Whole-person care for the emotional side of long-term health challenges

When you’re living with a chronic illness, it’s never “just physical.” The emotional toll of persistent pain, fatigue, and unpredictable symptoms can be just as draining as the medical side. If you're seeking mental health support for chronic illness in St. Louis, you don’t have to navigate it alone.

I’m Edie Rasmussen, LPC—an EMDR-trained therapist offering compassionate, trauma-informed counseling for women and feminine-presenting individuals facing chronic health conditions. I understand that every health problem carries an emotional story—and that healing happens when we care for the whole person: mind and body.

What is EMDR Therapy and Why Is It Effective for Chronic Illness?

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a powerful therapy that helps process adverse life events and trauma that may be contributing to your physical symptoms. While it’s best known for trauma recovery, EMDR is also highly effective in managing the emotional layers of chronic illness.

Chronic health conditions often have roots in stress, emotional trauma, or nervous system dysregulation. EMDR therapy addresses these emotional components, helping reduce both mental and sometimes, even physical symptoms.

By integrating EMDR into a broader therapeutic approach, I provide mental health support for chronic illness that is holistic, personalized, and deeply healing.

Conditions Often Addressed in Therapy

Clients come to therapy with a wide range of chronic health concerns, including:

• Chronic pain

• Autoimmune disorders

• Fibromyalgia

• Migraines

• Gastrointestinal issues (IBS, IBD)

• Skin conditions and allergies

• Asthma

• Food sensitivities

• Chronic fatigue

• Chemical or fragrance sensitivities

These conditions may be accompanied by anxiety, depression, emotional exhaustion, or even trauma from years of feeling unheard or misdiagnosed. Our work together helps untangle those emotional threads so you can reclaim a sense of control and peace in your body.

Therapy That Honors the Mind-Body Connection

Unresolved emotional stress can heighten inflammation, increase pain perception, and drain the energy you need to heal. By addressing both emotional and physiological experiences, EMDR therapy can:

• Help regulate the nervous system

• Decrease stress-related flare-ups

• Reduce anxiety and depressive symptoms

• Promote better emotional resilience

• Support long-term wellness

This approach is not a substitute for medical care, but it’s a powerful complement for anyone seeking whole-person healing. My goal is to help you feel emotionally lighter, more grounded, and better equipped to manage your health.

Who I Work With

I specialize in working with women and feminine-presenting individuals in St. Louis navigating chronic health concerns—especially those who are exhausted from years of being told “it’s all in your head.”

Whether you’ve recently been diagnosed or have been living with chronic symptoms for years, I provide a safe, supportive space to explore your emotional experience and create a path forward.

Why Mental Health Support Matters in Chronic Illness

You don’t have to be in crisis to benefit from therapy. Chronic illness can create an invisible burden that impacts every area of life—from relationships and work to sleep and self-worth.

Here in St. Louis, I offer mental health support for chronic illness that honors the complexity of your experience and helps you:

• Process past medical trauma or invalidation

• Navigate anxiety, grief, and uncertainty

• Reconnect with your body in a supportive way

• Build emotional tools to handle future health challenges

A Holistic Path Toward Healing

As a trained EMDR therapist, I view healing as an integrative process. Together, we’ll uncover how your mind, body, and nervous system are working together—and gently guide them back toward balance.

You deserve to feel seen, heard, and supported. And that’s what I offer: a space for healing that goes beyond symptoms to reach the core of what’s keeping you stuck.

Start Your Healing Journey Today

If you’re ready to explore a more holistic path to wellness, let’s talk.

Schedule your free 20-minute consultation for mental health support for chronic illness in St. Louis.
I’d love to hear your story and help you take the next step.