Jayleen De La Cruz
Staff Writer
Nicole Mahrer, assistant professor of psychology, presented “Virtual Acceptance and Commitment Therapy For Youth with Chronic Illnesses” for the University of La Verne on Tuesday in the Quay Davis Board Room.
Mahrer talked about the variety of chronic illnesses, their misconceptions and new ways to approach and discuss the topic.
“A chronic illness is a long-term health condition that affects someone’s daily life,” Mahrer said. “It could vary from cancer to depression and anxiety.”
Mahrer said that she started to become interested in chronic illness when she worked at the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. Her interest ultimately led her to study pediatric patients.
Mahrer explained that so-called commitment therapy is when a patient is able to accept the reality of their situation and live their best possible life.That does not mean that they like it.
Some examples of the therapy include mindful eating, breathing and smelling, she said.
During the clinical trial, Mahrer said that one of her patients, who suffered from severe anxiety, took commitment therapy and by the end of her sessions, the patient reported being able to cope better with their anxiety.
Mahrer said that chronic illness is life-changing not only to patients, but the families as well. The patient has to learn to live with their diagnosis, while the parent has to learn to cope with a new lifestyle.
“The most important thing is to not (lose) sight of who your child is,” Mahrer said. “Their chronic illness is not their whole identity.”
Mahrer said that this clinical trial could potentially be very impactful to patients with chronic illnesses, which is why she hopes to expand her research and start to train more people on how to do commitment therapy.
But although the trial seems to be going in the right direction, Mahrer said that there are always obstacles to overcome.
During the Q&A portion of the presentation, there was discussion of possible scenarios – benefits that the therapy might bring and restrictions that the trial might have.
Marcia Godwin, professor of public administration who attended the lecture, said the trials could end up being beneficial.
“I think faculty and staff have more interactions with students who have chronic illnesses than they realize,” Godwin said. “It is helpful to be more aware of what students might be experiencing.”
Jayleen De La Cruz can be reached at jayleen.delacruz@laverne.edu.
Jayleen De La Cruz is a sophomore communication major with a concentration in public relations and a staff writer at the Campus Times for Fall 2023.
Nareg Agopian is a staff photographer for the Campus Times and La Verne Magazine.
