Illness Narratives: Compassionate Ideas for Working with People Living with a Chronic Illness.

Workshop Description:

Illness Narratives: Compassionate ideas for working with people living with a chronic illness.

Living with a chronic illness can be a complex and challenging experience. A life-altering illness diagnosis impacts multiple aspects of a person’s life, challenging their worldview and sense of self, effecting their relationships and work life.  This intensive 6-hour workshop will offer therapists ideas and practices for supporting people navigating the complexities of chronic illness. By applying the assumptions and principles of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Narrative Practices, you will learn ways to support people living with a chronic illness in re-authoring a more hopeful view of their future, building resilience, and enhancing their overall quality of life.

This comprehensive training will explore:

Understanding the Client Experience: the emotional and psychological impact of chronic illness, including the challenges of pain, fatigue, and uncertainty.

The Power of ACT: Learning ways to apply ACT principles to help people accept their condition while pursuing a meaningful life.

The Narrative Approach: Discovering how to collaboratively construct richer alternative stories that foster hope and possibilities, and thus release the hold of negative (“thin”) narratives on peoples’ lives.

Case Studies and experiential practice exercises: Enhancing clinical skills through practical application and feedback.

Professional Considerations: Addressing the unique challenges faced by therapists working with people with chronic illness.

This workshop will offer ideas and practices that can help to provide compassionate and effective care to people living with chronic illness, fostering their ability to thrive despite their challenges.

Join us in making a meaningful difference in the lives of the people consulting with us.

Learning Objectives

Participants will be introduced to:

The unique challenges faced by people with chronic illness.

Knowledge of the psychological and emotional impact of chronic illness on individuals and their families.

ACT principles to enhance people’s ability to accept, understand, and manage their chronic condition.

Narrative practices to help people construct alternative stories about their illness which foster hope and possibilities.

Practices which address specific symptoms such as pain, fatigue, and anxiety associated with chronic illness.

Self-Compassion and Self-Love practices to enhance work with people.

How Grief Work is an important aspect of a person’s journey following a diagnosis of chronic illness.

Vicarious Trauma principles to address the Impact on the Therapist

Certificate verifying 6 hours of participation completed will be awarded to each participant.

Workshop Hours

Saturday, March 21, 2026 – 9:30 AM to 4:30 PM (US Central Time). Includes 2 short breaks and one hour long break.

Registration Fee

Super Early Bird Fee: $125.00 (Register before December 31st, 2025)

Early Bird Fee: $150.00 (Register between January 1st and February 28th, 2026)

Regular Fee $175.00 (March 1st, 2026 and after)

Student Fee: $100.00 (Must show proof of status with a student card if requested)

GROUP Discount of 15% available for group registration of 5 or more. Please email training@jstinstitute.com for more information.

Cancelation

Full refund minus $30.00 cancellation fee until February 28th, 2026.

50% refund between March 1st and March 20th, 2026

No refund after March 21st, 2026.

NOTE: Zoom log-in information will be provided to the email you registered with close to the workshop dates.

Kristin Malaer, MSW, LCSW-S

Kristin Malaer is a highly skilled and compassionate clinical therapist licensed in Texas, with over 13 years of experience in medical social work and 8 years in clinical social work. Her extensive background includes working with chronically ill clients, transplant recipients, and those in palliative care, providing expert guidance and support during some of life’s most challenging times.

Kristin specializes in helping clients navigate stress and anxiety, grief and loss, compassion fatigue, chronic illness, life transitions, and the development of effective coping strategies. Her therapeutic style is empowering, grounded in the belief that individuals possess the inherent capacity for change and the strength to overcome life’s obstacles. She is dedicated to helping clients harness their inner resources to take control of their lives and achieve their goals.

Kristin has presented at numerous conferences, including the Society for Transplant Social Workers and the Houston Shock Symposium. She is also an advocate for advancing education on mental health and chronic health conditions, having facilitated several platforms focused on these critical areas. Kristin looks forward to partnering with clients on their journey towards healing and personal growth.

Caroline Tremblay MA, MSW. LCSW-S

Caroline Tremblay is Co-Director of JST INSTITUTE. She has over 30 years of rich and diverse experience working with people across the lifespan, from youth to adults and families. She has provided services in crisis intervention centers, medical and psychiatric organizations, EAP companies, school settings as well as in independent practice.

Caroline holds Master’s degrees in Psychology and Social Work and is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in the state of Texas (licence # 60557). She is also a Texas Board-approved Clinical Social Work Supervisor.

Throughout her career, Caroline has been committed to a collaborative, strength-based and trauma-informed practice, utilizing approaches such as Solution Focused Brief Therapy, Brief Narrative practices, Motivational Interviewing/ coaching, and resilience models. She has experience both as a front-line clinician and in management/ training capacities.

Passionate about promoting social justice, inclusion and respect for people’s competencies and self-determination, she is also involved with ethics work as well as in publishing/ writing. Her book chapter addresses social justice through narrative practices: Duvall, J. & Tremblay, C. (2015). Rosie had wings they could not see: A consultation with Michael White and a woman labelled with a dual diagnosis, in Pare, D. & Audet, C. (Eds.), Social justice and counseling. Routledge/ Taylor-Francis.

In her current professional activities, Caroline works as a heart transplant social worker, operates an independent counseling practice, provides clinical supervision toward LCSW licensure and co-directs/ manages JST Institute.

In her spare time, Caroline enjoys gardening, paddle boarding, boating, bicycling, and walking on the beach as well as singing and playing music with friends. She and her partner live in Kemah, Texas with their dog Sailor.