Therapy for Chronic Illness

Specialized Mental Health Support for Invisible Illnesses, Medical Trauma, and Complex Diagnoses

“If you have just one provider who you feel supported by, I want to be that person for you.”

Your symptoms and experiences are REAL, and you won’t have to try and convince us of that.

You’re Tired of Explaining Invisible Illness

You feel tired most days, but that’s only the beginning of your symptoms. You feel nauseous, your body aches, and maybe you get debilitating migraines. You’ve explained your symptoms to half a dozen doctors, only to experience gaslighting. They write your symptoms off as “anxiety” and “depression,” and maybe you’ve even been told that your symptoms are simply a result of trauma. Doctors tell you that you “just need to change your diet!” You sit on waitlists for months, only to finally reach your appointment and then leave frustrated and confused. Your insurance company suddenly decides to stop covering your medication, leaving you with an alternative that makes you feel worse than before. The people who were supposed to help you only made things worse, and maybe they’ve even blamed you for being sick. You don’t want to keep trying, but you know that you’re only getting sicker and sicker. YOU know that your symptoms and experiences are real, and you’re tired of being gaslit and dismissed by medical professionals.

We believe you.

Living with chronic illness can feel like a full-time job that you didn’t apply for. Between managing doctor visits, advocating for care, and trying to maintain your relationships, you’re exhausted. You don’t want to keep searching for someone who understands.

At Wandering Pine Wellness, we see you. We provide trauma-informed therapy for individuals navigating chronic illness and complex medical conditions, including Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) and related syndromes like POTS, MCAS, and chronic pain.

Misdiagnosis, waitlists, insurance…

If you have just one provider who you feel supported by, I want to be that person for you. Even if you feel isolated right now, know that you’re not alone. Maybe you’ve been on the journey pursuing a diagnosis, or trying to correct a misdiagnosis and are feeling lost. You want tools to better communicate your needs to doctors who are dismissive. You want to learn some tricks to navigate the insurance system better. You want to learn how to identify good doctors and spot bad ones. You want to feel empowered and confident in navigating the healthcare system. You want to be able to cancel plans with friends without feeling guilty. We can support you with all of these things, and more.

Common Experiences We Support

  • Co-occurring conditions like POTS, dysautonomia, MCAS, chronic fatigue, or fibromyalgia

  • Living with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS), hEDS, or suspected connective tissue disorders

  • Chronic pain and its impact on mood, relationships, and identity

  • Medical trauma and repeated invalidation by healthcare providers

  • Difficulty balancing your health needs with work, relationships, or parenting

  • Grieving the life you had before your diagnosis

  • Feeling misunderstood or dismissed by others, including friends and family

  • Struggles with anxiety, depression, PTSD, and burnout related to your conditions

Therapy for EDS and Related Conditions

Many of our clients with EDS also live with:

  • Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS)

  • Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS)

  • Small Fiber Neuropathy

  • ADHD, Autism, or Sensory Processing Differences

  • PTSD and complex trauma

  • Sleep disorders and chronic fatigue

Therapy isn’t about “fixing” these conditions. Therapy is about helping you adapt, cope, and reconnect with a sense of safety and autonomy in a body that often feels unpredictable.

The Emotional Toll of Living with Chronic Illness

Living with an invisible illness like EDS can lead to deep emotional wounds, including:

  • Medical trauma: You may have had doctors dismiss your symptoms, perform painful or unnecessary procedures, or overlook critical diagnoses.

  • Isolation: Friends may not understand why you cancel plans or need extra accommodations.

  • Shame and self-blame: You might feel like a burden or question whether your symptoms are “real enough” to matter.

  • Loss of identity: Illness can change how you see yourself. This includes how you see yourself as a partner, a parent, or a professional

  • Burnout from self-advocacy: Navigating insurance denials, scheduling appointments, and researching treatments is exhausting.

What to Expect in Therapy for Chronic Illness

We offer neurodiversity-affirming and trauma-informed therapy to help you:

  • Processing grief, fear, and frustration related to your condition

  • Building tools for coping with pain and fatigue

  • Reconnecting with your body in a way that feels safe and supportive

  • Setting boundaries with providers, friends, or family

  • Challenging internalized ableism and shame

  • Exploring the emotional side of medical decision-making

  • Addressing how your illness affects your identity, relationships, and self-worth

  • Navigating career changes, disability paperwork, or advocacy

We understand that some days, just showing up is the win, and we’ll meet you there.

We use a range of evidence-based and compassionate approaches, including:

  • EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing): to process medical trauma and internalized beliefs like “I’m a burden” or “I’m broken.”

  • Internal Family Systems (IFS): to help you navigate internal conflicts, grief, and identity shifts.

  • Mindfulness: adapted for energy limitations and sensory sensitivity.

  • Somatic and body-based approaches: with a deep respect for pain, pacing, and accessibility.

  • Collaborative care: When requested, we’re happy to coordinate with your medical team or specialists.

Many therapists don’t fully understand the lived experience of chronic illness or the diagnostic odyssey that comes with EDS. At Wandering Pine Wellness, we recognize that:

  • You may have medical trauma even without a single “event.”

  • You may be navigating disability paperwork, job accommodations, or inaccessible environments.

  • Internalized ableism and medical gaslighting can impact how you view your own needs.

  • The healthcare system can retraumatize you, and therapy should be a place that it doesn’t.

We also understand that neurodivergence and chronic illness often intersect. You may be masking, struggling with executive functioning, or overwhelmed by sensory input. We adapt our work to honor your communication style, pacing, and access needs.

How Our Therapists Can Help

Why Specialized Support Matters

Maybe the description above is something you’ve already experienced, and you’re exhausted after going through that journey and finally receiving a diagnosis. While you feel validated by having a diagnosis, you’re also grieving your former life and the way that things “used to be.”

Through our work together, you’ll embrace a newfound sense of peace and acceptance, not just towards your illness, but towards yourself as a whole. You’ll feel empowered to stand against the systems that have let you down. You’ll feel liberated from the weight of constant worry and self-doubt. You’ll uncover layers of resilience you never knew existed.

We offer virtual therapy throughout Nevada, Washington, and Colorado, and in-person sessions in Las Vegas. We know you may:

  • Need to cancel due to flare-ups or medical appointments

  • Have difficulty with long sessions or rigid formats

  • Need accommodations like resting during session, using fidgets, or adjusting lighting/sound

That’s not a problem. We welcome you as you are, and we’re committed to creating a space that works for you.

So, now what?

FAQ

FAQ

  • Nope! You can attend in person when you’re feeling well, or online if that feels like the best fit.

  • You can attend your sessions in clothes that make you feel comfortable. If that means that you attend in your pajamas while wrapped in a blanket, that’s okay with us!

  • We ask that you let your therapist know as soon as you know you won’t be attending an appointment. Though all of our therapists have different cancellation policies, your therapist might be able to see you sometime during the same week to “make up” for the appointment. Your therapist will also work with you to determine a session frequency (weekly, bi-weekly, etc.) that’s a good fit for you.

  • We won’t turn you away if you’ve been diagnosed with a terminal illness. Just know that we most often support folks with chronic illness, and are not as versed in this area.

  • Yes! We’d be happy to help with this. Our therapists have personal experience with this as well.

  • In our experience, you’re most likely to get approved for disability or FMLA when a medical provider signs your forms. That said, we’d be happy to have a conversation with your medical provider (after you sign a release form, of course), to advocate for you and support you in getting the paperwork filled out correctly.

WE’RE HERE FOR YOU!