Therapy and Chronic Illness

What is a chronic illness?

An online search will tell you a chronic illness is a ‘long-term health condition that impacts daily life and likely requires ongoing medical interventions.’

Such a small sentence isn’t it, to sum up what can have huge implications for living life to the fullest?

When we talk of chronic illness, we might think of arthritis, COPD, multiple sclerosis, diabetes. Often, we imagine these as diseases of middle or old age. The reality is that anyone of any age can have a chronic illness or condition and it can be life-changing, even devastating in some instances. A cancer diagnosis can be very frightening. With new treatments emerging all the time, people can live long lives with cancer, whilst supported by long-term treatments. Some conditions are life-limiting, and not knowing timescales can be very hard to process. Chronic illness can be punctuated with flare-ups and remissions, and this unpredictability can impact on lifetime goals and dreams, and leave clients frozen with fear of the unknown.

How can Counselling Help?

Finding a counsellor that understands the impact of chronic or life-limiting illness can be helpful to clients to process thoughts and feelings. Finding hope, even when everything seems bleak and impossible, can enable change, acceptance and growth. Finding ways to manage pain, anxiety or low mood, adapting with new ways of doing activities, can enable a more fulfilling life.

My Experience of Counselling for Chronic Illness

My first experience of therapy was when I was offered counselling to help me come to terms with my own ill-health. Working in the nursing profession at the time, I found my career both challenging and fulfilling. However, given my limitations, I needed to re-think my career and life choices. The therapist I saw helped me to grieve the life I thought I had and embrace a new (and scary) future. My therapist had a disability herself, and our work together inspired me to go back to university and train as a therapist. She helped me to re-evaluate what was important in my life and find hope for the future. She gently helped me to see beauty in a world that seemed so grey at the time. Through our work I rediscovered my love of art. I like to offer art materials today in my therapy space, and they can be a great way for clients to express feelings.              

How I work with clients

I support clients who may have experienced a chronic illness for some time or may have had a recent diagnosis that they are processing. They can bring into the therapy space fear, anger, frustration and great sadness at their situation. They may struggle with significant pain or may have been given a life-limiting diagnosis.

I appreciate my nursing experience, as it gives insight into the impact of numerous treatments and medical appointments on a client’s general wellbeing and everyday life. The therapy can take us in many directions, going back to a time when a client remembers feeling healthy, or exploring their current coping with pain. They may need to pace and adjust activity, and express fear of an uncertain future. The work is multi-facetted, and clients are always free to take the work in any direction they need.

For example, a client may ask me how to manage their anxiety attending hospital appointments, so we may together explore some grounding or breathing techniques, that may help during a medical procedure, or with settling for sleep the night befor. We may focus on building a support network, or how to talk to someone close about the emotional strain of the condition, if that is what the client brings as a concern.

Some clients may come for therapy because they are a carer for a loved one with a life-limiting or terminal diagnosis.  They can find it helpful to talk with an independent person, away from family, to really express their feelings.

Some Practicalities

Accessing therapy with a chronic illness can have its challenges. Mobility, pain, fatigue, flare-ups, lack of finances are just a few that come to mind. A compassionate therapist, who understands that appointments online, only during the mornings, might work for someone, whereas a home visit in the afternoon might be easiest for a different client.

Flexibility to move sessions when medical appointments clash can be helpful. A sliding scale fee can help too, if a client is on a low income.

Clients will usually attend weekly or fortnightly to begin with, and some may only need a few sessions in total.

Clients can choose to come to therapy for as long as they need. They can take a break, return later, reduce frequency of sessions, or end our work at any time they feel ready.

Challenges Today

I hear daily how the current political climate is impacting clients. I see they are scared that their benefits, and in turn, their independence, will be taken away. They perceive judgement from society, especially when unable to work due to poor health or disability. They speak of not being believed, called a fraud, of experiencing gaslighting, even from family or medical professionals at times.

When clients come to therapy, they are heard and understood, as they navigate their way through often complex emotions and concerns. The value of this cannot be under-estimated, as each client is supported and metaphorically held, as they process their thoughts, feelings and hopes going forward.