Health and Illness Counselling
Physical illness and health problems in yourself or a loved one can be extremely difficult to manage emotionally. Frequently, in addition to the disease or disorder at hand, there are psychological burdens that can go unnoticed or untreated. Caregivers often let their own needs take a back seat and can risk burnout. People with serious medical illness can become so focused on their disease or disorder that they forget to tend to their psychological health as well. People in chronic pain can easily become depressed, fearful, addicted to self-medication (prescribed or other) or lose hope.
Additionally, any kind of serious illness brings up thoughts of loss and death with are always scary to confront and wade through. Whether the disease is acute or chronic, in yourself or in a loved one, there is help and hope to manage the complex cascade of emotions that surround such serious life events. At Rivers Edge Counselling Centre, we have a dedicated team of therapists who are skilled at treating the emotional and psychological ramifications of serious illness in an individual and their loved ones.
Health and illness centered therapy can help:
Identify and understand the issues surrounding illness in yourself or a loved one
ease the psychological burden of confronting such serious issues
teach caregivers to take care of their own needs and desires
help those with chronic or terminal illness come to terms with their diagnosis
make pain and procedure management plans
teach mindfulness techniques to alleviate pain and anxiety
teach self-care and self-compassion
