Therapy for Chronic Illness and Health Concerns in Calgary
When managing your health starts taking over your life.
If you’re managing an ongoing health condition or concern, daily life may take more planning than other people see. At Inner Balance, we offer chronic illness therapy in Calgary to help with the worry and adjustments that come with health concerns.
Individual psychological care that works alongside your medical treatment.
Free 15-minute phone consultation.
Your Health Can Shape the Whole Day
Before agreeing to dinner, you may already be thinking about symptoms or how much energy you’ll have left. At bedtime, you might be calculating how little sleep you can get and still function tomorrow.
Perhaps you’re tired of explaining a condition other people can’t see. You may be grieving changes in what you can do while still expecting yourself to keep up with the person you were before.
Therapy offers space to talk about that strain and work on specific difficulties. This might include asking for an adjustment at work, responding to health-related worry, or finding a more workable way to approach a demanding day.
Insomnia: When Sleep Starts Feeling Like Work
You can feel exhausted all day and become wide awake as soon as you get into bed. After several difficult nights, worry about tomorrow can become part of the bedtime routine.
You may spend longer in bed trying to catch up, watch the clock, or put pressure on yourself to fall asleep. Those responses are understandable. Some can also become part of what keeps the sleep struggle going.
Both our clinicians offer cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBT-I), a structured psychological treatment for ongoing insomnia. CBT-I addresses sleep patterns and the thoughts and behaviours that can maintain sleep difficulties.
Together, you’ll assess what is happening with your sleep and develop an individualized plan. Your health history and other possible contributors to poor sleep matter, including concerns that may need assessment by your medical provider.
Hormonal transitions, including perimenopause and menopause, can also contribute to insomnia.
IBS: When Digestive Symptoms Start Directing Your Plans
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) can make an ordinary outing feel complicated. You might plan around bathroom access, worry about symptoms during a meeting, or turn down something you would otherwise want to do.
Psychological therapy can be part of IBS care. It can help you work with symptom-related worry and the ways you respond when discomfort or uncertainty shows up.
Depending on your needs, the work may include cognitive behavioural strategies, relaxation skills, and carefully planned ways to participate in daily life while respecting your medical needs. You and your psychologist will discuss what you’re hoping to change and how to assess whether the work is helping.
Medical assessment and any dietary guidance from your qualified care providers remain part of your overall care.
Living With Chronic or Autoimmune Conditions
An autoimmune condition or another ongoing illness can change what a manageable day looks like. Symptoms may vary, and the uncertainty can make it difficult to plan ahead or explain what you need.
You might push through on a better day, then judge yourself when you need to slow down. Or you may find yourself grieving changes in your work, relationships or independence.
Stress can aggravate symptoms and may contribute to flares in some conditions. Therapy can help you recognise your stress response and practise ways to help your nervous system settle. This may include breathing exercises and relaxation skills tailored to your health and comfort.
We can also explore the pressure to keep going, make space for rest, and work on communicating changing limits. Your goals and strategies will be considered alongside the care you receive from your medical team.
Psychological Support After a Concussion
After a concussion, your usual pace may feel harder to manage. Ongoing symptoms or uncertainty about recovery can bring frustration and worry, especially when you’re used to relying on yourself to get things done.
Therapy can support the emotional adjustment to these changes. We can address anxiety or low mood, work through the pressure to meet previous expectations, and help you communicate what you need from the people around you.
Psychological care can sit alongside your concussion treatment and rehabilitation plan. With your consent, coordination with your other care providers can help keep the work consistent with that plan.
Food Allergy Anxiety: Making Room for Life While Taking Safety Seriously
Living with a food allergy requires real precautions. If you’re managing your own allergy or caring for a child with one, decisions about meals and time away from home can carry a lot of responsibility.
You may keep revisiting a plan you’ve already checked, struggle to hand responsibility to another adult, or find that worry follows you long after the practical preparation is finished.
Therapy can help you work with that anxiety while following your medical allergy plan. Together, we can look at the difference between necessary precautions and additional checking or avoidance that is taking more from your life.
Your allergist’s guidance, including allergen avoidance and emergency planning, stays central. Psychological support focuses on helping you cope with fear and make decisions within those safety requirements.
Psychological Support for Weight Loss Management
If you’re working toward weight loss or weight maintenance, the habits and emotions involved can deserve as much attention as the plan itself.
You might start with strict rules, feel you’ve failed when life interrupts them, and decide there’s no point continuing. Stress-related eating or discomfort with your body may also be part of what brings you to therapy.
We can help you understand these patterns and set behaviour goals that fit your circumstances. The work may include responding to setbacks, finding other ways to cope with difficult emotions, and loosening all-or-nothing expectations about progress.
Weight is influenced by many factors. Your goals will be considered in the context of your health and any medical or dietetic care you’re receiving. We’ll also make room to discuss body image and experiences of weight stigma, with progress considered more broadly than a number on the scale.
Practical Work That Fits Your Health and Your Life
We’ll begin by understanding your health concerns, the care you’re already receiving and what feels hardest to manage. You can tell us what has helped before and what has felt dismissive or unrealistic.
From there, you and your psychologist will agree on specific goals. For one person, that might mean working on insomnia. For another, it may mean responding differently to health anxiety or asking for support without feeling the need to justify every symptom.
Your psychologist will explain the approach they recommend and why it may fit your concerns. Any work between appointments should be realistic for your energy and current circumstances. We’ll review it together and adjust when needed.
Collaboration with your medical providers can be included when useful and with your consent.
Which psychologist provides this treatment?
Both Dr. Kristin Calverley and Dr. Leah Chadwick provide therapy for chronic illness and health concerns. Infertility and perimenopause/menopause support are provided by Dr. Kristin Calverley only. Our clinicians have training in health psychology and experience in medical settings. Their work considers the psychological impact of living with health concerns and the practical changes that may be useful in daily life.
At Inner Balance, we’ll discuss how our clinicians’ experience fits what you’re seeking help with. Our team profiles provide more information about their backgrounds and areas of focus.
Start With a Conversation About What You Need
Book a free 15-minute phone consultation. Briefly explain what you’re dealing with and ask about your psychologist’s experience with your concerns.
Develop a plan together. If you begin therapy, your psychologist will assess what is affecting you and agree on priorities with you.
Review what is useful. We’ll discuss how the work fits your health and make adjustments as your needs change.
Therapy sessions are primarily virtual through secure Jane video. Standard appointments are 50 minutes; initial assessment length may differ and will be confirmed when booking. We’ll also confirm that your psychologist can provide care where you’ll be located during appointments.
Questions About Therapy for Health Concerns
How can therapy help with a physical health condition?
Therapy can address the emotional strain of a health condition and help you work on specific difficulties, such as sleep-related worry or coping with uncertainty. Some psychological treatments also target particular concerns, including CBT-I for insomnia and psychological therapies for IBS. Your medical care and the psychological work can complement one another.
What’s the main therapy approach you use?
We use a combination of evidence-based treatments to help with health and medical concerns. Typically, we use cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), mindfulness, grief therapy, and self-compassion therapy.
Do I need a diagnosis before booking a consultation?
You can ask about psychological support while medical investigations are continuing. Your psychologist will discuss what they can help with, and any further assessment or referrals that may be appropriate. New or changing physical symptoms should be discussed with your medical provider.
Who is not a good fit for our services?
Our services do not include treatment for active eating disorders, chronic pain or disability, fibromyalgia, or chronic fatigue syndrome. We also don’t prescribe medication.
What if I have very little energy for therapy?
Tell your psychologist about your energy, concentration and other limits when discussing the plan. We can consider how to make the work manageable and whether the available session format fits your needs. You can also ask about the practical demands of a particular treatment before deciding to begin.
How many appointments will I need?
The number of appointments depends on what you’re seeking help with and the approach used. Your psychologist will discuss a plan with you and review progress along the way. A focused treatment for insomnia may look different from ongoing support while living with a changing health condition.
What does therapy cost, and can I use insurance?
Current fees, payment information and cancellation details are on our Fees & FAQs page. Coverage depends on your insurance plan and the psychologist you see, so confirm your benefits with your insurer. The initial 15-minute phone consultation is free.
Talk With Someone About the Part You’re Finding Hardest
You can use the consultation to explain what your health has been asking of you and ask how psychological support might help. We’ll discuss whether Inner Balance is a suitable place to begin.
Free 15-minute phone consultation.