Holistic Therapy for Autoimmune Conditions
Your body has been fighting for a long time. You don't have to fight alone.
Maybe it took years to get a diagnosis. Maybe you still don't have one that explains everything. You've seen the specialists, changed your diet, tracked every symptom, and done everything you were told.
And still, there are flares that come out of nowhere, fatigue that sleep doesn't touch, and the exhausting work of explaining an illness people can't see.
Living with an autoimmune condition isn't only physical. It shapes your work, your relationships, your plans, and how safe you feel in your own body.
Therapy works on what keeps your body stuck in survival mode: the chronic stress and unresolved experiences that hold the nervous system on high alert and feed the cycle of stress, inflammation, and symptoms. As your mind and body learn it’s safe to settle, that cycle can begin to loosen.
Telehealth for NY, FL, MI residents
“Why does stress always seem to make it worse?”
Because your immune system and your nervous system are in constant conversation.
It might look like:
Flares that follow stressful weeks, conflict, or loss
Exhaustion that rest doesn't fix
Feeling dismissed, disbelieved, or told it's "just stress"
Grief for the body, energy, or life you had before
Worry about the next flare, test result, or appointment
Pushing through until you crash, then blaming yourself
Your body isn't betraying you. It's been carrying more than anyone could see.
THE MIND-BODY CONNECTION
Your nervous system has been on high alert for a long time.
When stress goes on and on, whether from trauma, from the illness itself, or from years of holding everything together, the body stays in survival mode. Stress hormones and inflammation are closely linked, and research has found that people with histories of trauma and chronic stress have higher rates of autoimmune disease.
This doesn't mean your illness is "in your head," or that you caused it. It means your body and your history are connected, and that caring for your nervous system can be a meaningful part of feeling better.
Healing means helping your body feel safe enough to stop bracing.
Telehealth for NY, FL, MI residents
TRAUMA & AUTOIMMUNE CONDITIONS
When stress becomes part of the immune story.
Many people with autoimmune conditions also carry a history of trauma. Sometimes it’s one overwhelming event, years of stress or instability growing up, or difficult experiences in medical care. Research has found that people with trauma histories are more likely to develop autoimmune disease, and long-term stress can affect inflammation, immune function, and how often flares happen.
This doesn’t mean your illness is all in your mind. It means calming your nervous system and healing your history can be part of supporting your immune system alongside your medical care.
HOW WE'LL WORK TOGETHER
Calm the system. Understand the pattern. Live more fully.
Holistic therapy for autoimmune conditions doesn't replace your doctors. It works alongside them, caring for the parts of illness that medicine often doesn't reach: the stress, the fear, the grief, and the patterns that keep your nervous system on guard.
PHASE 1
Regulation & Relief
We learn to read your body's signals and build tools to calm your nervous system, so you have more steadiness during flares, appointments, and hard days.
PHASE 2
Understanding the Pattern
We gently explore what your body has been carrying, including past stress or trauma and the habit of pushing past your limits, using approaches like somatic therapy and EMDR.
PHASE 3
Living Well, Not Just Coping
We make room to grieve what's changed, set boundaries that protect your energy, and build a life around what matters to you, with your body as a partner rather than an enemy.
Approaches that may help: Somatic Therapy · EMDR Therapy · Mindfulness-Based CBT · Energy Psychology
Not autoimmune, or still searching for answers? Learn about therapy for chronic illness →
Telehealth for NY, FL, MI residents
AN INTEGRATIVE APPROACH
Whole-person care, every step of the way.
One method may guide our work, but it’s never the only one. Your past lives in your mind, body, and relationships. I combine evidence-based and mind-body approaches to help you work through the past and move forward with more support, clarity and confidence.
WHAT A SESSION FEELS LIKE
We go at the pace your body allows.
Sessions take place by secure telehealth, so you can join from your couch on a low-energy day. Some sessions we talk things through, some we slow down and notice what's happening in your body, and some we practice skills you can reach for the moment a flare begins. You'll never be asked to push past what feels manageable.
You don't have to earn rest here.
WHAT CHANGES AS THE WORK UNFOLDS
Your body becomes a place you can live in again.
Noticing early signs of stress before they build
Feeling calmer and more prepared going into appointments
Less guilt about resting, pacing, and saying no
Making peace with what's changed, and making room for what's possible
Relationships where your needs are understood
Trusting your body again, even on the hard days
Telehealth for NY, FL, MI residents
MEET YOUR THERAPIST
Lisa Kent, LCSW
CCTP-II · EMDR-C
My work focuses on the connection between trauma, chronic stress, and autoimmune illness. I work alongside your medical care, not instead of it, helping you calm the stress response, process what your body has been carrying, and build a relationship with your body based on care rather than fear.
QUESTIONS, ANSWERED
Autoimmune therapy FAQs
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No. Autoimmune conditions are real, physical diseases. Therapy doesn’t replace your medical treatment, and it isn’t about proving your symptoms are “in your head.” It focuses on the stress, emotions, and nervous system patterns that can affect how you feel, and on the very real toll of living with illness.
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Many people notice that stress and flares seem linked. Therapy can help you lower your baseline stress, recognize early warning signs, and respond to your body with more care. Every condition is different, so this work happens alongside your medical team, never in place of it.
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I work with adults and young adults living with conditions such as mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, Hashimoto’s, multiple sclerosis, Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis, psoriasis, and other chronic or not-yet-diagnosed illnesses. You don’t need a formal diagnosis to begin.
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Large studies of childhood adversity and of PTSD have found that people with trauma histories have higher rates of autoimmune conditions. That doesn’t mean trauma is the only cause, or that you’re to blame. It means the long-term effects of stress on the body are worth taking seriously, and worth caring for.
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Yes. Sessions are online, so there’s no commute, and we adjust the pace and focus to the energy you have that day. Some sessions will be gentler than others, and that’s part of the work, not a setback.
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It’s a free, no-pressure 15-minute video call. We’ll talk briefly about what’s bringing you to therapy and what you’re hoping for, I’ll answer your questions about how I work, fees, and out-of-network reimbursement, and together we’ll decide whether we’re a good fit. You don’t need to prepare anything, and there’s no obligation to book.
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Sessions are $200 per hour of work together. I am in-network with BCBS and BCN plans for Michigan residents. For New York and Florida residents, I partner with Mentaya to help you use your out-of-network benefits. Depending on your plan, up to 80% of your session cost can be reimbursed, and all of your claims are handled for you. You can check your benefits here (opens in a new window), or we can review them together during your free consultation.
HEALING THROUGH RECONNECTION
Your body has carried so much. You don't have to carry it alone.
Living with an autoimmune condition can leave you feeling at war with your own body. Healing reaches every part of you: your mind, your body, your relationships, and your sense of meaning. You deserve care that sees all of it.
Telehealth for NY, FL, MI residents
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Read more from Ouro House
Essays on the link between trauma, the nervous system, and chronic illness.
