Therapy From the Couch: How Telehealth Supports People Living With Chronic Pain and Fatigue

Annemarie Nawrocki
1 day ago
4 min read

Featured Therapist: Annemarie Nawrocki, LSW

Serving Clients Across Illinois Through Secure Telehealth

When Your Body Sets the Schedule

Living with chronic pain, autoimmune conditions, neurological disorders, or persistent fatigue often means one thing above all: unpredictability.

Some mornings begin with manageable discomfort. Others begin with stiffness, brain fog, or exhaustion before your day even starts. When your body determines your capacity, planning becomes complicated.

For many individuals across Illinois, attending in-person therapy requires more energy than the session itself. The commute, the sitting, the preparation — it all adds up.

Therapy should not worsen symptoms. It should support you within them.

The Hidden Barriers to In-Person Therapy

For people not living with chronic illness, attending therapy may seem simple. But for someone managing daily symptoms, the barriers are real and often invisible.

Physical Strain

Driving, sitting upright, walking through buildings, and maintaining posture for an hour can increase pain levels significantly.

Fatigue and Energy Crashes

Chronic fatigue is not ordinary tiredness. Energy must be rationed carefully. Overexertion can trigger days of worsening symptoms.

Brain Fog and Cognitive Load

Stress, travel, and overstimulation can intensify cognitive fatigue, making it harder to focus during session.

Flare-Up Anxiety

Many people avoid appointments because they fear a sudden symptom spike while away from home.

When therapy becomes another stressor, it loses sustainability.

Why Telehealth Is Especially Effective for Chronic Illness

Telehealth removes the logistical burden while preserving the therapeutic connection.

Clients can attend sessions from:

Their couch
Their bed
A comfortable chair
A quiet space at home

This shift changes access dramatically.

Energy Conservation

Eliminating travel preserves physical resources so clients can focus on emotional processing.

Consistency During Flare Days.

Rather than canceling outright, sessions can be adjusted when symptoms spike.

Nervous System Regulation

Remaining in a familiar environment reduces stress, which can decrease symptom intensity.

Long-Term Sustainability

Lower barriers mean therapy can remain consistent over months or years — not just during crises.

Telehealth is not a compromise. For many individuals with chronic pain or fatigue, it is the most realistic path to ongoing care.

What a Telehealth Session With Annemarie Nawrocki Looks Like

Sessions are conducted through a secure, HIPAA-compliant platform.

One of the first questions Annemarie may ask is:

“How is your body today?”

This matters.

Therapy adapts based on:

Pain levels
Energy capacity
Emotional bandwidth
Cognitive clarity

Pacing the Work

Sessions may move more slowly when fatigue is high.

Built-In Breaks

Clients can pause, shift position, lie down, or stretch without disruption.

Flexible Structure

If deep processing feels overwhelming on a high-pain day, sessions may focus instead on grounding and stabilization.

There is no expectation to push through symptoms to prove participation.

Care respects limits.

The Emotional Weight of Chronic Pain and Fatigue

Chronic illness impacts more than the body.

Many clients experience:

Grief for their “old self”
Guilt for canceling plans
Fear about the future
Frustration with medical systems
Isolation from peers
Loss of identity

These emotional layers can intensify physical symptoms. Stress increases muscle tension. Anxiety amplifies pain perception. Emotional suppression drains energy.

Therapy helps reduce that additional weight.

Telehealth During Flare-Ups

Flare-ups are unpredictable. They can feel defeating.

Telehealth allows support to continue even on difficult days.

Clients may:

Attend from bed
Turn off camera briefly
Shorten session length
Focus on regulation rather than processing

Maintaining connection during flares prevents the discouraging cycle of canceling repeatedly and losing therapeutic momentum.

Breaking the “Push and Crash” Cycle

Many people living with chronic illness fall into a pattern:

Push hard on good days. Crash on bad days. Feel guilty.Repeat.

Therapy supports a more sustainable rhythm.

Realistic Goal Setting

Goals are adjusted to match capacity, not idealized standards.

Nervous System Awareness

Clients learn to identify early signs of overload.

Self-Compassion Practices

Reducing harsh self-judgment decreases emotional stress, which in turn can reduce symptom amplification.

Healing becomes about stabilization — not perfection.

Accessible Support Across Illinois

Telehealth removes geographic limitations.

Clients throughout Illinois — including Frankfort, Tinley Park, Orland Park, New Lenox,

Chicago, Springfield, Rockford, and rural communities — can access care without travel strain.

This makes therapy available even in areas with limited local providers.

Therapy as Part of Your Care Team

Managing chronic illness often involves multiple providers:

Primary care physicians
Specialists
Physical therapists
Medication management

Mental health support deserves equal importance.

Emotional stress increases inflammation and pain perception. Unprocessed grief worsens fatigue. Anxiety disrupts sleep.

Therapy helps regulate the emotional system so the physical system is carrying less strain.

Care That Honors Your Limits

You should not have to choose between conserving energy and receiving support.

With Annemarie Nawrocki, LSW, telehealth sessions are paced, flexible, and grounded in lived understanding of neurological and chronic health challenges.

Therapy meets you where you are — physically and emotionally.

A Steady Presence, Even on Hard Days

Healing with chronic illness does not always mean symptom elimination.

It may mean:

Reduced isolation
Greater emotional resilience
Improved self-advocacy
Sustainable coping strategies
Feeling understood

And sometimes, it begins right there on your couch.

Ready for therapy that respects your limits?

Schedule a secure telehealth consultation with Annemarie Nawrocki, LSW, and begin building coping strategies that support your physical and emotional well-being — wherever you are in Illinois.