mental health THERAPY SERVICES in atlanta, ga and online across georgia, florida, and colorado
Health Anxiety Therapy
When every symptom feels like a warning sign
This is support for when your mind can’t stop scanning.
LEARN TO LET GO OF:
2am research spirals
Fear of appointments
Doubt in your own judgment about when to call the doctor
Hyper-vigilance and fear cycles
Medical triggers
TOGETHER WE WORK TO:
Reduce obsessive symptom-checking and body-scanning without gaslighting yourself
Interrupt spirals of fear and worst-case scenario thinking
Build trust in your ability to tolerate uncertainty
Create a steadier, healthier relationship with your body
Health anxiety therapy helps you understand the patterns driving fear around your body, symptoms, and health concerns, while building tools to respond differently.
Health Anxiety Therapy might be a good fit if…
You constantly scan your body for symptoms or changes
One weird sensation can spiral you into worst-case scenarios within minutes
Reassurance from doctors helps for a day, maybe two, then the doubt creeps back
You've lost hours to googling symptoms — and you feel embarrassed by how often you do it
Fear about your health is shaping your decisions, your relationships, and your days
And even when your fears aren't baseless; when your body has given you real reasons not to trust it… That doesn't mean you have to live like this.
Our Approach
At The Chronic Illness Therapist, we work in several modalities aimed at making life feel fuller: deeper connections with friends, family, stronger self-advocacy with doctors and employers, and most importantly, helping you feel like yourself again.
OUR MODALITIES:
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Somatic Experiencing
Ketamine Integration Therapy
-
Therapy for health anxiety is not about dismissing your concerns or telling you "it's all in your head." Your worries are real, and some of them may be pointing at real things. The problem isn't that you care about your health; it's that the fear has taken over the driver's seat.
Our work together might include:
Making sense of how you got here — the misdiagnoses, the dismissive doctors, the big scare that changed everything, or the family you grew up in where bodies were never safe topics
Learning to catch anxiety in your body before it becomes a 2-hour google spiral — noticing the tight chest, the racing thoughts, the urge to check, and knowing what to do in that moment
Practicing for the situations you currently dread or avoid: the appointment you keep rescheduling, the test results sitting unopened in your portal, the new sensation you can't stop poking at
Slowly loosening the grip of checking, reassurance-seeking, and avoidance — not through white-knuckling, but by giving your nervous system actual evidence that you can handle not knowing
-
Many people come to therapy after difficult experiences with the healthcare system. Perhaps you've had symptoms dismissed, tests delayed, or concerns minimized by medical professionals. These experiences are unfortunately common, especially for women and members of marginalized communities.
At The Chronic Illness Therapist, we recognize an important truth: sometimes persistent self-advocacy and research are necessary to get proper medical care. The goal of health anxiety treatment is never to discourage appropriate medical investigation or self-advocacy.
Instead, we aim to help you:
Learn to tell the difference between "something is wrong and I need to push for answers" and "my anxiety is telling me to check one more time" — they feel similar in your body, but they're not the same, and you can learn to spot the tells
Walk into appointments with a plan: what you need to say, what you need to ask, and how to hold your ground when a provider rushes or dismisses you — without leaving so depleted you need two days to recover
Decide when a second opinion is advocacy and when it's the anxiety asking for one more round of reassurance
Stop spending your best hours on symptom research and start spending them on your kids, your work, your actual life — whatever the worry has been crowding out
Trust yourself again… both your read on your body and your ability to handle whatever the next appointment brings
-
Both options are available for Georgia residents. For residents of Florida and Colorado, we meet online via phone or video.
Online and in-person are equally effective, so it comes down to your location and preference. Online sessions are great for clients with fragrance and chemical sensitivities, fatigue exacerbated by travel, or any other reason that travel is difficult.
You might be wondering…
-
We do not accept insurance. However, we will provide you with a medical receipt (aka: a superbill) that you can use to submit your claims to your insurance. You can also use your FSA/HSA for our appointments.
Destiny and Rachel are currently unable to see clients who are on Medicare, regardless of payment type. Meaning, even if you decide to self-pay, we are legally unable to accept payment from you if you’re on Medicare.
Destiny’s Fees
A $250 per session fee is due at your appointment time via debit/credit/FSA/HSA cards. Sessions are 45-50 minutes.
To learn more about Destiny’s specialties, click here.
Rachel’s Fees
A $175 per session fee is due at your appointment time via debit/credit/FSA/HSA cards. Sessions are 45-50 minutes.
To learn more about Rachel’s specialties, click here.
-
Absolutely not. At The Chronic Illness Therapist, we recognize that physical and mental health are deeply interconnected. Anxiety can exacerbate physical symptoms, while unaddressed physical concerns can worsen anxiety.
I take a collaborative approach that:
Respects the importance of appropriate medical care while helping you manage the stress of diagnostic journeys
Supports you in communicating effectively with your healthcare providers about both physical symptoms and emotional concerns
Helps you distinguish between symptoms that warrant medical attention and those that may be amplified by anxiety
Works alongside your medical treatment rather than replacing it
Our goal is to help you develop a balanced approach where you can pursue necessary medical care without becoming overwhelmed by the process. Through this work, many clients find that as their nervous system regulation improves, certain physical symptoms may become less intense or disruptive, creating space for more effective medical treatment of underlying conditions.
-
Yes, I can communicate with your medical providers when it's helpful for your care, but always with your knowledge and consent. This collaborative approach often benefits clients in several ways:
Providing a holistic view of your experience that validates both physical symptoms and emotional impacts
Offering additional context to your healthcare providers about how symptoms affect your daily life
Supporting you in preparing for medical appointments so you can advocate effectively for yourself
Helping translate complex medical information in a way that reduces unnecessary anxiety
Ensuring that your physical and mental healthcare are aligned rather than working at cross-purposes
Before any communication happens, you and I will discuss exactly what information will be shared and received. You remain in control of your care coordination, and I see my role as supporting you in building productive relationships with your medical team while ensuring your concerns are taken seriously.
Looking for additional support but not therapy?
Welcome to the Waiting Room
A community membership for people living with chronic illness A space for conversation, reflection, and shared understanding with others who truly get it. Open to anyone, anywhere. Not therapy. No clinical relationship, just connection and insight. This is for people who want to feel less alone in it all.
Let’s quiet the noise together.
Book a discovery call to ask questions, share what’s been feeling hard, and explore if couples therapy is the right fit.
Recent Articles You Might Find Helpful…
