We want you to feel seen and heard, in all the ways that matter most to you.

Being diagnosed with cancer or a serious medical condition often feels like the world has been turned upside down. Many people experience a range of intense emotions like …

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Shock
Anxiety
‍Grief
‍Overwhelm
‍Depression
‍Anger
‍Guilt
‍Fear

Wooden boardwalk curving through a marshy area with tall green grasses under a cloudy sky.

How you are feeling physically will affect how you are feeling emotionally, and how you are feeling emotionally can affect how you are feeling physically. Living with a health condition can impact nearly all aspects of how you see yourself, your relationships, your body, your priorities, and your future. There is no one right way to manage all of these emotions and the impact they have on your life and relationships. However, we can work together to help you regain a sense of purpose, empowerment, acceptance, and resilience at any point on the spectrum from wellness to illness to wellness. Our approach involves meeting each individual at their own starting point in order to address three primary domains:

  • Managing immediate distress

    Receiving support as you face a new or changing diagnosis; learning specific psychological tools and strategies to help control intense emotions and physical or mental symptoms of distress; softening that feeling of surreality. 

  • Improving daily quality of life

    Working toward specific goals to improve overall physical and emotional functioning, deepening engagement in valued activities and relationships, optimizing participation in your treatment and/or communication with your healthcare team.

  • Cultivating meaning

    Exploring important questions about who you are and how you see yourself in your life and in the world, now and in the future; engaging with questions about identity and purpose; thinking about existential or spiritual topics related to purpose and legacy, related to and separate from illness.

“What is it that you plan to do with this one wild and precious life?”

-Mary Oliver

A vibrant orange dahlia flower with tightly curled petals, in a garden setting with green foliage and a large tree in the background under a bright blue sky.

We want each patient to feel seen and heard with compassion, patience, and a sprinkle of humor. Dr. Kacel’s therapeutic style is warm, direct, and collaborative. We recognize and honor the fact that prioritizing wellness and/or managing illness comes to each person at different points in their lives and unique life stories. At PEAR Health Psychology, people of all intersectional identities, backgrounds, and bodies are welcome. This practice is dedicated to providing culturally-responsive and inclusive care for all people. We prioritize setting personalized goals and practicing self-compassion in ways that allow you to find momentum and meaning even while navigating cancer or other health challenges. We strive to help you cultivate a rich and colorful life according to your personal values…on your terms and on your timeline.

We work with individuals with a diagnosed medical condition as well as those trying to prevent disease—or disease progression—through healthy lifestyle changes. We also work with individuals with genetic conditions that increase risk of cancer or other health concerns, people with chronic health conditions (like diabetes or kidney disease), as well as those who may be facing a life-limiting illness.