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New Online Program Offers Emotional Support, Resources for People With Chronic Illness
Arête Purpose l January 18, 2026
A Franklin, Indiana-based firm has launched an online program to educate and support people dealing with the emotional trauma of chronic illness.
ChronicTalk Community, offered by Arête Purpose, is a subscription-based program that includes monthly online group discussions, social media connections, videos, podcasts and other informational resources. Topics will focus on the emotions and daily living challenges related to having a physical chronic disease or condition.
“Living with chronic illness is all-consuming. It's overwhelming to cope with the complexity of treatments, the challenges of daily tasks and the uncertainty of what lies ahead,” said Elizabeth M. Johnson, LMFT, LCSW, an Arête Purpose founding partner and one of the program’s facilitators.
“Doctors and other providers know how to treat the conditions, but they may not offer direction for the emotional trauma of patients who have a chronic illness. We are creating an online community to help patients find resilience and support,” she added.
Johnson has been a licensed family therapist for more than 30 years and has worked with chronically ill patients. She is also an artist and published author.
Maria Gray-Gerhart, PhD also will facilitate the online group sessions and provide online content. Gray-Gerhart is a former school administrator who shares her stories about living with a chronic illness to a large online. She also is an artist and has published a book of poetry, “Always Sunshine Yellow”.
“Living with a chronic illness can be isolating — especially when symptoms are invisible, unpredictable or hard to explain. Our online support group is a gentle, judgment-free space where you can be heard, share what you are carrying and connect with others who understand,” Gray-Gerhart added.
More information about ChronicTalk Community and subscribing to it can be found on Arête’s website: aretepurpose.com/chronic-talk-community
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Arête Purpose offers personal, professional and organizational change management consulting services. Inspired by the ancient Greek idea of Arête, meaning “the pursuit of one’s highest potential,” we help people and organizations navigate lasting change to reach their full potential and achieve meaningful purpose.
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Jeffrey Owen, Partner, Arête Purpose
jeff@aretepurpose.com