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Specialist areas of interest

Living with chronic illness

I have a special interest in supporting people living with ME/CFS, fibromyalgia, and similar conditions, and I live with chronic illness myself.

I won’t minimise your experience or push a mind-over-matter narrative. This is supportive, reality-based therapy that makes room for pain, fatigue, brain fog, uncertainty, self-doubt, and the impact of dismissal and disbelief.

If you live with chronic illness, you may have been doubted, dismissed, or encouraged into approaches that did not fit the realities of your health. In my work, you are the expert in your own experience. Therapy with me is not about denying symptoms; it’s about support and practical adjustment, within your capacity.

You might be here because:

  • You’re exhausted, frustrated, or grieving a life that has changed

  • You feel guilty resting, or pressured to “push through”

  • You’re dealing with brain fog, reduced confidence, or feeling unlike yourself

  • Your boundaries have collapsed (or you’re tired of explaining them)

  • Relationships, work, or family expectations feel harder to manage

  • You’ve lost trust in your body, or in professionals who should have helped

  • You want to live as well as possible, even if your health does not improve

What we can work on:

  • Pacing and boundaries (in a way that fits real life, not ideals)

  • Self-advocacy and preparing for appointments or difficult conversations

  • Shame, self-doubt, and the emotional impact of being disbelieved

  • Identity shifts, grief, and rebuilding a sense of meaning

  • Navigating relationships and the “invisible illness” problem

  • Finding steadier ways to cope with setbacks, uncertainty, and flare cycles

  • Building a life that is workable and worthwhile, within your energy limits

Working alongside medical care
Therapy can support adjustment and emotional wellbeing, but it doesn’t replace medical assessment. If symptoms feel severe, sudden, or unsafe, I’ll encourage you to involve your GP or specialist services alongside therapy.