I can help you with conditions often lost in the gaps between 'physical' and 'mental'

I can help you if you feel overwhelmed, burnt out or have symptoms linked to nervous system dysregulation​

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I have family experience of Functional Neurological Disorder. This prompted me to research this condition in depth and put together solutions. FND is in a family of conditions linked to nervous system overwhelm. Other examples include chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia. At the milder end of the spectrum, we may have fewer symptoms, but we know we are not coping.

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Is it physical or mental?

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A lot of energy is often spent arguing about whether these diagnoses are mental or physical conditions, as if a physical condition would somehow be more ‘worthy’. The way I see it is that they are both, because the nervous system underpins both our mental and physical health and can be impacted by either.

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Why psychotherapy?

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One reason that psychotherapy can be helpful, regardless of the answer to “is it physical or mental?”, is because psychotherapy acts on the nervous system. However, not all psychotherapies are equal in this respect: some are much more centred on nervous system regulation than others. Furthermore, there is a whole host of other therapies that counsellors often use or recommend (e.g. mindfulness, meditation and breathwork) that can be very helpful with these conditions of nervous system overwhelm. Lastly, counselling is very helpful for figuring out what in the outside world has been overwhelming you and what you can do about it.

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How I can help

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In conditions fraught with confusion and medical gaslighting, I can help you feel heard and gain clarity. I can help you to untangle why you may have developed one of these conditions. Together we can develop a plan of action to help you to move back towards health. I would usually recommend trying NeurOptimal® neurofeedback in the mix, as it can help the brain to get out of stuck patterns.

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Children with nervous system overwhelm

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I am not trained to carry out counselling with children under the age of 16. However I can meet with parents to explain what I have learnt. This way you can help your child, who may in any case feel too overwhelmed for one-to-one therapy with a stranger. I am able to use NeurOptimal® neurofeedback with children and have found this to be very helpful. Children can play a game, read or have a nap while the machine works its magic!