Chronic Pain & Illness Therapy
In person in West Los Angeles and online throughout California
When you live with chronic pain or illness, it can feel like your body has turned against you. You’ve tried everything—specialists, scans, medications—but nothing fully explains the exhaustion, the pain, the unpredictable flare-ups.
We know everyone has their own unique relationship with their body, and we’re here to guide and support you through your healing journey. With evidence-based tools grounded in the latest neuroscience, you’ll learn to understand your symptoms, respond to them differently, and create space for both physical relief and emotional healing.
After years of feeling like your body is the enemy, feeling safe in it is closer than you think.
Signs You Could Benefit from Chronic Pain and Illness Therapy
Whether you’re living with mind-body pain (real pain that’s caused or worsened by stress and your nervous system) or a diagnosed medical condition, the impact on your life is real. You could benefit from working with us if you notice:
-You’ve seen specialist after specialist, but your tests come back “normal” and you still don’t have answers
-You feel dismissed, or like people don’t believe how much you’re struggling
-You’re constantly scanning your body for the next symptom or flare-up
-You worry about your health so often that it’s hard to think about anything else
-You avoid activities, plans, or movement because you’re afraid of making things worse
-You push too hard on good days, then crash for days afterward
-Stress or strong emotions seem to make your symptoms worse
-You feel frustrated, angry, or betrayed by your body
-You’re grieving the life, energy, or plans you had before you got sick
-You feel isolated, or like a burden to the people you love
-You’ve lost touch with who you are outside of your symptoms
-You feel anxious, low, or hopeless about whether things will ever get better
-You’re navigating a cancer diagnosis, or you’ve finished treatment and are trying to make sense of what happened
You’ve spent so long searching for answers and pushing through pain. You’ve been stronger than anyone knows. Now it’s time to feel more at ease in your body again.
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Therapy doesn’t replace your medical care. It works alongside it to support your mind, body, and nervous system. At Live Well Psychology Group, we support women living with:
Chronic back, neck, and joint pain
Migraines and chronic headaches
Fibromyalgia
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and other digestive issues
TMJ and jaw pain
Pelvic pain and endometriosis
Autoimmune conditions, such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, MS, and Hashimoto’s
Chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS)
Long COVID
POTS and dysautonomia
Cancer diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship
Unexplained symptoms and conditions without a clear diagnosis
Health anxiety and medical trauma
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Your pain is real. But so is the powerful connection between your brain, your nervous system, and your body. When your nervous system has been on high alert for a long time, it can start sending “danger” signals even when your body is no longer in immediate harm. Stress, fear, and past experiences can turn up the volume on symptoms and make flare-ups feel harder to recover from.
That’s not your fault, and it doesn’t mean your pain is “all in your head.” It means your nervous system has been working overtime to protect you, and with the right support, it can learn to settle.
Mind-body therapy works with both your mind and your body. Using approaches like Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT), Somatic Thearpy, and Mindfulness, you’ll learn to notice your symptoms with curiosity instead of fear, calm your body’s stress response, and gently retrain the brain’s pain signals over time. When you have a diagnosed medical condition, this work can help you cope with symptoms, flares, and the emotional weight of living with illness.
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Through mind-body therapy, you can:
Respond to pain and flare-ups with less fear and panic
Reduce the intensity or frequency of symptoms for many types of pain
Break the cycle of pushing too hard and then crashing
Feel less consumed by health anxiety and body-scanning
Process the grief, anger, and frustration of living with illness
Feel more confident moving, resting, and planning your life again
Rebuild trust and a sense of safety in your body
You don’t have to keep fighting your body on your own. We’ll help you find a new way forward, one that feels calmer, steadier, and more like you.
How we help
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Fear and avoidance can keep pain going. When you’re hurting, it makes sense to brace, hold back, and steer clear of anything that might trigger a flare-up. But over time, the more we avoid, the more our brain learns that the body is in danger, and the more sensitive the pain system can become.
Think of us as your guides. We’ll help you find the balance between gently reconnecting with the movements, activities, and parts of life you’ve been avoiding and honoring what your body truly needs. This isn’t about pushing through pain or ignoring your limits. You’re always in charge of the pace.
When you’re ready to approach what feels scary, you won’t do it alone. Our therapists will be the calm, regulated nervous system in the room with you, so your body can learn something new: you are safe. Even when you feel a sensation. Even when your mind expects the worst.
We believe deeply in the strength and resilience of every person we work with. Our evidence-based approach goes beyond talking. It helps you feel the change in your body and nervous system, not just understand it.
Most of all, we’ll help you rebuild trust in your body. Instead of living in fear of the next flare, you’ll have the tools to respond with calm and confidence. That sense of safety carries into every part of your life: your relationships, your career, and your health.
The modalities we use
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Pain is your brain’s alarm system. Sometimes, after an injury, illness, or long stretch of stress, that alarm stays switched on even when your body is no longer in danger. PRT helps you understand how this happens and gently retrain your brain to respond to sensations with safety instead of fear. Through techniques like reframing pain signals and approaching sensations with curiosity, many people find their pain becomes less intense, less frequent, and far less frightening.
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When your body hurts, it’s natural to want to tune it out. Many people with chronic pain or illness learn to disconnect, push through, or go numb just to get through the day. But when we lose touch with our bodies, we also lose access to their wisdom. Somatic therapy helps you build interoceptive awareness, which is your ability to sense what’s happening inside your body, like your heartbeat, your breath, tension, hunger, or fatigue. As this awareness grows, you can notice stress building before it turns into a flare, tell the difference between sensations that need attention and those that don’t, and give your body what it actually needs. Feeling your body, even when you don’t want to, is how you begin to trust it again.
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Mindful symptom tracking means noticing your sensations with curiosity instead of alarm. Where is it? What does it feel like? Is it shifting, even slightly? When you observe pain this way, you often discover it isn’t as fixed or constant as it seemed, and that noticing alone can calm your nervous system.
Mindfulness also teaches one of the most powerful skills for your mental health: living with your present moment instead of constantly wishing it were different. So much of our suffering comes from fighting what’s already here: replaying how life used to be, fearing what might come next, or feeling angry that things aren’t the way they should be. Acceptance doesn’t mean giving up or liking your pain. It means making peace with where you are right now, so you can stop spending your energy fighting reality and start putting it toward healing, connection, and the things that matter most to you.
Frequently Asked Questions
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We are currently in network with Aetna and Medicare.
For all other plans, we are considered out-of-network and can provide a superbill to help you receive reimbursement. -
A superbill is a detailed receipt that includes the information your insurance company needs to determine whether they will reimburse you for therapy.
You pay for sessions directly, and at the end of each month, we can provide a superbill for you to submit to your insurance company. Many clients receive partial reimbursement depending on their plan. -
Session rates range from $175–$300 for a 50-minute session, depending on:
The clinician’s education level
Years of experience
Specialty training
Type of therapy provided
Your therapist will review fees with you during your free consultation.
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We offer individual and couples therapy, both in-person and online.
Our clinicians use a wide range of evidence-based modalities tailored to your needs, including:CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy)
CPT (Cognitive Processing Therapy for trauma)
EFT (Emotionally Focused Therapy for couples & attachment)
ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy)
IFS (Internal Family Systems)
Somatic Therapy
Mindfulness-Based Interventions
During your consultation, we’ll learn more about your goals and match you with the best clinician for your needs.
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Yes. Everything you share in therapy is confidential and protected by law.
There are only a few exceptions where therapists are legally required to break confidentiality—such as if someone is in immediate danger or if abuse of a minor, elderly, or dependent adult is disclosed.
Your therapist will go over these rare exceptions during your intake so you always know exactly how your information is protected. -
Yes, at this time we offer both telehealth and in person sessions at our office in West LA.
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Yes. Research shows that online therapy is just as effective as in-person therapy for most concerns.
Multiple studies found that telehealth produced similar clinical outcomes to traditional therapy, including for anxiety, depression, trauma, and stress-related conditions.
Many clients also find it easier to fit sessions into their schedules and feel more comfortable opening up from home. -
It depends on your needs, goals, and the type of support you’re seeking. Some clients notice meaningful change in a few months, while others prefer longer-term support to work through deeper patterns, life transitions, or trauma.
Your therapist will collaborate with you to create a personalized plan and check in regularly to make sure therapy continues to feel aligned and helpful. -
You’ll start with a free 30-minute consultation where you can meet your therapist, share what you’re looking for, and ask questions.
We believe therapy should feel collaborative and personalized. Your clinician will partner with you to clarify your goals, set the pace, and build a therapeutic relationship that feels supportive—not overwhelming. -
Our standard therapy sessions are 50 minutes long, which research shows is the ideal length for focused, meaningful therapeutic work. If you and your clinician decide that a longer session would be helpful—for example, during trauma work, couples therapy, or deep processing—you can arrange an extended appointment ahead of time.
Most clients begin with weekly sessions to build momentum, strengthen skills, and create a steady foundation for growth. As you begin to feel more grounded and confident, you and your therapist may shift to biweekly or monthly sessions to support long-term maintenance and integration.
Therapy is always individualized—your clinician will help you find a rhythm that matches your needs, your goals, and your nervous system.
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We ask for 24 hours’ notice if you need to cancel or reschedule an appointment.
Cancellations with less than 24 hours’ notice will be charged the full session fee.
We offer one grace cancellation. -
A strong therapeutic connection is essential.
If you don’t feel the therapist is the right fit, please let us know. We’ll gladly help you transition to another clinician on our team—no pressure, no judgment. Your healing is what matters.