One green irridescent hummingbird feeding another hummingbird at night while both are perched on a branch

Managing Chronic Illness
and Complex Needs

The hummingbird is a symbol for accomplishing that which seems impossible. It will teach you how to find the miracle of joyful living from your own life circumstances.

Ted Andrews
Father touching the cheek of his sick daughter

Almost all families face challenges when a child has a chronic illness or complex need.

Chronic stress from medical care and/or specific demands can lead to mental health challenges such as depression or anxiety about the future.

What are some emotional challenges of chronic illness?

  Common concerns…

  •  Is your head spinning with all the medical and/or technical information you were provided about the care required to address the symptoms of a chronic illness or a new complex care need?

  • Are you finding it difficult to explain a medical condition or complex care need to others?

  • Do you have trouble figuring out how to incorporate daily treatments into your day to day life?

  • Are you struggling with specific procedures, medications, hospitalizations and restrictions in physical activity, or potential absences from school or social activities that are required for appropriate care of the chronic illness or complex need?

  • Do you find it difficult to manage the different roles involved in caring for the medical condition or complex care need?

  • Are you feeling isolated? Is it hard to know what or how much to share when you connect with others? Is it hard to figure out how to even connect with others while managing the complex medical condition?

  • Are you constantly worried about potential future complications of the medical condition, such as unexpected setbacks or rehospitalization?

  • Are you having trouble coping with unpredictable changes and feeling stressed by a lack of control over the future or potential setbacks? Are you feeling “burnt out” by constant care demands?

  • Do you struggle with sadness and strong negative thoughts about the future when functioning decreases, difficult symptoms increase, or challenges attending school or attending activities surface?

  • Does your anxiety about the complex need make you overprotective and focused on staying away from any activities that may introduce new challenges, uncomfortable interactions, or potential safety concerns?

  • Are you more focused on experiencing only positive things because the complex need is hard enough to manage?

  • Are you having trouble taking care of your own mental and physical health or your relationship with others while managing the complex need?

How can therapy help me?

Therapy can help....

  • provide a safe space to share all your concerns and make it easier to come to terms with the medical condition or complex need

  • Improve your ability to understand or feel comfortable asking questions about medical terms and outcomes related to the medical condition or complex care need

  • Improve your ability to talk to others in a way that identifies support needs or that creates feelings of safety and security

  • Develop coping strategies for dealing with the more challenging aspects and care demands of the medical illness or complex need

  • Encourage pride in your ability to meet care needs in the moment

  • Encourage recognition and communication of feelings that may have been too scary to focus on or share with others

  • Develop greater understanding of helpful and unhelpful coping processes for managing complex needs and related difficulties

  • Set the stage for creating as normal a life as possible for all family members, within constraints of the complex need

  • Provide support and permission to invest in self-care, such as nutrition and exercise, and in rejuvenating activities for yourself and your family members

Finding time for therapy can be hard when you have so many additional medical or therapy appointments to manage; however, individual therapy can help you more easily adjust to any changes communicated during medical or follow up appointments and ultimately improve their positive impact. 

When you engage in therapy you will experience collaborative support, allowing you to identify your support needs and the goals for each session. Therapy will be focused on increasing your emotional well-being and your ability to cope with a medical illness’ or complex need’s mental and physical demands. 

Therapy can provide a safe space to help you feel heard and understood. If you feel more supported, you are better able to take care of yourself and the medical condition or complex need. Using evidence-based treatment strategies, like cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness, and acceptance encourages the development of coping methods and realistic hope for thriving in adversity. The ultimate goal is to help you and your family handle unexpected roadblocks to find a brighter path forward.

Therapy that focuses on evidence-based support strategies can help you improve your family’s engagement in healthy behaviors, medical coping, medication adherence, general self-confidence, and acceptance. 

If you are interested in support that encourages positive psychological adjustment as well as family well-being and resilience, please reach out to set up a free 15 minute consultation.

Schedule Your Free 15-Minute Consultation

Erin Armer, PhD (PSY31832) is a licensed clinical psychologist and certified Perinatal Mental Health Professional (PMH-C) at Brightways Psychology in Palo Alto, California. Virtual therapy is available statewide across California.