to “just talking.” We will collaborate to find the level of tuning in to the body that is right for you without pushing or “powering through.”
Internal Family Systems (IFS) conceptualizes our personalities as consisting of multilayered “parts,” with their own system of alliances and adversaries, some of which show up in the body. Learning about your internal system gives new perspective and can help things to get “unstuck.”
Do I need to be diagnosed with something specific to start chronic illness therapy?
No, you do not have to have a diagnosis to start therapy for chronic illness. The fact that you have symptoms of chronic illness or chronic pain is enough to start implementing the somatic tools that are available to heal the emotional pain that arises around (and, perhaps, within) your current condition.
It can be very validating to put a label on what is causing your suffering. It can point you towards remedies and dialing down your distress, as well as towards communities of people who can relate to what you’re going through on a very specific level. By all means, pursue diagnosis! However, many chronic illnesses evade a clear diagnosis, and that should not prevent you from pursuing relief and support through psychotherapy.
Will chronic illness therapy help with my physical symptoms? Can we do therapy even if I have physical symptoms?
I cannot guarantee that therapy for chronic pain or chronic illness will alleviate your physical symptoms. However, some clients have found that it does. Those whose physical symptoms have not improved have developed new relationships with the parts of their body that hold pain and automatically respond to pain, and have a deeper understanding of how to integrate that into their daily routines.
You do not have to feel at 100% to participate in therapy. Part of our work together will be around helping you get a better sense of your capacity and limitations at any given moment, and that includes being able to do a temperature check around what you are up for in therapy sessions.
Does seeking psychotherapy for chronic illness or chronic pain mean giving up on symptom improvement or understanding via traditional medical routes?
Psychotherapy for chronic pain and chronic illness is intended to be concurrent with your regular medical care, as well as alternative modalities such as traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)/acupuncture, massage, chiropractic work, physical therapy, etc. I will work collaboratively with your other providers as you seek solutions and maintenance for your symptoms.
Are you familiar with neuroplastic pain and tension myositis syndrome? Does subscribing to these concepts mean my pain is “all in my head?”
Yes!
Neuroplastic pain is caused by a reorganization of mental pathways that interpret signals from the body as danger when your body is actually safe, resulting in the production of real pain by the brain. Somatic therapy for chronic pain uses concepts from pain reprocessing therapy to help the client observe bodily sensations via mindful interoception (sensing the body from the inside), increasing the likelihood that the brain will begin to recognize the body as having safety. I also help clients using IFS (internal family systems) and somatic tools to regulate emotions resulting from outside causes of fear and anxiety, which can lead to a calmer baseline state, helping the stress and pain “alarms” from sending signals of pain to the body.
Tension myositis syndrome is a related idea pioneered by Dr. John Sarno in which real physical pain is generated by the brain in response to stress and emotions, often manifesting as symptoms common to chronic illness such as fatigue, back pain, migraine, IBS, repetitive stress, and joint discomfort.
Beginning somatic therapy for chronic pain or chronic illness does not mean “it’s all in your head.” The physical pain you are experiencing is real; considering the possibility that your brain may be contributing to the presence of pain in your body in addition to any biologically diagnosable illness or injury brings new potential for understanding and healing your pain.
There can sometimes be a feeling of culpability or shame around the idea that your body may have automatically produced neuroplastic pain to cope with physical and emotional stressors, but it is not something that happens consciously, and you have not done anything wrong if this is happening to you. Opening to this prospect can be a gateway to healing.
How much will therapy cost?
My practice is private pay, which means I am an out-of-network provider and am not in-network with any insurance plans. Most of my clients have 60%-80% of their fee reimbursed by their out-of-network coverage.
My fee is $225 per session with a limited number of sliding scale spots available for those with demonstrated financial need.
See a deep dive on payment and insurance here: Logistics
What will therapy with you be like? What if I’ve never been in therapy before?
Therapy is slightly different with each client, and luckily, I have a wide toolbox to use. Some clients tend towards being more intellectual and talking through the patterns they find themselves in in their daily life; others take directly the more abstract angle of “going inside” with mindfulness and somatic awareness.
See more of my thoughts on therapy here: FAQ
