therapy for chronic pain and autoimmune disorders

You or your child may be experiencing:

• ​Negative self-concept (deep ongoing feelings of shame, guilt, or worthlessness)

• Anger or irritability

• Poor life satisfaction

• Migraines

• Joint pain

• Struggles engaging in activities

• Depressive symptoms

• Anxiety about relapse or flares

• Health anxiety

• Struggles in relationships due to health impact

• Fear of doctors, hospitals, and/or appointments

• Post-traumatic stress symptoms (hypervigilance, intrusive thoughts, avoidance, nightmares, etc.)

• Extreme fatigue

• Struggles with sleeping and eating

What does therapy for chronic pain and autoimmune disorders look like?

We can't change the stressor of a medical diagnosis, but we can help navigate the feelings and impact that the diagnosis brings (as well as what pre-dated it). You've probably heard the term "the body keeps the score", and really that just means we can experience physical manifestations of stuck experiences.

Our therapists approach by creating a safe therapeutic environment, building body resources, processing traumatic events, and integrating new patterns/tools. We aim to build more capacity in the body and externalize what might be stuck in a cyclical pattern. Therapies like EMDR, Somatic Experiencing, and expressive arts can help support the body in decreasing overall activation and distress. Addressing what might be underneath can lead to improvements in mental and physical health.

Research has shown the link between internalized emotions, distressing childhood experiences, and chronic pain/autoimmune conditions. You can read more here:

• Cumulative Childhood Stress & Autoimmune Diseases in Adults

• Systematic review and meta-analysis of post-traumatic stress disorder as a risk factor for multiple autoimmune diseases

• Somatic Experiencing® for patients with low back pain and comorbid posttraumatic stress symptoms – a randomised controlled trial

Therapy can help you or your child:

• Process trauma

• Decrease activation in the nervous system

• Manage pain perception

• Externalize and process emotions that are stuck

• Identify regulation tools

• Improve well-being and find joy

• Practice safe embodiment

• Feel more connected to your body (in a neutral or positive way)

• Feel more confident and empowered

• Practice safe movement

• Improve stress and anxiety symptoms

We also offer auricular acupuncture as a holistic support for healing and decreasing physical manifestations of stress, anxiety, and trauma. You can read more about that and book an appointment here.

There is no timeline for how long it takes to feel better and reduce distress. Sessions are typically 50-60 minutes, and we do offer extended sessions for deeper processing and based on need. We offer holistic mental health services in-person at our office in Plano and virtually across Texas.