The Chronic Illness Therapists Podcast
is meant to be a place where people with chronic illnesses can come to feel heard, seen, and safe while listening to mental health therapists and other medical professionals talk about the realities of treating complex medical conditions.
Want to be a guest on the podcast?
Currently accepting requests from other mental health therapists and other health professionals who specialize in chronic illness and pain.
Just fill out the form below, and I’ll reach out to you to discuss next steps!
The Chronic Illness Therapists Podcast
Have you ever wondered how a therapist can actually help you with your chronic illness?…
Does seeing a therapist make you feel like “it’s all in your head?”
Listen in while I interview therapists across the world who specialize in chronic illness. Our goal is to demystify the therapy process, so you can finally get the help and support that you deserve.
New episodes air every two weeks on Fridays on Apple, Google, and Spotify.
Want to suggest a topic for the podcast? Just fill out this form to tell me what you'd like to hear about!
Below you'll find all my newest blog posts. I write about lots of different topics - sometimes about things I discuss in my podcast episodes, and other times just sharing thoughts and ideas that aren't connected to the podcast. Take a look and enjoy!
Your Pain Is FaceTiming, It Wants To Tell You Something
I recently had an amazing conversation with Dr. Kelly Clark, a physical therapist who owns Patient PT in Bloomington, Indiana, and I want to share something that came up that I think will change how you think about your pain.
We're constantly hearing in the pain science world that chronic pain is a "false alarm" or that our nervous systems are "overreacting." Kelly and I both have some strong feelings about this messaging, and here's why: your pain is not a false alarm. It's valuable data. We just have to learn how to understand that data.
When Past Injuries Cause Current Problems w/ Rick Olderman
Picture this: A man breaks his ankle at 20. Gets it fixed, moves on with life. No pain. Thirty years later, he's dealing with chronic back pain, sciatica, and now a hamstring tear. Three separate problems, right?
Not likely.
This was one of the patient stories that physical therapist Rick Olderman shared in our interview on The Chronic Illness Therapists Podcast, and it perfectly illustrates why we've been thinking about chronic pain all wrong. That ankle injury from decades ago just might have been the first domino in a chain reaction that led to every single one of his current pain issues.
This isn't some mystical mind-body woo. This is biomechanics. This is systems thinking. And it might just change how you understand your own pain.
The Relationship You Didn't Ask For: Navigating Chronic Pain and Emotional Regulation
When we talk about emotional regulation in the context of chronic illness, it can feel like we're adding another item to an already overwhelming to-do list. If you're living with chronic pain or illness, you've probably heard some version of "you need to manage your stress" or "have you tried mindfulness?" And honestly, it can feel pretty dismissive when you're dealing with real, legitimate physical suffering.
But here's the thing - emotional regulation in chronic illness isn't about fixing yourself or minimizing your experience. It's actually about the opposite: accepting what you can't control and finding ways to be with yourself differently.. safely.
Understanding Narcissistic Abuse When It Intersects with Chronic Pain - Insights from Pamela Madsen LPC
In our latest podcast episode, I had the privilege of speaking with Pamela Madsen, MS, LPC, a licensed professional counselor based in Atlanta who specializes in narcissistic abuse recovery. As the clinical director of a group practice in Buckhead and a doctoral candidate researching narcissistic abuse, Pamela brings valuable insights into the complex relationship between childhood trauma and physical health.