Chronic Illness & Diabetes Therapy
Chronic Illness & Mental Health Therapy in Canada
Living with a chronic illness isn’t just a physical challenge, it impacts nearly every aspect of your mental and emotional well-being. Maybe you’ve felt the weight of constant appointments, fluctuating symptoms, or the way others sometimes just… don’t get it. You might find yourself mentally exhausted from all the decision-making, worrying about your future, or feeling isolated from the life you used to know.
You are not alone, and you don’t have to carry this all by yourself.
Our therapists support people across Canada who are navigating the mental toll of chronic illness. Whether you’re newly diagnosed or you’ve been managing your condition for years, our therapists are here to support your emotional wellbeing through it all.
Living with a Chronic Illness Is More Than Just a Physical Experience
If you’ve been diagnosed with a chronic illness, you already know it doesn’t just affect your body, it impacts your mental health, your relationships, your sense of self, and the way you move through daily life. Maybe you’ve felt the weight of constant appointments, fluctuating symptoms, or the way others sometimes just… don’t get it. Whether you’re managing flare-ups, adapting to new physical limitations, or facing fear about the future, it can sometimes feel overwhelming and isolating.
At our practice, we support individuals navigating a wide range of chronic illnesses, including but not limited to:
- Diabetes (T1D, T2D, gestational)
- Autoimmune diseases such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and Crohn’s
- Neurological conditions such as Multiple Sclerosis (MS) or epilepsy
- Neurodegenerative disorders like Parkinson’s disease or Alzheimer’s disease
- Chronic pain conditions including fibromyalgia and migraines
- Cancer and cancer survivorship
- Post-viral syndromes
- Cardiovascular disease and chronic fatigue syndrome
We understand that each diagnosis carries its own challenges, but the emotional toll is real no matter what condition you’re living with. From adjusting to a new way of life to processing grief about what’s changed, therapy can help you navigate the emotional weight that often accompanies chronic illness.
Understanding the Mental Health Side of Chronic Illness
When you live with a chronic illness, whether it’s diabetes, autoimmune disease, chronic fatigue, or another long-term health condition, your mental health can be impacted. Over time, symptoms, medications, and daily management tasks can lead to:
- Anxiety about symptoms, flare-ups, or medical uncertainty
- Depression and grief over your former lifestyle or abilities
- Medical trauma from difficult hospital or medical experiences
- Burnout and fatigue from years of navigating the healthcare system
- Isolation from friends, work, or hobbies you once enjoyed
- Decision paralysis from having to constantly make health-related choices
Therapy can help you process all of this, develop emotional coping strategies, and reconnect with the parts of yourself that may have gotten lost in the shuffle of illness.
A Closer Look: Diabetes and Mental Health
Diabetes isn’t just a physical diagnosis, it’s a full-time mental load. Many of our clients come to us feeling overwhelmed by the constant decisions, the pressure to manage their numbers, and the emotional rollercoaster that comes with it.
Several of our therapists have specialized training in supporting clients with Type 1, Type 2, and gestational diabetes, and understand the emotional toll of living with this condition. Whether you’re navigating:
- Diabetes distress: the emotional burden of managing a chronic condition
- Diabetes burnout: feeling exhausted or apathetic about self-care
- Hypoglycemia anxiety: fear of low blood sugar episodes
- Decision fatigue: constantly making choices about food, insulin, and activity
- Body image challenges: or fear of judgment from others
At our practice, several of our therapists have specialized diabetes and mental health training. This means they understand not just the emotional impact, but also the medical realities, insulin, CGMs, A1C pressure, carb counting, and the mental fatigue that builds up over time.
We support individuals with both T1D and T2D, as well as those who may be newly diagnosed, navigating gestational diabetes, or supporting a child or loved one with diabetes.
You deserve support from someone who truly gets it.
A Closer Look: Diabetes and Mental Health
Diabetes isn’t just a physical diagnosis, it’s a full-time mental load. Many of our clients come to us feeling overwhelmed by the constant decisions, the pressure to manage their numbers, and the emotional rollercoaster that comes with it.
Several of our therapists have specialized training in supporting clients with Type 1, Type 2, and gestational diabetes, and understand the emotional toll of living with this condition. Whether you’re navigating:
- Diabetes distress: the emotional burden of managing a chronic condition
- Diabetes burnout: feeling exhausted or apathetic about self-care
- Hypoglycemia anxiety: fear of low blood sugar episodes
- Decision fatigue: constantly making choices about food, insulin, and activity
- Body image challenges: or fear of judgment from others
At our practice, several of our therapists have specialized diabetes and mental health training. This means they understand not just the emotional impact, but also the medical realities, insulin, CGMs, A1C pressure, carb counting, and the mental fatigue that builds up over time.
We support individuals with both T1D and T2D, as well as those who may be newly diagnosed, navigating gestational diabetes, or supporting a child or loved one with diabetes.
You deserve support from someone who truly gets it.
Start Your Chronic Illness Therapy Journey Today
Therapy for Chronic Illness Might Help You:
- Grieve parts of your pre-illness identity or abilities
- Process fears about the future or ongoing health complications
- Reconnect with purpose, hobbies, and relationships
- Manage health-related anxiety and intrusive thoughts
- Reduce medical avoidance or anxiety around appointments
- Set boundaries with family, friends, or employers as needed
Our therapy approach is rooted in compassion, pacing, and partnership. We’ll move at a pace that honours your energy and capacity, while helping you build emotional resilience in the face of uncertainty.
Therapy That Fits Your Life (And Your Schedule)
What is the best therapy for chronic illness?
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer, but many people living with chronic illness benefit from approaches that focus on emotional resilience, nervous system regulation, and coping with uncertainty.
At our practice, our therapists may use modalities such as:
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): for navigating physical limitations and values-based living
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT): for managing negative thought patterns
- Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT): for processing grief, anger, and loss
- Mindfulness-Based Therapies: to reduce stress and improve self-compassion
We’ll work with you to find what works best for you and your experience.
Does Canada’s healthcare system cover therapy?
Therapy is not covered under provincial health plans, however, many private or extended health insurance plans do cover sessions with our therapists. At Sereda Psychotherapy Group, we also offer low-cost therapy with graduate intern therapists ($35/session) and sliding scale options to help make therapy more accessible.
What is diabetes burnout or diabetes fatigue?
Diabetes burnout or fatigue is the emotional exhaustion that comes from the ongoing effort of managing diabetes. You might feel tired of constantly checking numbers, worn down by perfectionism, or overwhelmed by the pressure to stay “on top” of it all. Therapy can offer a place to unpack that experience and find relief.
Is online therapy a good option for people with chronic illness?
Yes. Online therapy can be a great fit, especially when fatigue, flare-ups, or mobility issues make it harder to attend in-person appointments. You can meet with your therapist from the comfort of your home, on your couch, in your home office, or wherever you feel at ease and most comfortable.