Inside every chronic patient is an acute patient wondering what happened.

This In Session describes how chronic illness erodes connections, eludes definition, and reduces one's ability to manage daily life. The contributors compassionately and competently provide an array of perspectives, pragmatic techniques, and caveats. This concluding article seeks to integrate the articles in this issue and to deepen the clinician's ability to meet the needs of a chronically ill individual requesting psychotherapy. Particular emphasis is given to three models of psychotherapy with chronically ill individuals, care giving at the end of life, and compassion fatigue found in professionals working with this population. Multiple case examples are provided to illustrate psychotherapy and psychosocial intervention strategies.