Being yourself and doing what you love can feel hard when coping with illness. Adjusting to a new diagnosis or medical regimen can be challenging. Sickness, fatigue, and pain can leave you feeling anxious and depressed. You’re wondering, “How will I function? Will my life ever feel normal again?”
Young people with chronic illness can struggle with symptoms and pain management, making it difficult to cope. Worries about getting sick can stop a child from going out with friends. Missing school can lead to overwhelming amounts of make-up work. Fatigue can reduce activity and participation in once loved sports. Juggling new medical regimens can be a lot to handle. Communicating with care providers can be challenging.
Chronic illness also can interfere with daily functioning.
Children and young adults with a chronic illness may be absent from school more than others due to their symptoms. And, of course, this impact on school attendance can impact learning and school performance. Or, a student may go to school but have difficulty fully engaging in learning because of their symptoms. Furthermore, family and social relationships can change with the onset of a chronic illness. Involvement in enjoyable activities can become more challenging. Other related health problems, such as problems sleeping, decreased appetite, and mood changes can accompany chronic illness. It’s hard to live with a chronic illness and symptoms that set you apart from everyone else.
It’s hard to be a “kid” when you have a chronic illness.
The various symptoms of a chronic illness can make it difficult to “be a kid.” And when a young person no longer feels like themselves, their mood can become more anxious and depressed and management of chronic illness can become more challenging. Now, as a parent, you’re worried not only about your child’s physical health but about anxiety, depression, and overall mental health. Furthermore, overwhelming anxiety is making your child’s physical symptoms even worse. You want to do everything you can as parents to support your child or young adult. But you’re tired too. And you’re not sure what else to try.
Therapy for chronic illness in Maryland can help.
Supporting your child through a chronic illness can feel difficult. Let us help.
When you think of treatment for chronic migraines, IBS, diabetes, or other chronic illness, psychotherapy might not be the first thing that comes to mind. However, therapy can be a powerful tool as your family learns to cope with and treat your child’s illness. You want your child and family to keep functioning despite this diagnosis. And our psychologists can help. At Thinking Tree Psychology, Dr. Lindsay Clendaniel provides cognitive and behavioral intervention (CBT) to help young people learn strategies to cope with chronic medical conditions and improve daily functioning. Families come to our Severna Park therapy clinic from all over the Baltimore area to get effective, skilled help. It’s possible for your family to feel more in control of this illness and for your child to still be a kid.
Examples of conditions seen by our psychologists
Our expert psychologists understand that every illness has its own set of symptoms and complications. We are used to working with individuals facing a wide range of physical symptoms. Some of the common physical illnesses our clients may experience include:
Inflammatory Bowel Disease
New Persistent Daily Headache
Migraine Headache
Celiac Disease
Functional Abdominal Pain
Diabetes Mellitus
Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS)
Fibromyalgia
Other illness or pain conditions that are exacerbated by stress/anxiety
Other chronic illnesses
Therapy for Chronic Illness
Our psychologists have helped numerous young people learn to cope with chronic illness and thrive in their everyday lives. They have helped children learn about their bodies and illness. Our psychologists specialize in helping youth gain control of their health and cope with symptoms. They have witnessed teens and young adults learn to take charge of their health and advocate for their well-being. Furthermore, our psychologists have supported young people in understanding the importance of self-care and helped foster their independence with illness and treatment responsibilities. Through therapy, our psychologists have guided young people through their journey of learning to engage in life while coping with symptoms. Your child’s illness does not need to stop them from reaching their full potential. We can help.
Thinking Tree Psychology approach to Therapy for Chronic Illness
Change can happen. If your child is experiencing challenges related to coping with chronic illness, we can help.
As chronic illness experts, our psychologists are trained in mental health techniques shown by research to help with symptom and pain management. Using evidence-based therapy interventions like cognitive and behavior therapy (CBT) techniques, acceptance-based intervention, relaxation, mindfulness, biofeedback, and hypnosis, our psychologists can guide your child down the path of healing and healthy adjustment.
Who benefits from therapy for chronic illness?
Therapy for Chronic Illness services are available at Thinking Tree Psychology for children, adolescents, and young adults, ages 5 through college age. Our psychologists will provide treatment for adults on a case-by-case basis, so be sure to contact us with questions if you are an adult interested in services.
Whether your child was recently diagnosed with a chronic illness or they have been learning to manage their illness for years, therapy for chronic illness at Thinking Tree can support your child through the different stages of adjustment to chronic illness. Below are some potential focuses of treatment across childhood and into young adulthood. While many of these issues are not specific to a particular age range, parents of children with chronic illness often report many of the following concerns.
While our therapy clinic is located in Severna Park, our clients come from everywhere from Arnold to Annapolis, Pasadena, Crofton, Odenton, and Bowie. Essentially, if you are looking for psychologists who truly understand chronic illness and you can make the drive to Severna Park (or meet virtually online), we are here to help.
Therapy for Chronic Illness in Early Childhood:
Understanding diagnosis and illness in terms a child can understand
Behavioral plans to improve compliance with medical regimens
Adjustment to changes in routine
Adjustment to changes in activities
Navigating school work and school attendance with chronic illness
School-related anxiety
Management of medical or procedure-related anxiety
Pill-swallowing
Helping parents talk about dividing caregiving responsibilities
Therapy for Chronic Illness in Adolescence:
Navigating friendships and peer relationships while coping with chronic illness (e.g. What will my friends think?)
Family communication about medical regimens
Adherence to medical regimens
Adjusting to illness and treatment related responsibilities
Empowering adolescents to take charge of their health
Improving health behaviors (sleep, physical activity, eating/diet, daily routine)
Adjusting to increased demands in school while coping with chronic illness
Managing mood changes related to adjustment to illness and related medication
Therapy for Chronic Illness in Young Adulthood:
Support in navigating romantic relationships and friendships (e.g. How do I tell my significant other about my illness?)
Navigating career and new living situations while coping with illness
Managing school responsibilities
Improving independence with health and self-care
Empowering young adults to effectively communicate their questions and needs to health care providers
Addressing concerns about the impact of chronic illness on their future
What is it like to work with a therapist at Thinking Tree Psychology?
While our psychologists are always trained in evidence-based approaches to chronic illness management, each provider may address symptoms a bit differently. Therefore, the best person to hear from are the clinicians themselves! Here’s how our psychologists describe their approach in their own words:
Dr. Lindsay Clendaniel describes her chronic illness treatment approach:
“My work with youth focuses on increasing coping skills through relaxation training, mindfulness and thinking approaches with the goal of improving symptom management and wellness. I enjoy working with clients and families who are ready to learn. When a young person is invested in understanding their brain and body and is willing to use this information to help improve their symptoms, the outcomes are exciting. Watching a young person grow and improve their physical and mental well-being with their own grit and determination is a highlight of my job.”
Begin Therapy for Chronic Illness in Severna Park
Chronic illness does not need to control your child’s life. Therapy can help your child learn to cope and thrive and be themselves again! Our Severna Park therapy office has skilled psychologists who specialize in supporting your child with chronic illness management. To start your therapy journey, follow these simple steps:
Meet with one of our caring psychologists
Start helping your child get their life back
Other services at Thinking Tree Psychology
Therapy for chronic illness is not the only service we offer at Thinking Tree Psychology in Severna Park. Our skilled psychologists provide a wide range of mental health services to help your entire family thrive. Other mental health services provided by Thinking Tree Psychology include family therapy, psychoeducational testing, therapy for anxiety, therapy for young adults & nature-informed therapy. At this time, we are also offering telehealth psychology services as a convenient, safe way to attend therapy. Please visit our therapy overview page to learn more about additional therapy services. For other questions, please visit our FAQ page.