Online Therapy for Health & Chronic Illness
Living with a health condition can affect far more than your physical health
A diagnosis, ongoing symptoms, pain, fatigue or uncertainty about your health can change how you feel about yourself, your body, your relationships, your work and the future.
You may be adjusting to a recent diagnosis, living with a condition that has been part of your life for years, recovering from serious illness or finding that persistent symptoms are beginning to take an emotional toll.
You do not have to manage that psychological impact alone.
At My Therapist Online, we provide online therapy for people living with chronic illness and other physical health conditions. Our clinical team can personally match you with a psychologist or therapist experienced in supporting people with serious illness, persistent pain, fatigue and the emotional impact of changes in physical health.
Specialist experience matters
Living with cancer, chronic pain or Long COVID can present very different psychological challenges. Our network includes Clinical Psychologists, Health Psychologists, CBT Therapists and other clinicians with specialist experience in physical health, pain, fatigue, cancer and long-term medical conditions.
Personal clinical matching · Free 15-minute introductory call · Online sessions across the UK
How Can Physical Health Affect Mental Health?
Physical and psychological health are very closely connected.
Living with illness can involve much more than managing symptoms or attending medical appointments. You may also be adapting to changes in your independence, identity, relationships, work, energy levels or plans for the future.
It is common to experience emotions such as:
anxiety or worry about your health
sadness or low mood
anger or frustration
grief for the life or health you previously had
fear about the future
uncertainty about symptoms or recovery
loss of confidence
changes in body image
loneliness or feeling misunderstood
difficulty accepting physical limitations
worry about becoming dependent on other people
guilt about the impact of illness on your family
difficulty adjusting to a changed role at home or work.
There is no single “right” way to respond to illness.
For some people, the emotional impact comes immediately after diagnosis. For others, it emerges months or even years later.
What Health Conditions Can Therapy Help You Cope With?
Our therapists work with people experiencing a wide range of acute and long-term physical health conditions.
These include:
Cancer and serious illness
Support may include adjusting to diagnosis, coping with treatment, living with uncertainty, fear of recurrence, changes in body image and adapting to life after treatment.
Chronic pain and persistent pain
Including chronic pain conditions, fibromyalgia and Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS).
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome / ME and Long COVID
Therapy can support adjustment to changes in energy, functioning, identity and uncertainty about recovery.
Neurological and progressive conditions
Including Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy and some cognitive or functional neurological difficulties.
Diabetes and other long-term medical conditions
Our therapists have experience supporting people living with conditions including diabetes, COPD, cardiac problems and renal conditions.
Gastrointestinal and functional symptoms
Including IBS and other persistent physical symptoms where stress, anxiety and emotional wellbeing may interact with physical symptoms.
Other Specialist Health Conditions
Several of our psychologists have worked within specialist NHS health psychology and hospital services, supporting people with renal conditions and other acute, long-term or complex physical health difficulties.
Adjusting to a New Diagnosis
Receiving a medical diagnosis can bring many different emotions: relief, fear, shock or all three at once.
Even when you expected the diagnosis, it can take time for your emotional response to catch up with what has happened.
You may find yourself thinking:
“What does this mean for my future?”
“Will I ever feel like myself again?”
“How much will my life have to change?”
“What if things get worse?”
“I should be coping better than this.”
Therapy can provide somewhere to process what has happened without feeling that you need to protect family members or appear positive.
It can also help you distinguish between the parts of your situation you can influence and those that may require adjustment, acceptance or support.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) can be particularly helpful when living with circumstances that cannot simply be changed. It can support you to make space for difficult thoughts and feelings while using your personal values as a guide towards what matters most to you.
The Grief That Can Come With Chronic Illness
Grief is not limited to bereavement.
Health problems can involve many less visible losses:
loss of physical ability
loss of independence
changes to work or career
changes in relationships
loss of spontaneity
reduced energy
changes to your appearance or body
loss of hobbies or activities
changes to future plans
loss of your previous sense of identity.
You may find yourself comparing your current life with how things were before illness.
Therapy can help you acknowledge those losses while gradually identifying what remains important and meaningful to you now.
Health Anxiety When You Have a Health Condition
One important point to include is that having a diagnosed medical condition does not mean you cannot also experience health anxiety.
You may understandably need to monitor symptoms and attend medical appointments, while also finding yourself increasingly caught in:
checking your body repeatedly
searching symptoms online
repeatedly seeking reassurance
fearing that every change means your condition has worsened
struggling to trust reassuring medical results
avoiding activities because you are frightened they might affect your health.
Therapy can help distinguish appropriate health monitoring from anxiety-driven checking and reassurance seeking.
Read more: Health Anxiety Therapy →HERE
Living With Pain, Fatigue or Unpredictable Symptoms
Persistent symptoms can affect almost every part of everyday life.
Pain or fatigue may influence what you can do, how much you socialise, your sleep, relationships and ability to work.
A particularly difficult part can be the unpredictability.
You may have good days followed by difficult days, making it hard to plan ahead or know how much activity is manageable.
Therapy may help you:
adapt activities around your current capabilities
respond differently to difficult thoughts about symptoms
manage frustration or self-criticism
recognise patterns of overdoing things followed by exhaustion
communicate your needs more confidently
protect activities that give your life meaning
cope with uncertainty about symptoms.
For chronic primary pain specifically, NICE recommends considering Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) or Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) for pain, delivered by appropriately trained health professionals.
Cancer and Psycho-Oncology Support
A cancer diagnosis can affect emotional wellbeing at every stage: diagnosis, treatment, remission, recurrence and living beyond cancer.
You may experience:
shock or disbelief
anxiety about treatment
fear of recurrence
changes in body image
uncertainty about the future
relationship or intimacy difficulties
worry about your family
loss of confidence
difficulties returning to work
grief or bereavement.
Macmillan notes that people can experience a wide range of emotional responses following cancer and that there is no right or wrong way to feel. Macmillan Cancer Support
MTO has psychologists with specialist experience in psycho-oncology, including Dr Lorena Tussis, who works specifically with cancer and the psychological impact of serious and long-term health conditions.
When Should I Consider Therapy?
You do not need to wait until you feel overwhelmed.
Therapy may be helpful if:
your health is taking up much of your mental space
you are struggling to come to terms with a diagnosis
you are frightened about your future
pain or fatigue is affecting your mood
you have withdrawn from activities you once enjoyed
your relationships are being affected
you feel guilty about needing help
you no longer feel like yourself
you are having difficulty returning to work or adapting your role
you feel anxious before tests or appointments
reassurance about your health never seems to last
your illness has contributed to depression, anxiety or low self-esteem.
Long-term physical health problems can increase vulnerability to depression, particularly when illness significantly affects day-to-day functioning. NICE has specific guidance for recognising and treating depression in people living with chronic physical health conditions.
How Can Therapy Help With Chronic Illness?
Therapy does not suggest that your physical symptoms are “all in your head”.
Nor is the aim necessarily to make difficult emotions disappear.
Instead, therapy can help you respond to what you are experiencing in ways that support your psychological wellbeing and quality of life.
Together with your therapist, you may work on:
adjusting to a diagnosis
managing uncertainty
coping with pain or fatigue
reducing anxiety or depression
working with health anxiety
processing grief and loss
managing frustration or anger
rebuilding confidence
adapting to changes in identity
communicating needs to family, friends or employers
adjusting expectations of yourself
finding meaningful activities within changing circumstances
navigating relationships or intimacy
returning to work
coping with hospital appointments or treatment
supporting a loved one with illness.
The focus will depend on your condition, circumstances and priorities.
Evidence-Based Psychological Therapy for Health Conditions
There is no single therapy that is right for everyone living with chronic illness.
Your therapist will first understand your physical health, emotional wellbeing and what you would like help with.
Depending on your needs, treatment might draw upon:
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
CBT can help you understand the interaction between thoughts, feelings, behaviours and physical symptoms.
For example, after a health setback you might understandably begin avoiding activity because you are worried about making symptoms worse.
Over time, this may reduce confidence and increase anxiety.
CBT can help you examine these patterns and develop more flexible ways of responding.
NICE recommends CBT within several areas relevant to physical health, including psychological treatment for depression alongside chronic physical health problems.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
ACT can be particularly useful when some aspects of a health condition cannot simply be changed or removed.
Rather than requiring you to “accept” illness in the sense of liking it, ACT helps you make space for difficult thoughts and emotions while continuing to move towards the things that matter to you.
This might mean asking:
“Given the situation I am in, how can I still build as meaningful a life as possible?”
NICE specifically recommends considering ACT or CBT for chronic primary pain. Nice
Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT)
Illness can bring significant self-criticism.
You may find yourself thinking that you are lazy, weak, letting others down or “should be coping better”.
CFT can help you develop a less critical and more supportive relationship with yourself, particularly when your abilities or circumstances have changed.
Health Psychology
Health psychologists specialise in understanding the relationship between psychological wellbeing, behaviour and physical health.
Therapy Alongside Medical Treatment
Psychological therapy should complement appropriate medical care rather than replace it.
Your therapist will not diagnose or treat your physical medical condition.
If you have new, unexplained or worsening physical symptoms, you should seek appropriate medical advice.
Where appropriate, psychological therapy can sit alongside support from your GP, consultant, specialist nurse, pain team, physiotherapist or other healthcare professionals.
Supporting Someone With Chronic Illness
Illness often affects the whole family.
Partners, parents, adult children and other carers may find themselves managing practical responsibilities while also coping with fear, exhaustion, guilt or uncertainty.
You may feel that because you are not the person who is ill, your own needs should come second.
But caring for someone can have a significant emotional impact.
Therapy can provide somewhere to:
talk openly without worrying about upsetting the person you care for
manage guilt and conflicting emotions
establish realistic boundaries
make space for your own needs
manage uncertainty or anticipatory grief
cope with changes in your relationship.
Related support: Carer Stress / Grief, Loss & Bereavement →HERE
Frequently Asked Questions About Therapy for Chronic Illness
Can therapy cure my physical illness?
No. Psychological therapy is not a substitute for medical treatment and should not be presented as a cure for physical illness.
Therapy can, however, help you manage the emotional and psychological impact of illness and develop ways of living alongside symptoms or changes in health.
Does having therapy mean my symptoms are psychological?
No.
Physical symptoms and psychological wellbeing can influence one another, but seeking psychological support does not mean your symptoms are imagined.
Many people benefit from psychological support precisely because they are dealing with a genuine physical illness.
Do I need a formal diagnosis before starting therapy?
No.
Some people come to therapy following a confirmed diagnosis, while others are living with ongoing symptoms or undergoing medical investigations.
We will consider whether online psychological therapy is appropriate and whether medical assessment should take place alongside it.
Can you help with health anxiety if I actually have a medical condition?
Yes.
Health anxiety can coexist with genuine physical illness. Therapy can help you distinguish appropriate monitoring from anxiety-driven checking, reassurance seeking or avoidance.
Can therapy help with chronic pain?
Psychological approaches can form one part of chronic pain management.
For chronic primary pain, NICE recommends considering CBT or ACT for pain. Nice
Can I have therapy while receiving medical treatment?
Usually, yes.
Many people have psychological therapy alongside medical treatment. Your therapist will take relevant physical health issues and treatment into account.
What if I am too tired to attend therapy in person?
All MTO sessions take place online, so you can speak with your therapist from home without needing to travel.
This can be particularly useful for people managing pain, fatigue, mobility difficulties or unpredictable symptoms.
How many sessions will I need?
It varies.
Some people want short-term support adjusting to a particular diagnosis or event. Others benefit from longer-term therapy when illness has affected several areas of life.
You and your therapist can agree an approach and review it as therapy progresses.
How My Therapist Online Can Help
Finding someone who understands the psychological impact of physical illness can be difficult.
A therapist may be excellent at treating anxiety or depression but have little experience of cancer, persistent pain, fatigue or specialist health psychology.
That is where our matching process can help.
Our clinical team personally reads your application and looks at both the psychological difficulty you are experiencing and the health context around it.
We can consider:
your health condition
the psychological difficulties you would like help with
relevant specialist experience
therapeutic approach
therapist qualifications
appointment availability
budget
any preferences you have about your therapist.
You do not need to decide whether you need a health psychologist, clinical psychologist, CBT therapist or counsellor yourself.
That is what we help you work out.
Getting Started With Your Therapist
1. Tell us what you are going through
Complete our confidential application form and tell us about your health, how it is affecting you and what you would like help with.
2. Receive your personal therapist recommendation
Our clinical team will review your application and recommend therapists whose experience fits your needs.
3. Meet your therapist for free
You can have a free 15-minute introductory call before deciding whether you would like to begin therapy.
4. Agree a plan together
Your therapist will get to know your circumstances and agree an approach that feels realistic and manageable.
What Might Therapy Look Like?
Therapy should work around your health rather than becoming another demand.
Sessions may involve talking through difficult experiences, learning practical psychological skills or gradually finding new ways of responding to symptoms, uncertainty and change.
Some weeks you may have more energy than others.
Your therapist can adapt sessions accordingly.
Where appropriate, you might agree small things to explore or practise between appointments, but therapy should take account of your physical capacity and circumstances.
Weekly or Fortnightly Appointments
Weekly therapy can provide regular support when you are adjusting to a diagnosis, experiencing significant anxiety or depression, or working through a structured treatment.
Fortnightly appointments may suit some people living with long-term conditions, particularly where fatigue, medical appointments, cost or other commitments need to be considered.
Some evidence-based therapies work best when appointments are initially weekly.
Your therapist will discuss the frequency they recommend and you can agree what feels manageable.
Recommended Books for Health & Chronic Illness
Overcoming Chronic Pain — Frances Cole, Helen Macdonald, Catherine Carus & Hazel Howden-Leach
Our first choice for a practical CBT-based guide to persistent pain.
This self-help book explains ways of understanding and responding to chronic pain using cognitive behavioural techniques.
It includes practical strategies that can be used independently or alongside therapy.
It is particularly credible for MTO to recommend because it also appears on NHS chronic-pain reading lists. Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust
Mindfulness for Health — Vidyamala Burch & Danny Penman
For people living with pain, illness or physical limitations.
This accessible book explores mindfulness-based approaches to managing pain, stress and difficult emotions.
It is also recommended within NHS pain-service resources. Cambridge University Hospitals
Living Beyond Your Pain — JoAnne Dahl & Tobias Lundgren
For readers interested in an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy approach.
This ACT-based book focuses on living a meaningful life alongside persistent pain rather than making symptom reduction the only measure of progress.
It is included in NHS chronic-pain reading recommendations. Cambridge University Hospitals
The Cancer Survivor's Companion — Frances Goodhart & Lucy Atkins
For people living through or beyond cancer.
This book focuses on the emotional consequences of cancer, including fear, uncertainty, relationships and rebuilding life following treatment.
Macmillan currently includes Cancer Survivors Companion among its cancer-care book recommendations. Macmillan Cancer Support Shop
Using Self-Help Alongside Therapy
You do not need to become an expert in your condition or read everything you can find.
For some people, reading is helpful. For others, particularly when fatigue or concentration are affected, it can become another thing they feel they “should” be doing.
Your therapist can help you select resources that are relevant to your particular situation.
Books and psychological strategies should complement appropriate medical care rather than replace it.
Therapists Who Can Help With Health & Chronic Illness
These are some of the MTO therapists with particular experience in health psychology, chronic illness and physical health conditions. We have additional therapists within our network, and our clinical team will recommend those whose experience best fits your individual needs.
Dr Lorena Tussis — Clinical Psychologist
Psycho-oncology · Cancer · Long COVID · Long-term health conditions
Siân Armstrong — Practitioner Health Psychologist
Chronic pain · CRPS · Fibromyalgia · Cancer · Chronic illness
Dr Charlotte Hazeldine-Baker — Clinical Psychologist
Renal conditions · CFS/ME · Chronic pain · Cancer
Ana Wright — Clinical Psychologist
Chronic pain · Health anxiety · Long COVID · Adjustment to illness
Dr Andrew Healey — Consultant Clinical Psychologist
Long-term health conditions · IBS · Functional symptoms
Dr Gabriele Cammarata — Clinical & Health Psychologist
Cancer · Parkinson's · Chronic pain · Chronic fatigue · Tinnitus
Our clinical team will personally recommend a suitable therapist. Start with a free 15-minute introductory call.
This page was reviewed by Lisa Johnston, BABCP Accredited CBT Therapist, Anxiety Disorders Specialist.
