Therapy for Chronic Illness & Medical Trauma
Living with chronic illness can change everything. Your relationship with your body. Your sense of safety. Your trust in medical systems — and sometimes in yourself.
If you’ve felt dismissed, minimized, or left to navigate symptoms on your own, you’re not alone. Many people come to therapy not because something is “wrong” with them, but because their body and nervous system have been under prolonged strain.
True Compassion Therapy offers trauma-informed psychotherapy for adults living with chronic illness and medical trauma, provided via secure telehealth throughout California.
This is a space where you don’t have to prove your pain.
Experience, Education & Expertise
EXPERIENCE
I am a licensed psychotherapist in the state of California (LCSW82991) who specializes in medical trauma and chronic illness management.
After sustaining serious medical trauma in 1999 and again in 2016, I began to think about expanding my skills to support those experiencing difficult medical situations.
I now offer trauma-informed care that features a mix of modalities from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Motivational Interviewing (MI), and more.
EDUCATION
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University of California at Los Angeles, BA in English Literature.
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University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, BS in Social Work.
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University of Wisconsin-Madison, MSW.
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Licensed Clinical Social Worker. License Number: LCSW82991
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Frequently Asked Questions
Starting therapy can bring up questions. This page offers gentle answers to help you feel more at ease.
Chronic illness therapy focuses on the emotional, psychological, and nervous-system impact of living with long-term or complex medical conditions. Therapy does not aim to fix or treat physical illness. Instead, it supports coping with uncertainty, grief, anxiety, trauma, and the ongoing stress of living in a body that may feel unpredictable.
No. You do not need a confirmed diagnosis to benefit from chronic illness therapy. Many people seek support while navigating symptoms, medical uncertainty, or years of being dismissed or misunderstood by providers.
Medical trauma refers to the psychological and nervous-system impact of medical or healthcare experiences that felt overwhelming, frightening, invasive, or disempowering. This can include surgeries, hospitalizations, chronic illness, misdiagnosis, medical gaslighting, or ongoing medical stress. Medical trauma can develop from a single event or from repeated experiences over time.
Medical trauma can involve symptoms similar to PTSD, such as anxiety, hypervigilance, avoidance, or emotional shutdown. However, medical trauma often develops gradually and may be tied to ongoing health conditions or repeated interactions with the medical system. Therapy focuses on nervous-system safety and stabilization rather than reliving events.
The length of therapy varies depending on your goals, history, and capacity. Some people find support within a few months, while others benefit from longer-term work. We revisit pacing and goals regularly.
You might be:
chronic illness
Living with chronic illness, chronic pain, or complex medical conditions.
Carrying anxiety
Carrying anxiety, grief, anger, or numbness related to your health.
Feeling hypervigilant
Feeling hypervigilant about symptoms or medical appointments.
Struggling with a body
Struggling with a body that no longer feels predictable or safe.
Exhausted
Exhausted from explaining yourself — again and again.
We’d love to hear
from you
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Please enter the below information and I will respond within the next 48 hours.
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How this therapy is different
This work is not about pushing through symptoms, reframing your reality, or forcing your body to cooperate.
Instead, therapy focuses on:
Reducing fear and overwhelm around symptoms and care
Gently processing medical or healthcare-related trauma
Making space for grief, loss, and identity changes connected to illness
Creating safety and stability in your nervous system