Chronic Illness Therapists in Washington, DC

Are you finding it overwhelming to manage the complexities of a chronic illness along with feelings of depression, anxiety, or grief? Let me help you navigate these challenges. Together, we can develop strategies to improve both your physical and mental well-being, empowering you to achieve a better quality of life.

Therapy can help people to move forward beyond painful experiences and self-defeating behaviors. With a focus on establishing a safe, confidential environment, my approach is active and and collaborative, so together we can explore experiences, relationships, and patterns to produce personal growth and greater fulfillment.

You are a strong woman feeling overwhelmed navigating complex health issues such as chronic illness, chronic pain, anxiety, infertility or pregnancy loss. You are an intelligent, high achieving woman who is dealing with the grief of a diagnosis, pregnancy after loss, infertility or chronic illness. You are juggling it all: a career, family, a romantic partner, friends, dating and your health. You want to figure out a way to not just survive with women's health issues but to thrive and live your life fully each day. You need support, a place to process your grief and coping skills to walk through this difficult situation.

Life's journey as a neurodivergent person often feels like a tightrope walk. There are so many barriers that hinder access to essential services, like education, jobs, and social inclusion. Constantly adapting to an environment that often disregards your needs can significantly impact your emotional and physical well-being, at times pushing you to the brink of burnout or shutdown. For those who are also part of the queer community, these challenges can intensify and, from time to time, give rise to a sense of isolation, as if you're navigating these obstacles all on your own.

Sarah specializes in supporting trauma survivors, including survivors of sexual violence, emotional abuse or neglect, harmful relationships, and traumatic loss. She also provides affirming therapy for disabled and chronically ill folks, drawing from her passion for Disability Justice, as well as her own lived experience navigating chronic illness in ableist culture. Sarah uses self-compassion, sand therapy, and Internal Family Systems-informed "parts work," guiding you to build a loving relationship with yourself - even (especially) the parts of yourself that might feel troublesome or unworthy.

Welcome— I’m so glad you’re here. I’m Terah Ryan, a Clinical Social Worker and therapist in Maryland and the District of Columbia. It’s my commitment to create a safe place for you to explore your thoughts, emotions, patterns, and relationships to create a more meaningful self. I work with adults of all ages experiencing concerns such as chronic illness, grief, loss, relationship or family issues, anxiety, and troublesome or stressful life transitions. My clients find me to be supportive, collaborative, and direct. I also have substantial experience working with healthcare professionals and supporting caregivers of loved ones.

With 17 years of hospital experience, I specialize in therapy for those navigating caregiving, chronic illness, and healthcare demands. I've seen firsthand how illness affects individuals and loved ones, fueling my passion to help you through emotional turbulence. My approach, rooted in empathy and active listening, integrates somatic therapy techniques. Somatic therapy acknowledges the mind-body connection, addressing how emotions manifest physically and promoting healing on both levels. I've worked with diverse clients, including those dealing with grief, caregiving, chronic illness, and healthcare professionals managing burnout.

When your body is in distress, your mind and mood suffer. Whether you want to address your weight, pain, disordered eating, stress, living with a chronic disease, recovering from an illness, or adjusting to a new medical condition, I can help. I also support care partners of those with chronic illness. As a board-certified rehabilitation psychologist, I emphasize a holistic approach to well-being and support people in leading a values-filled life that recognizes personal strengths, reduces shame and promotes self-compassion, encourages collaboration, and meets you where you are non-judgmentally.

When was the last time you felt truly heard? Life can feel as though you're stuck in a maze without a map or sense of purpose. You may feel broken, alone, or depressed, but you're not. I've successfully helped clients work through life's challenges, learn effective coping skills, and view the present and future in a realistic, positive way. I've also helped clients with chronic illness maximize their quality of life and reach their goals, such as returning to work or school, or being a better parent or spouse. We'll set up a plan that meets your current needs, then empower you to reach your goals- together.

People come to therapy for different reasons You may be experiencing depression, grief, anxiety, have a chronic illness or struggling with another life issue. I am here to help you to explore the issues that matter to you. I specialize people with disabilities. Our working relationship will be based on respect and trust.I am here to assist you in sorting out issues and coming up with your own solutions.

There is beauty in the complexity of our lives, and often difficulty too. Sometimes, our inner resources and life's challenges don't align, and leave us feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or unskilled. My goals is to help you to find more freedom, ease, and wholeness in these moments. I am skilled in working with experiences of depression, anxiety, panic, trauma and chronic pain/illness. I am interested in working with members of the LGBTQIA+ community, neurodivergent folks, and those whose lives question social norms. My approach emphasizes gentleness, mutuality, creativity, and awareness from a trauma-informed, anti-oppressive lens.

You are in the right place, seeking help. Right now you might feel stressed out, lost, stuck, or overwhelmed. It is natural to go through ups and downs in life. In therapy we will work together to help you connect with feelings of hope, relief, and clarity. With conversational warmth and a strengths-based approach, I can provide a nonjudgmental and supportive space for you.

Are you or someone in your life impacted by a chronic or terminal illness? Are you struggling with decisions around risk for a genetic illness? Are you struggling with relationships, family boundaries, or life transitions?

I am passionate about providing therapy and psychological assessment from a holistic point of view. I specialize in health psychology, trauma, autism, ADHD, chronic illness and working with individuals in the LGBTQ+ community. I have found that my lived experiences have driven the areas of psychology I focus on the most. Being queer, AuDHD, and having my own experiences with trauma and chronic illness, I have experienced firsthand some downfalls of the healthcare system. I try my hardest to help others with both similar and different lived experiences navigate life through finding balanced, sustainable, and holistic solutions.

Change. Anxiety. Feeling stuck. Confusion. Loss. Chronic illness. Depression. Sleep. Relationships. Stress. Life feels like a struggle. Together we will develop a plan that uses evidence-based methods to help you identify and achieve your goals. I value your unique story and am dedicated to helping you stay motivated as you take steps toward improved mental wellness.

If you have been struggling with a health concern such as pain, insomnia, or GI distress, you may feel demoralized by the limitations of medical treatments for many health issues. You may not know that psychotherapy is an effective treatment for a number of medical conditions. As a clinical health psychologist, I specialize in chronic illness, chronic pain, disorders of brain-gut interaction (DGBIs), health anxiety, insomnia, and stress related to navigating the health care system. Therapy can help you to quiet the brain’s natural threat response to symptoms, foster resilience, and embrace life once again.

Stellium Integrative Wellness is compassion-based & uses tools like positive psychology, meditation & hypnotherapy techniques to build confidence & resiliency. Clients include Millennials 20-45, Gen Xers 45-55, & Baby Boomers 56-74 dealing with relationships, career, concerns surrounding parenting, health issues/chronic illness (cancer, diabetes, thyroid disorders, COVID-19), LGBTQIA, disability, & grief from loss (job, parent/family member/friend, partner, child, home, bankruptcy, divorce/separation). Areas of expertise include life coaching, hypnosis, love-relationships/dating, & confidence/self-esteem building.

I have the privilege of accompanying clients as they go through some of the most painful and some of the most joyous times of their lives. I believe that improving your relationship with yourself and balancing your thoughts, emotions, behaviors, and energy can help you to reach your fullest potential. My approach is both practical and insight-oriented, and my goal is to help you understand what ways you can better take care of yourself by providing you the skills you need, and a vision to become who you want to be.

There is nothing like being listened to and understood on a deep level, with genuine interest and acceptance. This is what I strive to offer in therapy or analysis, as we explore together your hopes and dreams, your losses and regrets, your longings and fears. Many people come to therapy to free themselves from self-defeating patterns and the legacy of past traumas, so they can be more truly themselves in relation to others and live with greater satisfaction and meaning. My analytic training enables me to work intensively, and I enjoy incorporating experiential techniques like journaling, psychodrama, and art.