Counselling for Chronic, Rare and Invisible Health Conditions
Living with a chronic, rare or invisible health condition often means carrying experiences that can be emotionally exhausting, isolating and misunderstood.
Alongside the condition itself, you may be navigating changes in identity, confidence, relationships, independence, future plans and emotional wellbeing. Therapy can provide space to make sense of these experiences without feeling that you have to justify or explain them.
You may be experiencing:
Anxiety about symptoms or the future
Frustration at not being understood
Changes in confidence or identity
Medical trauma or difficult healthcare experiences
Relationship and Family Challenges
Grief for the life you expected
More than a diagnosis
Whether you have recently received a diagnosis, are adapting to changes in your health, or have been living with your condition for many years, therapy can offer a space to process what you are experiencing and explore how to move forward in a way that feels meaningful and manageable for you.
Therapy cannot take away the condition itself, but it can offer a space where every part of your experience has room to be understood, not just the diagnosis.
As part of my counselling training, I have worked with clients facing significant health challenges and life-changing diagnoses.
Through this work, as well as postgraduate research exploring the psychological impact of living with a long-term neurological condition, I have developed a deeper understanding of the emotional impact that ongoing health difficulties can have.
This can include grief, adjustment, uncertainty, changes in identity, loss of confidence, and learning how to live alongside a condition that may not have a clear resolution.
Why I am drawn to this work
Conditions are only part of the story
A health condition may be one part of what brings you to therapy, but it is rarely the whole picture.
We might also explore:
Self-esteem
Grief and loss
Future hopes and fears
Relationships
Work and purpose
Family dynamics
Identity
Personal Growth
Who I work with
I welcome enquiries from people living with neurological conditions (including epilepsy, brain injury and brain tumours), cancer, chronic pain, long Covid, and other rare diseases and long-term health conditions.
If you're unsure whether this is the right fit, you're always welcome to get in touch.
You do not have to carry this alone
If you would like to explore whether therapy with me feels like the right fit, you're welcome to get in touch for an initial consultation.
Sessions are available online across the UK, allowing you to access support from home if travelling, fatigue, symptoms or other health challenges make attending in person difficult.