Recovery focused counselling for M.E (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome), Fibromyalgia or Post viral fatigue in Llandudno North Wales and online. Having a chronic exhaustive condition completely changes the course of your life. After living with moderate to severe M.E /CFS for a number of years, I have personal experience of the complexity of the illness and the effect on multi bodily systems.
I am a fully qualified counsellor and a member of the BACP (British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy) I offer counselling for M.E Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia. I also work in conjunction with a network of accredited and trained professionals across the UK who specialise in M.E / CFS and Fibromyalgia Recovery, chronic pain and now long covid. And have taken additional training to support symptom improvement through to recovery.
How do the sessions run?
Sessions are 50 minutes and together we look at your experience with the illness, how it has impacted you physically and emotionally and how it has affected your lifestyle.
I will offer research and education around the development of the condition, how the condition becomes chronic and how that can be changed. We will then look at actionable ways to move through the perpetuating cycle of symptoms and pain.
Our work together will be informed by theories and models which may include:
- The bio psycho social model – An approach that considers biological, psychological, and lifestyle factors and their connection with health, illness and wellbeing.
- Person Centred Approach: “Many clients, with no prior knowledge of counselling, believe that the counsellor will sort their problems out for them. A person-centred counsellor will help you to explore your own issues, feelings, beliefs, behaviour, and worldview, so you can become more self-aware and achieve greater independence” (BACP).
- Trauma Informed Approach – I am trained to understand and recognise the impact of interpersonal trauma and particularly how that plays a part in the mind body connection. The adverse childhood experience study (ACES) 1998 revealed substantial findings around the role of childhood adversity such as parents divorcing, emotional neglect, abuse etc and how that corresponds to physical and mental health in adulthood.
- Polyvagal Theory – Stephen Porges “When humans feel safe, their nervous systems support the homeostatic functions of health, growth and restoration, while they simultaneously become accessible to others without feeling or expressing threat and vulnerability”. When our nervous system is dysregulated (an elevated stress response) it can impact various channels in our body.
- Neuroplasticity – Neural plasticity or brain plasticity, is a process that involves adaptive structural and functional changes to the brain. It is defined as the ability of the nervous system to change its activity in response to intrinsic or extrinsic stimuli by reorganizing its structure, functions, or connections” (National Library of Medicine).
- Nervous System Regulation – It may be helpful to incorporate techniques such as breathing exercises, meditation, and mindfulness.
I provide a free 30 minute introductory call where together we briefly look at how the condition is affecting you, and explore how we may work together.
Prices
In person and zoom sessions are £45.00
The experience for many with a chronic condition
Not being understood by family, friends and the medical world can leave you feeling isolated and lonely. Having multiple bodily systems such as circulation, digestion, muscular, heart, immune systems and our brain not functioning as it should, is frightening, but worst still there is so much contradictory beliefs about why we develop such debilitating conditions, we are left feeling helpless and desperate for answers and to be heard.
For more information and to enquire about sessions please contact me on 07771 346695 or email sophiecounsellor@protonmail.com