My Philosophy

“You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.”

— Maya Angelou

I believe that you can have a fulfilling and sustainable life with chronic illness. You can have a career, a family, and an active social life with chronic illness. It may not look the same and it may take a lot more work to achieve than for someone without a chronic illness—but it is possible. When we work together, we will use science based techniques to put you on a path to success.

Learn

Learn your triggers. Learn your limits.

The only way to effectively manage your chronic illness is to learn it inside and out. Chronic illness expresses itself in many different ways, and differently in each person. You may know someone with the exact same condition as you have, and chances are it affects you differently in at least one way. I can help you identify triggers that may be impacting your symptoms and help you build a framework to apply throughout your life so that you can identify triggers independently.

Equally important to identifying triggers is learning your limits. Your chronic illness may be ever-present and give you advanced warning when you are pushing your body too much. But many times, it is quiet and gives no warning until you have gone past your body’s limit.  When that happens, you get a rebound that can be much worse and take longer to recover.  I help you learn how to listen to your body’s early warnings—even the super subtle ones—so that you can steer clear of your outside limits.

Communicate

Communicate your needs.

You may have identified all of your triggers. You might know how far your can push your body without major consequences. But how do you explain that to your boss, doctor, friends, or family member? This changes in different situations—you might feel more comfortable being open with friends and family, but concerned about how to explain your needs at work. I can help. Together we can help you find ways to talk to people about your needs, without making it seem like you are only your chronic illness.

Respect

Respect your illness, respect your limits, respect yourself.

You may have learned your limits, learned your triggers, and you’re already a great communicator—but you can’t seem to put this into action. If you find yourself saying “Sure, I can have another glass of wine or eat this food that I’m really sensitive to (even though I know I will feel terrible tomorrow).”  Or maybe “Sure, I can finish that project tonight (even though it’s already 5pm and I am exhausted already).”

Here, you are making a conscious choice to ignore your illness. I understand this, I have done this, I predictably ended up feeling awful afterwards. The hardest part of chronic illness is respecting the impact it has on your life, without letting it define your life. If you’re stuck here, let’s work together to shift your mindset so you feel comfortable and confident that your chronic illness is well managed—without taking over your whole life.