6/29/2026
Designing Chronic Care That Supports the Mind and Body
A candid conversation about mental health, identity, grief, acceptance, trust, joy, and what it takes to build chronic condition care that works for the whole person.
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Chronic conditions and mental health are deeply connected, yet they’re still too often treated separately.
In this episode of ieso Conversations, Kristen Sills, Head of Marketing at ieso, sits down with Dr. Talia Cohen — a mind-body coach, lived experience strategist, and someone who has managed multiple chronic conditions herself for over 15 years — and Alyssa Dietz, PhD, a licensed clinical psychologist and Head of Clinical Strategy at ieso, whose work spans the VA, academic medical centers, community clinics, and digital mental health.
They go deep on what chronic illness actually does to a person: the grief, the identity shifts, the lasting damage of being made to believe your symptoms are all in your head. They also get into what it takes to integrate mental health support into digital chronic care programs so that patients actually trust and stick with them.
"Joy is not a reward for healing," Dr. Talia reminds us. "It's what facilitates healing." That reframe captures a lot of what this episode is about.
Inside this conversation:
- What living with a chronic condition does to one's identity, self-advocacy, and ability to engage with care long-term
- Why validation and trust are critical to helping people with chronic conditions feel seen, heard, supported, and safe in their bodies
- The power of lived experience — and how the digital health companies that embrace it can improve product design, messaging, research methods, and more
- What breaks down when mental health support lives outside the core chronic care experience
- How integrating mental health support directly into digital chronic care pathways meaningfully improves engagement, retention, and outcomes
Follow the guests:
➡️ Dr. Talia's website
➡️ Dr. Talia on Substack
➡️ Dr. Talia on Instagram
➡️ Dr. Talia on LinkedIn
➡️ Alyssa Dietz on LinkedIn
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