Chronic Health & Pain
Living with chronic pain or a long-term health condition can affect far more than the body. It can shape your mood, relationships, routines, and your sense of who you are. Over time, the effort required to manage symptoms, appointments, uncertainty, or reduced energy can lead to frustration, grief, isolation, or emotional exhaustion.
Counselling offers a steady place to acknowledge the reality of what you’re carrying and to explore ways of coping that respect both your physical limits and your emotional needs.
Sessions are available in person in Saanich and online across Canada.
How Chronic Health Challenges Can Affect Daily Life
People often seek support when they notice experiences such as:
​
• Ongoing pain that limits activity or concentration
• Fatigue or reduced stamina
• Frustration, irritability, or emotional overwhelm
• Grief over changes in identity, independence, or plans
• Strain in relationships due to shifting roles or expectations
• Difficulty balancing rest, activity, and responsibilities
• Anxiety about symptoms, flare-ups, or the future
​
None of these reactions are unusual. They reflect the very human impact of long-term health challenges.
​
A Grounded, Respectful Approach
​
Our work focuses on understanding how your health condition affects your emotional world, daily rhythms, and relationships. The aim is not to minimize your experience or “think your way out” of symptoms, it’s to offer space, clarity, and tools that help you navigate life with greater steadiness.
​
Depending on your needs, counselling may explore:
​
• The emotional impact of ongoing pain or physical limitations
• Grief connected to changes in identity or ability
• Patterns of self-criticism, pressure, or perfectionism
• How to communicate needs or limits to others
• Strategies for pacing, energy management, and emotional regulation
• Ways of responding to flare-ups with compassion rather than fear
Your experience remains central. We move at a pace that feels realistic and respectful of your physical capacity.
​
When Pain Feels Invisible
​
Many people living with chronic health issues describe feeling unseen or misunderstood, especially when symptoms aren’t outwardly visible. This can lead to isolation or reluctance to ask for support.
​
Counselling offers a place where your experience is taken seriously — where you don’t have to convince anyone that the pain is real or justify what you can or can’t do on a given day.
Therapeutic Approaches
​
I draw from person-centred therapy, mindfulness-based approaches, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Internal Family Systems (IFS), Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), and Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT). These approaches can support emotional regulation, coping, values-based decision-making, and resilience, while adapting to the realities of chronic pain.
​
Working with ICBC
​
If your chronic pain or injury is related to a motor-vehicle accident, counselling may be covered through ICBC. I’m able to provide sessions under ICBC funding, and we can discuss any questions you have about eligibility or next steps.
A Steady Place to Land
Chronic health challenges ask a great deal of you. Counselling offers space to make sense of what you’re carrying, reduce emotional strain, and reconnect with parts of life that feel meaningful, even when symptoms remain present.
​
If you’re wondering whether counselling could help, you’re welcome to book a complimentary consultation or schedule a session directly.