When your body became the hard place
Therapy for medical trauma, chronic pain, and chronic illness, with people who take your body seriously.
Who this is for
Medical Trauma and Chronic Pain
This page is for individuals navigating the emotional impact of a frightening diagnosis, surgery, ICU stay, birth experience, or ongoing illness and chronic pain. It is also for healthcare professionals carrying the emotional weight of difficult or traumatic experiences from their work.
Sometimes life changes in ways you never expected. Your days may begin to revolve around appointments, treatments, and managing symptoms, while the activities, relationships, and parts of life that once brought you joy begin to feel further away. You may find yourself thinking, "My life has gotten so much smaller," or wondering how to feel like yourself again.
Living with pain or recovering from a medical experience can affect more than your physical health. It can change how you feel in your body, how you relate to others, and how safe and connected you feel in your everyday life. You deserve a space where all of these experiences are understood and supported.
What we work on
What clients bring to sessions
- Dread before appointments, tests, or hospital visits
- Flashbacks to a procedure or a moment of feeling powerless
- The tiring loop of pain, worry, and poor sleep
- Grief for the body and plans you had before
- Feeling dismissed by people who could not see your pain
How We Work With Medical Trauma & Chronic Pain
At a Pace That Meets You Where You Are
We recognize that your pain is real, and that living with ongoing symptoms or the aftermath of a medical experience can be exhausting. Our approach brings together an understanding of the connection between the body, nervous system, thoughts, and emotions to help you develop tools for navigating the challenges of daily life.
Somatic therapy and mindfulness-based practices can help you become more aware of your body's responses and find moments of grounding and ease. CBT and DBT skills can support you in managing overwhelming emotions, responding to difficult days, and navigating the stress that often accompanies chronic pain and illness.
When a medical experience has left you feeling frightened, overwhelmed, or disconnected, EMDR may help you process the memories and emotional impact of what happened. Parts Work (IFS) offers space to understand the different parts of yourself—including the part that feels angry, the part that is exhausted from trying to keep going, and the part that longs for life to feel different.
We meet you where you are, without judgment or pressure to push beyond what feels manageable. Together, we work toward greater stability, self-understanding, and reconnection with the parts of life that matter to you.
Sessions
55 Minutes, Online Sessions
Video means you can join from bed or the couch on a hard day. Tell us at the start how your body is doing, and we set the pace from there.
Sessions are typically scheduled once or twice weekly, with timing agreed together. Sessions are held as online sessions anywhere in Arizona, in English or Swahili.
What can shift
Healing is not about becoming who you were before. For many clients it looks like more room around the pain: an afternoon with a friend, a short walk outside, an appointment that no longer takes the whole week to recover from.
Consult and insurance
Start with a free 15 minute call
A free 15 minute phone consultation is a low effort first step on a high pain day. Send the request form and Lisa confirms a time.
- In network with Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona, and UnitedHealthcare.
- Superbills for out of network plans.
- Intake / assessment session: $220. Ongoing sessions (55 minutes): $160.
- Sliding scale is available for those who qualify. Ask us about our sliding scale when you reach out.
- Please give 24 hour notice to cancel, or the full session fee applies.
Questions
Common questions
Do you work with my doctors?
With your written authorization, we can coordinate with your physicians so your care pulls in one direction.
Can therapy help if my pain is physical?
Therapy does not replace medical care. It can help with the fear, low mood, sleep problems, and stress that often make pain harder to live with.
I work in healthcare. Is this page for me?
Yes. Medical trauma can come from the other side of the bed too, and we work with that.
