Chronic Illness

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Managing chronic illness is a lot about the invisible stuff

It’s about not knowing how to tell people that although you look good on the outside, the pain and fatigue you feel on the inside are real
It’s about the stress you feel when you don’t have the energy to do what you need to do
It’s about the feelings of guilt you have when you watch your loved ones trying to help
It’s about the loss of independence and feelings of isolation because no one seems to understand what you’re going through
It’s about becoming so focused on your illness that you forget to tend to your mental health
It’s about the uncertainty of what your future holds and the intense grief that comes along with that

It can also be about hope because your diagnosis does not define you

Creating a “new normal” is not something that we plan for.

The impact on one’s mental health after receiving a diagnosis and living with a chronic illness can often go ignored or missed.

A chronic illness diagnosis often comes with high levels of uncertainty, lifestyle changes, and costly, time-consuming, and painful treatments. Given these stressors, it is not surprising that individuals living with chronic illness are at significantly higher risk of struggling with anxiety, depression, adjustment disorders, and other mental health concerns.

It is not uncommon for those diagnosed with a chronic health condition to experience

Anger or irritability
Grief and a sense of loss
Identity shifts
Isolation from friends and families
Self-esteem issues
Loss of purpose or meaning
Difficulty with sleep
Loss of motivation
Thoughts of death or ending one’s life

Chronic Illness’ can also impact the caregivers

Most of the time, managing a chronic illness becomes a family affair as it’s almost impossible to manage without the help or support of family or friends.

The work of caregiving requires strength and resilience. Just as for the person with the chronic illness, caregivers often let their own needs take a back seat and risk burnout. It’s not uncommon for caregivers to experience the symptoms of stress, isolation, and fatigue, and become susceptible to mental and physical health challenges.

Therapy can help an individual become better able to cope with their situation. It teaches people how to develop self-compassion, avoid isolation, seek support, and develop a self-care routine that meets their needs.

What to Expect

We can’t cure your physical pain or illness, but we can help you find ways to cope and reduce the negative feelings you’re experiencing.

We use a holistic approach and explore the physical, spiritual, cognitive, social and emotional aspects impacted by the illness. The mind has a powerful impact on how someone experiences pain and illness. So, we draw from Mindfulness-Based Therapy and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and use evidence-based techniques to change an individual’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviours. This approach has proven to lead to positive, lasting growth.

We also partner with other health professionals to provide resources and support to help you manage the pain or challenges that come along with a chronic illness.

Goals of Therapy for Chronic Illness

Ease the psychological burden of confronting such serious issues
Help those with chronic or terminal illnesses come to terms with their diagnosis
Better understand your symptoms and triggering situations
Develop compassion and feel confident again
Identify and understand the issues the surrounding illness
Make pain and procedure management plans
Teach mindfulness techniques to alleviate pain and anxiety
Learn strategies for self-care
Learn strategies to find relief when you start feeling out of control, depressed or anxious

Therapeutic Approaches

We will do an assessment of your specific situation and goals, to come up with a targeted and individualized approach to therapy that draws from a variety of the listed modalities.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

Change unhelpful and problematic ways of thinking got change unwanted or unhealthy behaviour

Emotionally-Focused Therapy

Helps you learn more about your relationships and your emotions to come to term with traumas and learn skills to improve your relationships

Mindfulness-Based Therapy

Utilized techniques like meditation, stretching, and breathing to increase awareness of our thoughts, feelings and actions

Somatic Therapy

Combines psychotherapy and physical therapy to connect your mind and body and release pent up trauma

Family Systems Therapy

Focuses on the family as a unit and how generational, social, community and cultural factors influence the family members

About WJW

Individual Counselling

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Assessments

Specialties

Mind-Body Wellness

Available Treatments

About WJW

Individual Counselling

Couples Counselling >

Family Counselling >

Assessments

Specialties

Mind-Body Wellness

Available Treatments

Chronic Illness

It is not uncommon for those diagnosed with a chronic health condition to experience

Goals of Therapy for Chronic Illness

Therapeutic Approaches

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

Emotionally-Focused Therapy

Mindfulness-Based Therapy

Somatic Therapy

Family Systems Therapy

Book With...

Jumai Usamatu

Carolynn Archibald

Debbie Nguyen

Tania Roy

Deepak Minhas

Owain Bamford

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