The Chronic Illness Therapist Podcast Episodes
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.
Responding From Trauma and Our Relationship with Chronic Pain and Disability with Rachelle Friedman LCSW
Rachelle Friedman LCSW is an Arizona-based therapist serving people with chronic pain and chronic illness. She shares her own experience with POTS, EDS, and MCAS in this episode, truly giving insight into what it's like to constantly feel like you have to fight to be heard. She talks about responding from trauma and how that impacts our relationships with our doctors. Her main goal is to help clients take charge of their lives in an ableist world - no easy task! She gives some really great, concrete examples of how to live with hope and calm instead of from a place of trauma.
You can find Rachelle on Instagram and TikTok @brainysocialworker.
Imperfectly Perfect: How Art Therapy Helps Chronic Pain and Perfectionism with Zara Drapkin LCSW
Zara Drapkin LCSW is an art therapist specializing in working with people with chronic pain and invisible illnesses. Zara gives us tangible art therapy exercises that you can try at home when you're looking for something to distract you enough from the distress of the pain but simultaneously help you connect to your body in a way that helps you take care of yourself.
Meet Destiny - Introduction to The Chronic Illness Therapist
In this episode, you'll meet Destiny Winters - a mental health therapist who specializes in helping people with chronic illnesses live full and meaningful lives despite chronic pain and invisible health issues. Destiny's assistant, Rachel, asks Destiny some really insightful questions to get the conversation started. We talk values, choices, self-compassion, community, and therapeutic modalities.