This is an 8-week virtual Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT) group focused on teaching individuals mind-body strategies, as well as providing support to better manage chronic pain. Participants can expect to learn strategies that can assist them in increasing activity and function without necessarily eliminating their pain. Sample skills taught include: strategies for accepting chronic pain, mindfulness based techniques, exploration of values, and methods for taking committed action to help decrease pain suffering while increasing agency in ones’ life.
Hosted by Azi Ghaffari
Psychologist, PhD
Verified Verified
Group meets in Chicago, IL 60614
I also have a training specialty in working with individuals adjusting to chronic medical conditions including completion of pre-surgical psychological evaluations for bariatric surgery, spinal cord stimulator, & pain pump placement.
My approach to therapy is holistic and incorporates the connection of the mind, body and emotions. Clients have described me as warm, supportive, non-judgmental and calm. My goal is to help better manage your thoughts, feelings, and to help you feel happier and healthier. I welcome the opportunity to join your journey to healing and recovery.
This is a safe and affirming Zoom community for "spoonies" to find mutual support. Here, we come together to share our lived experiences navigating the challenges of chronic illness and ableist social structures that impact our mental and emotional well-being. We work together to cultivate mindfulness and self-compassion skills that can support us in coping and managing challenges more effectively. Some insurance plans accepted; out of pocket cost per session is $40, and limited sliding scale spots are also available. Open to anyone residing in IL. Ongoing enrollment; we ask for at least a 6-session commitment, with the option to continue longer.
Hosted by Niki T Colon
Clinical Social Work/Therapist, AM, LSW
Verified Verified
Group meets in Chicago, IL 60602
Are you a chronically ill person who feels unheard or dismissed? Are you struggling with navigating life as a Queer, TGNC, poly, or kinky person? Or with AFAB-specific health conditions (Endometriosis, etc.)? My work centers marginalized identities, including those who are chronically ill, disabled, queer, TGNC, poly, and/or kinky. My lived experiences navigating chronic illness, ableism, survivorship, and Bi+ invisibility have taught me compassion and the importance of rest as an act of resistance against oppressive systems. In the words of Audre Lorde, self-care “is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare.”
This is a virtual support group that will be held over HIPPA-compliant Zoom. Chronic pain is inherently isolating. Over the course of 12 group sessions, this support group is intended to offer support through community, connection to peers who face similar struggles, and tangible skills to cope with and accept pain as a part of daily life. As the group facilitator, I have both personal and professional experience with chronic pain. Please email me directly to inquire about enrollment: lindsay@resiliencecounselingllc.com
Hosted by Lindsay Sherman
Counselor, MAAT, LCPC
Verified Verified
Group meets in Chicago, IL 60661
I can also assist with learning self-advocacy in the medical world, brainstorm accommodations, and develop coping for when chronic pain or disability triggers feelings of hopelessness, depression, or anxiety.
Are you struggling with emotions, career, relationships, or chronic pain, but not sure how to move forward? As we've all experienced through the pandemic to certain degrees; life events can be unexpected, overwhelming, and traumatic. You deserve space to process what brings you to therapy with a professional who can validate your experiences and commit to working with you, at your pace, to develop solutions. I work from a culturally-aware, trauma-informed perspective to ensure that you feel seen and heard, and offer Art Therapy. Non-judgmental by nature, I collaborate with clients by building on strengths to overcome challenges.
This is a safe and affirming Zoom community for "spoonies" to find mutual support. Here, we come together to share our lived experiences navigating the challenges of chronic illness and ableist social structures that impact our mental and emotional well-being. We work together to cultivate mindfulness and self-compassion skills that can support us in coping and managing challenges more effectively. Some insurance plans accepted; out of pocket cost per session is $40, and limited sliding scale spots are also available. Open to anyone residing in IL. Ongoing enrollment; we ask for at least a 6-session commitment, with the option to continue longer.
Hosted by Niki T Colon
Clinical Social Work/Therapist, AM, LSW
Verified Verified
Group meets in Chicago, IL 60602
Are you a chronically ill person who feels unheard or dismissed? Are you struggling with navigating life as a Queer, TGNC, poly, or kinky person? Or with AFAB-specific health conditions (Endometriosis, etc.)? My work centers marginalized identities, including those who are chronically ill, disabled, queer, TGNC, poly, and/or kinky. My lived experiences navigating chronic illness, ableism, survivorship, and Bi+ invisibility have taught me compassion and the importance of rest as an act of resistance against oppressive systems. In the words of Audre Lorde, self-care “is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare.”
Come join our support group dedicated to joining likeminded women, ages 20-40, who are experiencing persistent pelvic pain. You are not alone, nor should you be experiencing this alone. We offer confidential, unparalleled support to those in need.
Hosted by Amy ( Freier ) Moran
Counselor, LCPC, CST
Verified Verified
Group meets in Chicago, IL 60602
I believe the most impactful element of our lives is our relationships, both with ourselves and our partners. As a counselor specializing in relational and sexual wellbeing, I work with individuals and couples to address common goals including enhancing the experience of sex and sexuality, improving empathy and emotional connection in a relationship, and reducing relational conflict. Working through these concerns can have an enormous impact on one's quality of life, as I have seen in working with clients courageous enough to do this deep work.
This monthly support group is dedicated to bringing folx (ages 20-40, vulva-owners) together who are experiencing persistent pelvic pain (e.g. endometriosis, vaginismus, and vulvodynia). This support group is for those with pelvic pain to have a place to talk honestly and openly about their thoughts and feelings related to pelvic pain. Our aim is to explore pelvic pain holistically, utilizing the benefits of peer support to help you better manage and reach your physical, emotional, and sexual goals. You are not alone nor should you be experiencing this alone. Group is currently virtual and open to all Illinois residents!
Hosted by Rebecca Patterson
Marriage & Family Therapist, LMFT
Verified Verified
Group meets in Chicago, IL 60602
I am dedicated to helping clients of all identities and sexual preferences rewrite the relational narratives that are no longer in alignment with their values, life stage, or desires. I particularly enjoy working with clients who are healing from trauma, struggling with desire, or experiencing anxiety—helping to guide them in creating a more connected relationship with their full authentic selves. I also help couples mindfully navigate consensual non-monogamy, kink, BDSM, and other unique relational dynamics, and encourage clients to craft their own scripts that fit their unique relational landscape.
Hosted by Robert Uri Heller
Psychologist, PhD
Verified Verified
Group meets in Chicago, IL 60611
The Nia 5 Stages of Self-Healing is an integrative practice based on the five stages of human development: embryonic, creeping, crawling, standing, and walking. Each stage is a foundation for the next. Combined, all five stages help people to integrate physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. When practiced daily and in the correct sequence these stages facilitate optimal alignment and function. The practice will allow your body to naturally reclaim mobility, flexibility, strength, agility and stability. This practice provides a way for the body to take care of itself, to self-heal.
Hosted by Mihaela Campion
Counselor, MA, LCPC, CCDVC, Certifi, Daring
Verified Verified
Group meets in Chicago, IL 60613
The ideal client is prepared for a new journey and experience.
Clients who work with me soon realize that their strength and freedom comes from within. They feel liberated from their emotional constrains and fears. Through therapy, my clients discover that "They" are the creators and drivers of their own lives. They experience emotional freedom that, in turn brings more balance in their lives. Clients achieve stress relief, improve their self-esteem and self-concept, and experience increased levels of satisfaction in their relationships. They experience an increased ability to work out conflicts in a constructive way.
Join Move Psychotherapist and EFT therapist, Lauren Jaimovich for a three-part EFT tapping series. Each session will incorporate a short introduction to the basics of Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), followed by longer experiential exercises where you will be guided through several rounds of tapping on a specific intention. Register via our website!
Hosted by Move Therapy and Wellness
LCSW, TIYT, LPC, E-RYT, LCPC
Verified Verified
Group meets in Chicago, IL 60613
We support adults and adults experiencing emotional challenges including chronic stress, anxiety, sadness and depression, low self-concept, self-doubt, feelings being stuck, overwhelmed or hopeless and struggles with identity development and relationship challenges.
More Groups Nearby
Telehealth group to support parents experiencing unexpected grief and/or traumatic loss. Meets once a week (probably Wednesdays at 10 am). Members first meet with Dr. Lombard individually, to ensure the group is a good fit for the level of support needed. Commitment to 6 sessions is expected, with longer participation possible.
Hosted by Lisa S. Lombard
Psychologist, PhD
Verified Verified
Group meets in Oak Park, IL 60302
I am a licensed clinical psychologist & work with adults and children managing illness and pain, traumatic loss and grief, and difficult anxiety I provide psychotherapy that integrates self-directed stress management skills, including hypnosis, mindfulness, guided imagery, and regulated breathing exercises.
You want to be well, content, and feel better. But, managing chronic health conditions, feeling overwhelmed by high levels of stress and anxiety, and facing unexpected and sudden loss/grief can be enormous tasks, especially during our challenging times. Across the lifespan, we face emotional, relational, and physical difficulties that are often best navigated when we are heard, supported, and able to cultivate the natural curiosity that invites us to change.
See more therapy options for Chicago
Chronic Pain Support Groups
How does chronic pain therapy work?
Engaging with a psychotherapist to help treat chronic pain does not mean that one’s pain is all in their head. Therapy for chronic-pain patients has been shown to benefit both the mind and the body, targeting physical symptoms and increasing daily functioning. In other words, for many, addressing their emotional health through therapy affects their physical health. A therapist can help a client challenge unhelpful thoughts about pain and develop new ways to respond to it, such as distraction or calming breathing techniques. Studies have found that therapy can be as effective as surgery for certain cases of chronic pain and many doctors recommend trying psychotherapy in advance of considering invasive surgery.
What are the most effective treatment options for chronic pain?
Stress, anxiety, depression, catastrophizing, ruminating, lack of activity, and social withdrawal all make chronic pain worse. Addressing these issues, research shows, can help people gain control over their pain symptoms. Therapeutic approaches such as cognitive behavioral therapy, biofeedback, and mindfulness-based stress reduction, along with greater pain-management education, have been found to help people reduce fear and disability.
Are there new treatments for chronic pain?
Many cases of chronic pain, particularly those involving back pain, remain medically unexplained. But there is evidence that changes in the brain or nervous system are caused by previous physical ailments such as tissue damage; in such cases, the brain may continue to send out pain signals despite the physical cause having healed. To aid patients under these circumstances, a recently developed treatment known as pain reprocessing therapy (PRT) is designed to help the brain “unlearn” this response. A PRT practitioner helps individuals to reduce the “threat value” of their ongoing pain signals until they can reappraise them as less threatening and fear-inducing. They also help an individual to develop new emotional regulation skills.
How long does therapy for chronic pain take?
There is no set timeline for recovery from chronic pain, especially as there may be a range of physical and psychological causes for any individual’s discomfort, but most patients should expect to see a therapist for a number of weeks or months, typically spanning at least 12 sessions. Studies of pain reprocessing therapy found that many individuals’ experience of pain lessened in eight sessions over four weeks.