Living with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (M.E / C.F.S)
Plus other chronic conditions: I understand the unique challenges of chronic illness—both personally, professionally and through extensive work with clients navigating ME/CFS and Fibromyalgia. You don’t need to explain yourself here.
I understand……
- It’s a lot more than fatigue and tiredness
- The grief of losing your ‘old life’
- The frustration of an invisible illness
- Finding meaning and purpose within limits
- The impact on multiple bodily systems
- Post-exertional malaise (PEM), energy crashes, unexplained pain and sensations
- Navigating relationships when you’re chronically unwell
- Dealing with medical uncertainty and dismissal
- Managing the emotional rollercoaster of flare-ups
How I can support you … my approach is based on improvement, not just management.
Validation & Understanding
Your experience is real and valid. I have lived experience and therefore create a space where you don’t have to explain or justify your illness.
We can focus on the person underneath the diagnosis and together develop a reparative process.
Paced Sessions
Sessions are designed to respect your energy levels. We can adjust length, frequency, and format as needed.
With certain tailored approaches, clients report they are able to engage and do more in important areas of their life.
Emotional Support
Process the grief, anger, frustration, and hope that come with chronic illness in a safe, non-judgmental space.
This can create clarity and pave the way for the next steps in improving symptoms.
Practical Understanding
Information and research sharing. Symptom improvement models provided and explored, coping strategies, boundary-setting, and communication tools.
For some clients, it’s enough to explore their circumstances with a professional that ‘gets it’. And others prefer a proactive process integrating daily actions – I meet you where you are.
“The mind and body are not separate entities; they work together….. let’s make it harmonious”
About my experience of M.E/CFS
Typically, counsellors don’t talk about their own experience; we create an impartial presence where clients can project their inner worlds safely. However, having worked with many people with chronic illness, where appropriate and with consent, I share my own lived experience. The feedback has always been that it is helpful, particularly where recovery was concerned and my process and experience of that.
Over the years, I have developed a set of models that are positively impacting clients who engage in a collaborative process. I have been informed by my own experience of severe M.E/CFS, which left me unable to function for several years, unable to work, leave my house, maintain friendships, exercise, carry out basic self-care or lead a normal life, so I really do have empathy for those experiencing this condition.
In addition to severe fatigue (the type of fatigue where I was unable to lift my limbs or my head unsupported, a fatigue that is not necessarily about sleepiness, it was body-based). I also lived with the following symptoms:
- Depressed and overactive immune system
- Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS)
- Circulation issues
- Brain fog – low capacity to take in and process information.
- Painful joints
- Chronic palpitations
- Swollen lymph nodes
- Digestion issues
- Loss of sensation on one side of my body
- Tremors (external and internal)
- Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar).
- Vitamin deficiencies due to an inability to uptake
- Severe anxiety and dissociation
- Multiple sensitivities to foods
- Intolerance of strong smells, noises and sensations.
Despite being ill for many years and searching for answers I finally found specialist private support and over many months of making changes, I was able to get well and not just live a normal life but to thrive. This was an ongoing process where I was able with time to see that the changes I made how they gradually improved my symptoms.
Once well, I became passionate about supporting people with similar conditions.
I then qualified as counsellor and also with a multidisciplinary organisation specialising in M.E/CFS and Fibromyalgia that has been established for over 17 years, who have been involved in pilot studies with the NHS in demonstrating how people can significantly improve their condition.
Please note: I also work with many people that have other conditions such as endometriosis, dysautonomia and FND, where they have been through the medical system, have medically unexplained symptoms, multiple bodily systems affected and feel frustrated and worried.
If you are interested or just curious and would like a chat to describe your own experience, please feel free to contact me.