Can therapy actually help with physical symptoms?

Therapy won’t make symptoms disappear, but it can reduce stress, improve your emotional response to pain or illness, and help you feel more in control.

What kinds of chronic conditions do you specialize in?

We work with people managing chronic pain (like back, neck, or joint pain), autoimmune conditions (like lupus or rheumatoid arthritis), metabolic conditions (like diabetes), GI issues (like IBS), cancer, and sleep-related concerns. We also support caregivers of those living with these conditions.

Do I need a diagnosis to start therapy with you?

No. Whether you have a formal diagnosis or are just struggling with ongoing symptoms, you're welcome here. Our focus is on your lived experience, not labels.

Chronic Pain Therapy | Cape Clarity Integrative Psychology

How You May Be Feeling

Chronic pain doesn’t just hurt your body, it impacts your mind, sleep, relationships, and daily life. The emotional toll can feel just as heavy as the physical pain. You may feel:

Exhausted and Frustrated

It’s draining when pain is constantly on your mind. Whether it’s worrying about making it worse by doing everyday things like going for a walk, feeling isolated, or believing you can’t enjoy the things you love without pain getting in the way. The pain wears you down emotionally and physically.

Struggling With Low Mood

Chronic pain, depression, and anxiety often occur together and can influence each other. You might feel stuck in a cloud of sadness because the pain just won’t relent. At the same time, anxiety can creep in, especially when every new sensation sets off alarm bells. It can feel like you’re always on edge, bracing for the pain to get worse.

Disconnected From The "Old You"

The life you had before pain (your work, hobbies, or social life) may feel like a distant memory. This might leave you feeling removed from friends, family, and even from yourself, as if pain has pulled you into a smaller, less fulfilling world.

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How Therapy Can Help

While your medical team focuses on the physical pain, therapy eases the emotional stress. We use science-backed methods to reduce pain’s interference, improve daily life, and focus on what matters most.

Woman walking mindfully with pacing cues, regaining control over activity with chronic pain

Regain Control

Chronic pain can make life feel unpredictable and out of control. Therapy helps you start reclaiming agency. By setting step-wise, achievable goals and using tools like pacing and challenging thoughts that cause you to pull away from activity, you’ll begin to feel more in control of your days.

Woman standing under a storm with a rainbow overhead, symbolizing a shift in perspective on pain

Shift Your Perspective on Pain

It’s natural for your mind to assume the worst when pain flares. Therapy helps you catch those spiraling thoughts and respond with more balance and less fear. You'll also learn how to make room for pain in your life, while remaining committed to meaningful activities and action. Pain may still be there, but it doesn't have to occupy as much of your mind and life as it used to.

Man writing under soft light, easing emotional distress through therapy for chronic pain

Improve Your Mood and Reduce Stress

When pain drags you into depression or anxiety, therapy becomes a lifeline. We’ll help you find ways to cope with sadness, anger, or worry. We also focus on more effectively managing the stress that can exacerbate pain, using strategies proven to calm your nervous system. Many clients say that the tools gained through therapy allow the fog of sadness and anxiety to lift, providing a clear path back to a life they enjoy.

Our Approach

We use science-backed methods, that work alongside your medical care to address all parts of your pain.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) & Mindfulness (MBSR): CBT helps you break the cycle of pain by gently increasing activity, tackling unhelpful thoughts, and building problem-solving skills. MBSR teaches you to tune into how your body and mind respond to stress, so you can calm your system more effectively. Both have been shown to reduce stress and improve daily function for people living with chronic pain.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): ACT helps you focus on what truly matters to you, even with pain. You’ll learn skills to step back from stress and difficult thoughts, stay present, and take meaningful action. Research shows ACT can improve mood, boost quality of life, and help you stay engaged in the things you care about.

Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT): PRT is a newer approach based on how pain is processed in the brain. Instead of trying to “fight” pain, you’ll learn ways to respond to it differently, so your brain doesn’t treat it like a constant threat. Studies show PRT can significantly reduce pain’s interference with daily life.

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What to Expect In Therapy

Starting therapy might feel intimidating, especially when you’re already dealing with so much. At Cape Clarity, we aim to make sessions feel supportive, action-oriented, and focused on you.

The Initial Session

We’ll start with a longer first appointment (75 minutes) to get to know you better. We’ll discuss what you’re experiencing, your medical history, and, most importantly, how pain affects your daily life. You can share as much or as little as you like…the pace is yours. This time is also an opportunity to discuss your goals for therapy, such as feeling less depressed, sleeping better, or engaging in the activities you love. We’ll use your goals to create a plan together.

Collaborative Planning

Once we understand your needs and goals, we’ll work together to create a plan tailored just for you. We draw from science-backed methods (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT), and mindfulness-based stress reduction). Your plan might include talking through feelings, practicing active coping skills, and challenging cycles of avoidance or fear. We check in regularly to see what’s working and adjust as needed, so you always have an active role.

Ongoing Therapy Sessions

Therapy sessions are typically 50 minutes and occur weekly, though we tailor the schedule and frequency to your needs. Some weeks might be about releasing frustration or worry; other times, we’ll focus on practical strategies for managing pain's impact on areas like work or relationships. We may also explore bigger questions, like how pain has affected your sense of identity or purpose. No matter the focus, your therapist will listen with care, validate your experience, and help you gently shift patterns that may be keeping you stuck.

Portrait of Liana Preudhomme, PhD, Lead Psychologist at Cape Clarity Integrative Psychology in Cape Coral, Florida.

“At Cape Clarity, we work with chronic pain and illness every day. We understand how deeply it affects every part of your life, and we're here to help you reconnect to what matters most to you.”

– Dr. Liana Preudhomme, Founder of Cape Clarity Integrative Psychology

Why Cape Clarity?

Specialized Expertise

Dr. Liana Preudhomme, our founder, is a clinical psychologist specializing in health psychology. With a deep understanding of how chronic pain impacts the mind and body, she remains committed to implementing the latest research in pain management into care.

Holistic and Integrative Outlook

We treat the whole person, recognizing that physical and emotional well-being are deeply connected. We also consider the roles of other factors like sleep, nutrition, and social support in your healing process and work to support you in adapting to lifestyle changes or treatment recommendations made by your medical team. In short, we strive to support every part of your well-being.