Chronic Illness Therapist in Tampa, FL

Chronic Illness Therapist in Tampa, FL
Chronic Illness Therapist in Tampa, FL

Compassionate Therapy for Chronic Illness in Tampa, FL

Living with a chronic illness can feel overwhelming, isolating, and exhausting. Whether you're managing physical pain, a long-term diagnosis, or the emotional toll that comes with ongoing medical concerns, support from a skilled Chronic Illness Therapist in Tampa, FL can be life-changing. You don’t have to navigate the emotional impact of your condition alone. Elizabeth Handy, MS, LCPC, EMDR-C, Brainspotting-C, is a licensed psychotherapist with over 20 years of clinical experience supporting individuals with complex emotional needs. She specializes in trauma-informed care and offers personalized Chronic Illness Therapy in Tampa, FL tailored to your specific life circumstances. Her background in trauma treatment, PTSD, anxiety, and dissociative disorders makes her uniquely equipped to help those facing chronic health issues. The daily experience of chronic illness often involves more than physical symptoms—it also affects identity, relationships, employment, and mental health. Many individuals feel misunderstood, especially when their illness is invisible or when well-meaning friends and family don’t fully grasp the toll it takes. Working with a Chronic Illness Specialist in Tampa, FL like Elizabeth provides space for validation, emotional expression, and deep healing. Therapy for chronic illness includes support with:

  • Managing medical trauma and post-diagnosis grief
  • Addressing depression, anxiety, and loss of identity
  • Developing coping strategies for daily life
  • Navigating changing roles in family and work settings
  • Creating emotional resilience for flare-ups or relapses

If you're living with fibromyalgia, autoimmune conditions, neurological disorders, or other ongoing health issues, Elizabeth’s Chronic Illness Mental Health Therapy in Tampa, FL is designed to offer long-term emotional support and symptom coping strategies that empower you to reclaim your quality of life.

Get Started Today

Your healing journey matters to me.
I offer in-person sessions at my Georgetown, Texas office, but most clients meet with me online. I’m licensed in Texas, Maryland, Washington DC, Virginia, and Florida—so if you're in one of these states, we can absolutely work together from the comfort of your own space.

Why Work with a Chronic Illness Therapist in Tampa, FL?

Many clients who seek out a Therapist for Long-Term Illness Support in Tampa, FL are already navigating a complex web of healthcare providers, medications, and physical therapies. What’s often missing is emotional and psychological support. That’s where therapy can fill the gap. Elizabeth Handy takes a compassionate, trauma-informed approach that honors your medical journey while helping you manage the mental and emotional challenges that come with it. She is one of the few Chronic Illness Therapists in Tampa, FL with advanced training in both EMDR and Brainspotting—powerful tools that help process chronic stress, grief, trauma, and medical anxiety. What sets Elizabeth apart:

  • Over two decades of psychotherapy experience focused on trauma and long-term distress
  • A deep understanding of medical systems from her background as a paramedic and training officer
  • A commitment to individualized, one-on-one therapy in a private and confidential setting
  • Flexible scheduling options for clients managing fatigue or fluctuating symptoms

Whether you’re dealing with lupus, long COVID, MS, endometriosis, or any other chronic health condition, Elizabeth offers Counseling for Chronic Health Conditions in Tampa, FL that meets you where you are—with empathy, skill, and a genuine commitment to helping you thrive despite your diagnosis.

Call Now: (443) 534-1142
Chronic Illness Therapist in Tampa, FL
Chronic Illness Therapist in Tampa, FL
Chronic Illness Therapist in Tampa, FL
Chronic Illness Therapist in Tampa, FL

How Chronic Illness Therapy Can Support Your Mental Health in Tampa, FL

When you work with a dedicated Chronic Illness Therapist in Tampa, FL, therapy becomes more than just a space to talk—it becomes a space for restoration, empowerment, and emotional resilience. Chronic conditions often involve unpredictable flare-ups, identity changes, and a sense of grief for the life you once had. These emotional experiences are valid and deserve to be supported with professional care. In your therapy sessions, Elizabeth will help you:

  • Grieve the changes in your health, body, and lifestyle
  • Rebuild confidence and self-worth
  • Understand the link between stress, trauma, and physical symptoms
  • Develop daily coping tools for managing fatigue, pain, and medical uncertainty

Through trauma-focused modalities like EMDR and Brainspotting, Elizabeth helps clients process not only emotional responses to illness but also medical trauma from invasive procedures, misdiagnoses, or dismissive doctors. This is particularly helpful for those seeking Mental Health Support for Chronic Illness in Tampa, FL after years of feeling dismissed or misunderstood in the healthcare system. Chronic illness doesn’t just affect your body—it affects how you think, feel, and interact with the world. Having a space to explore those changes is essential for emotional recovery and resilience. With Elizabeth’s guidance, you’ll begin to reframe your experience, find new meaning, and take steps toward peace—even in the presence of pain.

Get Started Today

Begin Chronic Illness Mental Health Therapy in Tampa, FL Today

The emotional toll of living with chronic illness is real—and it deserves real support. Whether you’ve been diagnosed recently or have been living with a long-term condition for years, it’s never too late to start healing emotionally. Therapy can help you build strength, find balance, and connect more deeply with yourself and others, even when your health feels uncertain. Elizabeth Handy offers compassionate, high-level Chronic Pain and Illness Therapy in Tampa, FL rooted in decades of experience and genuine empathy for your journey. As the sole therapist at her practice, she ensures every client receives her full attention and expertise. She understands how invisible illness can affect your relationships, your career, and your sense of identity—and she knows how to guide you through it. Clients across Tampa, FL and the Florida region choose Elizabeth for her integrated, trauma-informed approach to Therapy for Chronic Illness. Her sessions offer hope, stability, and evidence-based strategies that address the full scope of what it means to live with chronic health conditions. If you're ready to experience more peace, understanding, and emotional strength, now is the time to start. Let Elizabeth support you with warmth, skill, and deep respect for everything you’re carrying.

Book Your Consultation

Call Now: (443) 534-1142
Chronic Illness Therapist in Tampa, FL
Chronic Illness Therapist in Tampa, FL

Ready to Begin Your
Healing Journey?

Take the first step toward recovery and rediscovery. Contact me today to schedule a consultation and explore how my specialized therapies can help you overcome trauma and reclaim your life.

Get Started Today

What our clients say

Elizabeth has been a part of our lives for the last several years and has made a huge impact that has led to a much more enriched life. We couldn’t be more grateful for finding her.

- Manny & Nicole ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I have had two sessions so far and I’ve noticed a big change in how I feel & think. Brainspotting is a very powerful treatment even if it appears to be simple. I wish more people knew that this was an option. Definitely recommend.

- Sarah ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

It’s her honesty that’s so refreshing. Elizabeth is a very caring person, not cold or technical. She's warm and loving.

- Anne ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Your treatment has a beginning, middle and end and we will take the first step together.

Conditions I treat

  • Physical and emotional trauma and Complex PTSD
  • Postpartum depression
  • Couples therapy
  • Birth trauma
  • Performance anxiety (public speaking, sports, creative arts)
  • Victims of crime, industrial injuries, motor vehicle crashes, and natural/ manmade disasters
  • Dissociative and attachment disorders
  • Depression, panic and anxiety
  • Cancer and medical trauma
  • Phobias
  • Recovery from injury, accident, and medical trauma
  • Preparation and recovery from surgery
  • Stress and trauma-related illness
  • Sexual dysfunction
  • Combat trauma
  • Abuse & neglect
  • Grief and loss
  • Trauma