Adjustment to and coping with a chronic health condition
Living with a chronic health condition—like diabetes, gastrointestinal issues, cancer, or chronic pain syndromes—can feel overwhelming, no matter your age. For both adults and young people, the emotional impact can be just as challenging as the physical symptoms.
At LiveWell Psychology, we’re here to walk alongside you and your family, offering support that’s tailored to where you are in life. Coping with a new diagnosis or ongoing condition can feel overwhelming, but you don’t have to go through it alone.
Hearing the words “you have…” can turn life upside down. Whether it’s you or your child, those first weeks and months often feel confusing, frightening, or even surreal. Therapy provides a safe space to process what a diagnosis means, work through fears, and begin moving toward stability. Both new and long-term conditions can stir up big emotions, from anxiety to depression. Whether you’re an adult juggling life’s demands or a teen navigating school and friendships, Dr. Tomasula helps you develop healthy ways to manage stress and low mood, so emotions don’t make physical symptoms worse. It’s also natural to grieve the life you imagined before a diagnosis. Together, we’ll honor that loss while also making space for hope and acceptance in the present.
Adjusting to new routines—like medication schedules, dietary changes, or energy limitations—can feel daunting. Dr. Tomasula works with clients to create flexible, realistic plans that fit into daily life, whether you’re balancing work as an adult or adapting to changes at school or home as a young person. Since stress often intensifies after a diagnosis and continues throughout life with a chronic condition, therapy also focuses on calming strategies that support both mind and body, helping you and your child navigate daily challenges with greater ease.
Therapy can also help shift perspective after a diagnosis. Using approaches like Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dr. Tomasula guides you or your child in connecting with values and strengths, while Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) provides practical coping tools. Over time, resilience grows—not only in managing the diagnosis but also in facing everyday life with greater confidence. Evidence-based therapy equips both adults and youth with skills to adapt, problem-solve, and build hope for the future.
At LiveWell Psychology, we believe coping with a chronic health condition is about more than just managing symptoms—it’s about learning to live well, even in the face of change. We’re here to support you and your loved ones in adjusting to new diagnoses, navigating ongoing challenges, and building the strength to move forward. If you or your child could use extra support, please reach out. Sometimes the most powerful step is simply realizing you don’t have to face it alone.
Additional Resources
Alongside therapy, trusted resources can be a valuable part of the journey toward emotional well-being. We recommend exploring:
Meg Foundation - offers evidence-based resources to help children, teens, and adults build skills for managing pain, stress, and medical procedures with greater confidence.
Newly Diagnosed with Diabetes - the American Diabetes Association provides resources and lifestyle suggestions for individuals living with this diagnosis
Gut–Brain Disorders: From Recognition to Treatment - an article from Harvard Health Publishing about how to recognize and treat disorders of gut-brain interaction