Nearly 60% of Adult Americans have at least one chronic health condition. These conditions often impact quality of life, and many are comorbid with anxiety, depression, PTSD, or other behavioral health conditions. This course will give an overview of the importance of considering physical health and its impact on behavioral health. We will teach you how to create a space where talking about our body and its functions are natural and comfortable. We will explore the role of grief and loss and how to move toward acceptance of new limitations and learning to thrive within those limitations. We will share evidenced based practices that reduce suffering and validate the experiences of people with chronic health conditions. Resources will be provided to help you provide better care for your patients as they face the difficult reality of living live with chronic illness.
K. Todd Pehrson, LCSW
K. Todd Pehrson has been supporting the disability community for more than 20 years. He started in a developmental group home providing direct care support to people with Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities. He worked as a Case Manager and then Developmental Specialist with the State of Nevada for eight years while pursuing his Master of Social Work Degree. Post Masters, Mr. Pehrson has worked in private practice providing behavioral health support for the past 11 years. His practice focused on supporting people with disabilities to reduce stress and trauma while improving other targeted skills. In 2019, Mr. Pehrson joined the University of Utah Health Chronic Disease Clinic. In this clinic, Mr. Pehrson has supported hundreds of patients with hidden disabilities (chronic health conditions) including supporting the covid long haulers clinic. He is passionate about advocating for, and improving the lives of people with a variety of disabilities. He strives to help them to live their lives to the fullest, maximizing their strengths, and developing a wide range of abilities.
Taylor Berhow, LCSW
Taylor Berhow completed her Master of Social Work and Master of Public Administration degrees at the University of Utah. She has been at the University of Utah for several years, specifically working to treat the mental health concerns of individuals with rare and chronic neurological conditions. She also specializes in treating anxiety disorders, including OCD, health anxiety, and somatic symptom disorders, and particularly enjoys assisting with the frequent overlap of the anxiety issues that show up in healthcare settings. She loves chocolate milk, collecting credit card points, and spending time with her daughter and husband.