Chronic Illness Gestalt Therapy

Chronic Illness

Chronic illness has the ability to affect you in more ways than just medically. In fact, it can impact you psychologically. The degree of impact is dependent on the person's personality and the circumstances before the diagnosis. Support structure plays an important role on a person's ability to cope, but oftentimes, a person has to go through various stages of dealing with the condition before they are able to adjust to the realities of the chronic illness.

When a person is diagnosed with a chronic illness, he or she will go through a number of stages similar to the stages of grief. Denial, disbelief and shock are just some of the emotions a person experiences when a diagnosis is made, and it's natural for them to resist major changes. Eventually, they will become exhausted, when all they really want to do is to recover. At that point, fear and anxiety will set in and worry in the face of uncertainty of the future.

Sadness, grief and depression are common emotions when they consider the possibility of lost goals, hopes and dreams. Losing independence is a real fear, which becomes inevitable if an illness progresses and that brings about the fear of being a burden to loved ones, which brings on more anger, resentment and even shame.

Counselling can help a person to deal with the emotions relating to chronic illness and to cope with the stress and anxieties of accepting and coping with life changes. It will help to regain personal control over life and yourself.

If you are looking for a counsellor or psychologist who works with in chronically ill individuals you may want to search the directory to find a professional whose approach will suit you best.

Gestalt Therapy

Gestalt Therapy helps clients to understand the connection between their physical bodies and emotional states. When a person understands their internal motivations, it is easier to understand the external behaviours and reactions. Gestalt Therapy can help a client to develop that awareness through self-discovery. It will empower a client to develop coping skills to help him or her through stressful situations.

Gestalt Therapy beliefs that we all have all the answers within us, and it can help us to develop a greater sense of acceptance, of ourselves and of other people. As such, Gestalt Therapy can help people to improve relationships, improve decision making and gain confidence. It is a useful approach for dealing with a range of psychological issues, including PTSD, addiction, anxiety, tension and depression.

If you are looking for a therapist who offers Gestalt Therapy, please browse our list of practitioners below..

Note: You may narrow your search by selecting more than one filter below.

Faye Shedletzky

M.Ed., CCC
    • Online booking
Are you a highly sensitive person or empath struggling with anxiety, overwhelm or grief as you navigate your days?  These are complicated times and you are not alone in this struggle.  It is possible to find... Read more

Chelsea Stenner

M.A., RCC
    • Online booking
I am a Registered Clinical Counsellor (#15201) and a Canadian Certified Counsellor (#10002791). I have a Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. The first thing I want you to know... Read more

Elaine Zbitniff

M.A., RCC
Elaine is a registered clinical counsellor and has former experience as a registered nurse in the specialties burns and plastic surgery unit and in a hospice. Her knowledge as a nurse has been informative to... Read more

Steven Lake

M.Ed., CCC
Dr. Lake has a PhD in Educational Administration. He has a personal interest in emotion and crisis management and created a Model Of Effective Crisis Management for his dissertation. His Master's degree is in... Read more