Meaning making while living with a chronic medical condition

Many of my patients have “invisible” diseases. These include autoimmune conditions, disorders of brain and gut (GI), Crohn’s disease, lupus, and chronic fatigue. Many of my patients see multiple medical subspecialists, coordinate a slew of doctor’s appointments, and need to prioritize their health— all the while trying to have “normal” lives.

I am a health psychologist —an expert in chronic illness and the impact it has on friendships, family relationships, parenting, work, and school. Many of my patients are queer and hold different identities across race, sexuality, gender, neurodiversity, and values.

You can read about my academic accolades on my CV - but I would rather you get to know me as a person and my approach to care here.

Medical Condition Expertise

  • Functional Abdominal Pain

    Crohn’s Disease

    Ulcerative Colitis

    Rumination

    Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)

    Incontinence

    Potty Training

    Cyclic Vomiting

  • Lupus

    Chronic Lyme

    Hepatitis encephalitis

    Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

  • Anorexia

    Binge Eating Disorder

    Avoidant Restrictive Intake Disorder (ARFID)

    Restrictive Eating

  • Colorectal Conditions

    Anorectal Malformations

    Hirschsprung’s Disease

  • Support for parents with CHARGE SYNDROME, FIRES, and many other chronic diseases

  • Turner’s Syndrome

    Hashimoto’s

    Addison’s Disease

  • TBI (traumatic brain injury)

    concussion

    spastic paraplegia

  • Ovarian cysts

    endometriosis

Chronic Illness and therapy -how we work together

  • Provide support and counseling to individuals, couples, and families as you adjust to a new diagnosis or a serious medical condition

  • Talk about how chronic health gets in the way of relationships, marriages, sex, employment, college

  • Navigate body changes

  • Fertility and family planning

  • Medical decision making

  • Fatigue and how to take care of yourself

  • Living your new normal with vitality

  • Accepting what you cannot change

  • Advocating - School and work adjustments

  • Friendships - how to keep connection when it is hard to explain to others what is going on in your body