Chronic Illness
Are you feeling blamed, invisible, despairing, angry or frustrated?
...It’s time to feel truly heard and believed.
We all want a cure. Even before we can pinpoint the issue, we want it to stop. Pain, fatigue or brain fog; nobody wants to live this way. Chronic diseases are unpredictable and often confuse us and our doctors. It’s a journey like no other, with no clear directions. There is simply no preparing for life with chronic illness; your symptoms may mean you are struggling with work, parenting, relationships or your mental health. Not one of us is an island; we are all impacted by how the world, including our loved ones, now respond to us.
You don’t have to do this alone. Although there may not be a cure for your illness, regular therapy can reduce the number and severity of disease flares. I have experienced this personally and would love to help you improve your quality of life too. Together we can explore your unique story while also developing skills for managing your stress more effectively. There is hope and there can be healing.
My interest in life with chronic illness and our ability to fulfil our potentials influences the way I work. For example, we know that around 83% of people with rheumatoid arthritis have what I call an ‘It Started When Story’ which tells of distressing life events around the time symptoms began. This may have been a moment in a larger story, or it may have been a singular event that caused you great distress. If this is true for you, it may be a helpful waypoint for some of our work together.
“Owning our story and loving ourselves through that process is the bravest thing that we will ever do”
Together we can explore how your experience of illness interacts with various aspects of your life. This might include relationships, work, parenting, navigating medical care or medical gaslighting. You may be feeling shame, anger or frustration. Wherever you are in your journey, I aim to offer you a confidential space where your unique experience can be heard, witnessed and believed.
As we are working with both physical illness and the way it interacts with emotional and mental wellbeing, I will bring our awareness to the mind/body relationship as we work. Whilst we are working with your story, we may check in with the bodily feeling and sensations related to the work we are doing. I may also offer psychoeducation and skills where they may be of help. However, I will always trust your inner wisdom on when is the right time for you to use them.
If any of this resonates with you, please get in touch. I am currently working online via video. This means we can work together regardless of where you are in the UK while perhaps avoiding issues around travel, accessibility or finding childcare.