Chronic Conditions Support
Many neurodivergent individuals experience co-occurring chronic health conditions, such as dysautonomia, hypermobility spectrum disorders, sleep disorders, immune disorders, gastrointestinal conditions, metabolic conditions, migraines, mast cell dysfunction, brain fog, chronic fatigue, and chronic pain. These overlapping experiences can affect nearly every part of daily life, including energy, mood, focus, sensory regulation, routines, relationships, and overall well-being.
At Spectrum Psych LA, we recognize that chronic conditions and neurodivergence often interact in complex ways. Our team offers individualized support through occupational therapy, psychotherapy, psychiatry, and yoga therapy to help clients better understand their needs, build sustainable supports, and improve day-to-day functioning and quality of life.
We take a collaborative, flexible approach that honors the reality that symptoms, energy, and capacity can shift from day to day. Our goal is to support clients in ways that feel practical, compassionate, and sustainable over time.
Occupational Therapy for Chronic Conditions
Our occupational therapists support neurodivergent individuals with chronic conditions using a practical, individualized approach focused on daily life functioning, regulation, and sustainability.
Occupational therapy sessions may include:
Energy conservation and pacing strategies to recover from and prevent burnout
Sensory and somatic regulation techniques to proactively manage stimulation and stress
Adaptations for daily routines, meaningful activities, work, rest, and play, especially when attention, executive functioning, and energy levels fluctuate
Environmental modifications to reduce strain and increase accessibility
Cognitive supports for attention regulation, decision-making, planning, and problem-solving
Mind-body awareness and interoception training to recognize early signs of overexertion or overwhelm
Advocacy and self-advocacy support for communicating with the people, providers, and systems that impact health
Symptom tracking to provide insight into triggers, patterns, and flares
This work is grounded in supporting participation in everyday life — at home, at work, and in the community — in ways that feel manageable and supportive over time.
Dr. Samantha Valasek, OTD, OTR/L has a decade of experience working with adults and young adults living with chronic insomnia, migraines, fibromyalgia, and diabetes.
Dr. Newal Osman, OTD, OTR/L has extensive experience working with clients with dysautonomia/POTS, MCAS, and chronic fatigue.
Psychotherapy for Chronic Conditions
Living with a chronic condition can affect emotional well-being, identity, relationships, work, and everyday functioning. For many neurodivergent individuals, chronic illness can also intensify burnout, anxiety, depression, overwhelm, grief, and feelings of isolation.
Our therapists provide affirming, individualized support to help clients process the emotional impact of chronic conditions while building tools for coping and self-understanding. Therapy may support:
Adjusting to a new diagnosis or changing symptoms
Navigating grief, frustration, uncertainty, or medical trauma
Managing anxiety, depression, or stress related to chronic illness
Coping with burnout, reduced capacity, and shifting expectations
Building self-compassion and realistic routines
Navigating relationships, boundaries, and communication
Processing the intersection of chronic illness and neurodivergence
We also incorporate somatic and nervous system–informed approaches, including polyvagal-informed work, to support clients in understanding and regulating their physiological responses to stress, pain, and overwhelm. This may include:
Increasing awareness of internal cues and body-based signals
Supporting nervous system regulation and recovery
Developing tools for grounding, safety, and stabilization
Understanding how chronic stress and health conditions impact the body
Our approach is warm, collaborative, and tailored to each person’s lived experience.
Dr. Megan Beardmore provides psychotherapy for children, adolescents, and young adults navigating the intersection of neurodivergence and chronic health conditions. She integrates evidence-based approaches with somatic and nervous system–informed work, including mindfulness, breathwork, and polyvagal-informed techniques, to support emotional regulation, resilience, and whole-person well-being.
Psychiatry for Chronic Conditions
Psychiatric support can be an important part of care for individuals managing both chronic health concerns and mental health symptoms. Chronic illness can influence sleep, mood, concentration, energy, and nervous system regulation, and these effects may overlap with or intensify existing mental health challenges.
Our psychiatric services offer thoughtful, individualized support that takes the full picture into account. This may include:
Evaluation of mood, anxiety, attention, sleep, and stress-related symptoms
Medication management with attention to the ways chronic health conditions may affect treatment choices
Support in understanding how physical and emotional symptoms may interact
Collaborative care that considers each client’s broader health picture
We aim to provide care that is nuanced, respectful, and responsive to each client’s needs.
Dr. Emily Wood provides psychiatric care for children, adolescents, and adults, with expertise in supporting neurodivergent individuals and those navigating complex, multi-system chronic health conditions. She offers thoughtful, individualized medication management, considering how physical health, nervous system regulation, and mental health interact, and works collaboratively with clients and their broader care team to support integrated, whole-person care.
Yoga Therapy for Chronic Conditions
Yoga therapy can offer a gentle, adaptable approach for individuals living with chronic conditions. Sessions are tailored to the individual and may incorporate movement, breathwork, mindfulness, and relaxation practices to support nervous system regulation and overall well-being.
Yoga therapy may help support:
Stress reduction and emotional regulation
Greater awareness of physical and sensory cues
Gentle movement adapted to fluctuating energy and pain levels
Relaxation and grounding practices
Improved connection to the body in a supportive, non-pressuring way
Our approach is flexible and neurodivergent-affirming, with an emphasis on meeting each client where they are.
Liat Considine, C-IAYT supports individuals navigating chronic health conditions through yoga therapy and mindfulness-based practices, offering a gentle, adaptable approach that emphasizes nervous system regulation, energy awareness, and reconnecting with the body in a way that feels safe and sustainable.
Our Approach
At Spectrum Psych LA, we understand that supporting chronic conditions often requires flexibility, creativity, and a whole-person lens. We work with clients to better understand their patterns, identify supports that are actually sustainable, and build routines and strategies that align with their goals, values, and lived realities.
Whether through occupational therapy, psychotherapy, psychiatry, yoga therapy, or a combination of services, our goal is to help clients feel more supported in navigating everyday life with greater clarity, self-understanding, and care.
Get Started
If you are looking for support related to chronic conditions and neurodivergence, our team would be happy to help you explore which services may be the best fit.
