Coping with Illness
Home -Services
About Coping with Illness
Therapy for Illness in Santa Monica & Los Angeles
A serious health diagnosis your own or that of someone you love can shatter your sense of normalcy and identity. Fear, grief, uncertainty, role changes, and the relentless demands of managing care can take an enormous emotional toll.
Dr. Sally Hackman, PhD, MFT, is uniquely qualified to help. As an Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine at UCLA Medical School since 2005, and with experience at the Cedars Sinai Outpatient Cancer Center, she brings deep knowledge of the psychosocial dimensions of illness to her clinical practice in Santa Monica and Los Angeles.
Key Points
Specialized Support Through Illness.
Empowering Resilience
Dr. Hackman helps clients and caregivers build the psychological resources needed to cope with chronic illness, cancer, and other serious health challenges without losing themselves in the process.
Healing Space
Illness therapy is available in-person in Santa Monica or via Zoom, making it accessible even when getting out of the house is difficult.
Transformative Support
Drawing on her UCLA Medical School teaching and clinical experience, Dr. Hackman integrates the latest research on mind-body connection and psychological resilience into every session.
OUR COMMITMENT TO YOU
Your Wellbeing Is Our Priority.
Illness affects not just the body but the whole person your identity, your relationships, your sense of the future. Dr. Hackman works with individuals facing their own diagnosis, family members supporting a loved one, and caregivers navigating the complex emotional demands of their role.
0
+
Years of Clinical Experience
0
UCLA Medical School Professo
0
%
Confidential Always
0
$
First Session Free If You Don't Return
FAQ
Common Questions
Absolutely. Caregiver therapy and support for family members of seriously ill people is one of Dr. Hackman's areas of deep experience. You deserve support too.
Start with a consultation. Dr. Hackman will listen to your situation without judgment and discuss how therapy might help you navigate this chapter.
Neither. People come the week of diagnosis, midway through treatment, years into a chronic condition, in remission, and after a loss. There is no correct stage. The only real signal is that you are carrying more than you want to carry alone.
With your consent, gladly. Hackman can coordinate with physicians, oncology social workers, or palliative care teams. She does not provide medical treatment or advice — her role is the emotional and relational side of what you are going through, alongside the care your medical team provides.
Yes, and on this page that matters more than most. Sessions are available by Zoom throughout California, which means therapy remains possible while you are immunosuppressed, recovering, travelling for treatment, or simply too tired to drive to Santa Monica.