Chronic Pain and Chronic Illness Counseling
in Dunedin, FL
Weekly Retreat-Style Therapy Group
A steady space to slow down
Weekly Retreat-Style Therapy Group in Dunedin, FL
Virtual Telehealth Counseling 🍃 In-person 🍃 In home
This virtual, therapist-led weekly retreat-style therapy group is created for adults living with chronic illness or ongoing health conditions who are used to showing up, pushing through, and getting it done, even when their body is signaling the need to slow down.
You may go through periods when your health feels relatively steady, and other times when you are navigating the uncertainty and strain of flares, increased symptoms, or shifts in capacity that are difficult to anticipate. And still, your responsibilities remain. They don’t stop. You continue managing work, family, and daily expectations while quietly adjusting to what your body can and cannot sustain from one day to the next.
Much of this may be invisible to others. From the outside, you may appear capable, reliable, and composed. What others may not see is the effort it takes to manage symptoms, conserve energy, recover from flares, or recalibrate expectations internally.
Over time, carrying both responsibility and invisible health strain can feel isolating. This group offers a steady, structured space each week to slow down, listen more carefully to what your body is communicating, and receive support without needing to minimize, explain, or justify what you are experiencing.
As a licensed therapist providing virtual therapy to clients throughout Florida, I designed this retreat-style group as one of three ways to walk the 5 S.T.E.P.S. to Empowered Healing, my protocol for chronic illness and chronic pain. This group offers you real support, real connection, and time each week to notice how your body is doing, without judgment or pressure to push through it. Over time, you may notice yourself recognizing your body's warning signs earlier, and responding to them with more calm instead of panic.
Is This Group a Good Fit?
This group may be a good fit for you if:
You are living with chronic illness or ongoing health conditions that affect your energy, pain levels, or daily functioning.
You are used to pushing through symptoms in order to meet responsibilities at work or at home.
Your health can feel steady at times and unpredictable at others, including periods of flares or increased symptoms.
Much of what you manage feels invisible to others, and you often minimize or downplay the effort it takes to keep up.
You sometimes turn down social invitations because of symptoms, or show up wearing the mask of “I’m fine” when you are carrying far more than others can see.
You feel frustrated, discouraged, or unsettled by changes in your capacity.
You are open to slowing down, building nervous system awareness, and exploring your experience in a structured, therapist-led group.
You are looking for steady, relational support rather than a fast-paced skills class.
Common Experiences This Group Supports
This weekly group supports adults navigating things like:
The emotional weight of living with chronic illness
Ongoing fatigue, pain, or physical symptoms that don't follow a predictable pattern
The strain of carrying responsibility while also managing your health
The exhaustion of appearing "fine" when illness is invisible to others
This group can be a good fit whatever your specific diagnosis, whether that's an autoimmune condition, chronic pain, migraines, long COVID, or another illness that doesn't follow a predictable pattern. What matters most is not the name of your condition, but whether you are carrying the kind of ongoing, invisible weight this group is built to hold.
This group does not replace medical care. It offers therapeutic support for understanding how stress and strain show up in the body, and how to respond to them more sustainably over time.
How This Therapy Group Works
This group is a closed, twelve week virtual therapy group that meets weekly for ninety minute sessions. You meet with the same small group each week, allowing familiarity, safety, and depth to develop gradually over time.
The group integrates evidence based approaches, including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), nervous system informed practices, mindfulness, and gentle regulation tools. In simple terms, this means we look at the patterns between thoughts, stress responses, and physical symptoms and begin to interrupt the cycle that can intensify both emotional and physical strain.
Living with chronic illness often creates a feedback loop. Symptoms increase, stress rises, guilt or fear follow, and the nervous system becomes more activated. That activation can, in turn, aggravate physical symptoms. In group, we slow this loop down so you can see it more clearly and respond earlier.
Sessions are intentionally paced. You are guided to notice what is happening in your body and nervous system in real time, not to analyze it, but to build awareness and steadier regulation.
Between sessions, the work continues in small, manageable ways. You practice recognizing early signs of activation, adjusting pacing before you hit a wall, and responding to flares with more steadiness and less self blame. Over time, this builds greater nervous system regulation and strengthens trust in yourself to move through difficult stretches without spiraling into overexertion or isolation.
What Makes This Retreat-Style Group Therapy
Retreat style therapy means the pace of the group is intentionally protected. Each week, you come to a preserved and safe space where you can slow down and listen more carefully to what your body is telling you.
For many adults living with chronic illness, daily life requires constant adjustment. Energy must be rationed. Symptoms may fluctuate. Decisions are often made based on what your body can tolerate in the moment. This group honors that reality by creating a steady, predictable rhythm where your nervous system has room to settle.
Sessions include guided experiential practices that support nervous system regulation in real time. These may involve mindfulness, gentle awareness work, cognitive reflection, and simple regulation tools that you can carry into everyday life.
The retreat style structure is not about escape. It is about recalibration. What you explore during group time is meant to translate into small, sustainable shifts between sessions. Over time, this steady rhythm supports earlier recognition of activation, more intentional pacing, and greater trust in your ability to move through flares without abandoning yourself.
When This Group May Not Be the Right Fit
This group may not be the best fit if:
You are currently in acute crisis or require a higher level of care.
You are seeking medical treatment or symptom management rather than therapeutic support focused on regulation and emotional processing.
You are looking for a short term, skills only class without relational depth.
You are experiencing active substance dependence without additional clinical support in place.
If you are unsure whether this group is appropriate for you, we can discuss your situation during a brief consultation and determine what level of support would be most helpful.
Group Details
Format: Virtual weekly therapy group
Length: Twelve weeks
Session Duration: Ninety minutes per week
Group Size: Closed group (same members each week) up to eight members total
Location: Available to clients located in Florida
Investment:$960 for the full twelve-week group ($80 per session)
Payment Options: Payment plans are available and can be discussed during consultation
Click the button below to complete the contact form. Once you submit your information, I will reach out to schedule a time for us to talk, answer your questions, and determine whether this group feels aligned with your current needs.
Questions You May Have
It is normal to have questions when you are thinking about making a change or trying something new. These answers may help you get a clearer sense of what to expect and what support can look like.
Do you accept insurance for this group?
No, this group is private pay. Insurance companies decide how sessions are billed based on what is cost-effective for them, not necessarily what works best for a group setting like this one. Private pay allows for a longer, ninety minute session each week, the flexibility to follow the full 5 S.T.E.P.S. protocol over twelve weeks, and a group that is shaped around your needs rather than insurance requirements.
What if I can't pay the entire amount in the beginning
A payment plan is available. A one time deposit of $80, equal to the cost of one session, is due at signup to hold your spot. The remaining balance is then split into three payments, due by Week 1, Week 4, and Week 8 of the group. Payments are set up in advance so you do not have to remember due dates yourself.
If I change my mind, can I get my deposit back?
The $80 deposit is non-refundable. This group is intentionally small and closed, and the deposit reflects a genuine commitment to the group and to the other members who are counting on a steady, consistent circle each week.
How many people are in the group?
This is a small, closed group of up to eight people. The same members meet together each week for the full twelve weeks, allowing trust and familiarity to build over time.
What happens if I can't make it one week?
There are no refunds or credits for a missed session. More importantly, you will miss that week's teaching, skill practice, discussion, and connection with the group. If you do need to miss a session, we will welcome you back the following week. We can also discuss scheduling an individual session if you would like support catching up on anything you missed.
Do I need a formal diagnosis to join?
No. Many people join this group while still in the process of understanding what is happening in their body, without a clear diagnosis yet. What matters most is whether you recognize the experience of living with ongoing, invisible symptoms that affect your daily life, not whether that experience has an official name.
How do I know if this group is the right fit for me?
This group is not the right fit for everyone, and that is okay. If you are in acute crisis, need a higher level of care, or are looking for symptom management rather than emotional and nervous system support, individual counseling or another level of care may serve you better. If you are unsure, we can talk it through together during a brief consultation.
Next Step
If this group feels like the support you have been looking for, I would love to have you join us.
Click the button below to reach out, and I will get back to you within one to two business days.
We can talk through any questions and see if this is the right time for you to begin.
Sara Graff, LCSW
Florida License SW7007
Located in Dunedin, FL
Messages are typically returned within 1–2 business days.
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