Witnessed: A Chronic Illness
Therapy Group
Virtual Mental Health Therapy Group
come as you are.
It will be about the process, not the product!
Living with chronic illness usually means you've gotten good at masking how you actually feel and carrying things that others can't see. Sometimes you've gotten so good at it that you don't even know how you're doing mentally anymore, you're too exhausted from having to mask all the time.
Witnessed is a therapeutic space where you can show up however you need to. No masking required. You get to just be, alongside others who understand this particular kind of hard. We get the isolation of chronic illness, the complexity of navigating a medical system that's exhausting to fight within, and having to push through while looking fine on the outside. The pain. The grief of a body that keeps changing the rules. The exhaustion of explaining yourself, again and again, to people who don't quite get it. We understand that there are so many layers to what you're carrying, and we are here to meet you wherever you are within those layers.
If any of this is ringing true for you, I personally believe that you've found your people. This group is built with you in mind, around the both/and. We understand that you can be feeling both grief and hope. Honoring your body exactly as it is, while still wishing things were different. We believe that your mental health can grow and steady, even while your chronic health stays hard, unpredictable, or slow to change. Here, you don't have to choose one truth over the other, there's room for the whole, complicated picture.
Please note you must sign up below, this group is sign up only. You must be in NC for the group.
Meet your therapist.
Hi, I'm Claire LeMoine, LCMHCA. I've been battling chronic illness since I was young, so I understand the challenges you're facing, not just clinically, but personally. It took me 16 years to finally figure out what was going on in my body.
I understand what it's like to be failed by the system, to be dismissed, misdiagnosed, or left without answers while your body keeps telling you something is wrong. That experience shapes how I show up in this group: with patience for however long your process takes, and a deep belief that you deserve to be believed, supported, and just witnessed.
FAQs
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This group is for adults and young adults living with chronic illness, chronic pain, or long-term health conditions who want connection and therapeutic support with a counselor and others who get it. You don't need to have it figured out to belong here, we are here to meet you in the full complexity and emotional roller coaster of chronic health conditions.
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Attending all sessions is not required, but it is encouraged that you commit to coming bi weekly. It is not required that you are in individual therapy, though it is encouraged that you have outside support of some kind to process any discoveries that may arise in group therapy. If you are not currently seeing a therapist at Caring Mind Counseling, you will be required to have one session with Claire prior to joining the group so we can set some goals for insurance billing.
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Check-ins and the chance to be truly witnessed by people who get it
Conversation around topics such as grief, identity, medical trauma, relationships, building a meaningful life alongside limitation, etc.
As a group, we can decide if we want weeks with some psychoeducation, somatic tools, expressive arts, etc.
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Bi Weekly, Tuesdays from 4:30–5:30 start on August 4th
Attending all sessions is not required, but consistent attendance is encouraged to build a healing practice and deepen trust within the group.
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This is a virtual group held through Caring Mind Counseling PLLC!
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We can bill BCBS and Aetna. If you are not currently seeing a therapist at Caring Mind Counseling, you will be required to schedule a one on one with Claire prior to joining. For those without BCBS or Aetna coverage, a self-pay sliding scale of $20–$50 per session is available. Our sliding scale is designed to make therapy more accessible while honoring the value of the work. When registering, you will simply select the rate that best reflects your current financial circumstances, no proof of income is required. We trust you to choose the amount that feels right for you.
Participants selecting the self-pay option agree to maintain the rate they choose for the duration of their group participation:
$20–$29: For individuals with limited income or receiving financial assistance.
$30–$39: For those with stable income and occasional discretionary spending.
$40–$50: For individuals with stable income, financial flexibility, or assets who would like to help support access for others.
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This group has rolling acceptance, so you can join at any time, there's no need to wait for a new group to start. To get started, fill out a short screening questionnaire below so we can make sure the group is a good fit for you and your needs. Once submitted, Claire will follow up to get you into the system officially. The group is filled on a first-come, first-serve basis and is capped at 15 people.
Waitlist: We will keep a waitlist, so please still sign up even if you think the group might be full.The group will be filled on a first-come, first-serve basis and is capped at 15 people per group. To sign up, you will have a free phone consultation with Claire to make sure the group is a good fit for you and your needs, then she will get you into the system officially. To schedule, make sure you pick Claire and find a time that works best in your schedule. Click to schedule your free phone consultation here.
Waitlist: We will have a waitlist, so please sign up even if you think the group might be full.
Please Note: It is not required that you are in individual therapy to join a group, though it is encouraged that you have outside support of some kind to process any discoveries that may arise.
Get started.
Sometimes I spend all day trying to count the leaves on a single tree... Of course I have to give up, but by then I'm half crazy with the wonder of it--the abundance of the leaves, the quietness of the branches, the hopelessness of my effort. And I am in that delicious and important place, roaring with laughter, full of earth-praise.
~Mary Oliver
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