How to live in a body that hurts: chronic illness, disability, and body image with Dr. Jennifer Caspari

What does it mean to live in a body that doesn’t always do what you wish it would? A body that’s unpredictable, maybe in pain, maybe exhausted — a body shaped by chronic illness, disability, or medical trauma?

This week on the podcast, I’m revisiting an episode with the deeply compassionate Dr. Jennifer Caspari, a psychologist who specializes in health psychology and lives with cerebral palsy. Her personal and professional wisdom come together in such a powerful way — this conversation felt like a breath of fresh air in a world that so often asks us to override, fix, or fight our bodies.

We talk about what it means to be in relationship with your body when it doesn’t feel like it’s on your side — and how to cultivate self-compassion, presence, and joy even in the midst of that. (Her new book is a beautiful read, by the way).

Jen shares her own story — how she came into therapy, what it’s like navigating the world in a disabled body, and the mindset shifts that have helped her most during painful or difficult seasons.

We explore:

* How societal body image pressure intersects with disability and illness

* Why we don’t have to wait for symptoms to go away in order to start living

* The role of values-based living and gentle courage in hard moments

* Practical strategies for coping with chronic pain

* What it really means to practice radical acceptance

* Why chronic illness often involves grief — of function, identity, possibility

* Navigating relationships and communicating needs with loved ones