Living with a long-term condition might come with unpleasant physical symptoms, extra management stress and on a daily basis, it can get in the way of what matters most to you. It therefore comes with a higher likelihood of mood and anxiety difficulties. In addition to medical management, it can be helpful to have support with the psychological side eg working out what gets in the way of self-care and what beliefs make the condition harder to live with. You can then focus more on what you care about and how to make life changes in this direction. Sometimes this can help to build confidence with managing the condition and reducing its impact.

NICE currently recommends CBT for Chronic Pain, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Persistent or Medically Unexplained Conditions etc. ACT principals of Acceptance and Valued Living work well with physical health problems generally. EMDR can also be helpful for managing chronic pain and bodily symptoms.

People can have a lots of strange and sometimes debilitating physical or somatic symptoms that aren’t attributable to a known condition (although in some cases there might be a diagnosis later). Common physical symptoms include chronic pain and fatigue difficulties, dizziness and digestion problems. One study found that they are over 11x more likely if you have Adverse Childhood Experiences or Complex Trauma but anyone can experience unpleasant bodily responses.

We know that the mind and body are integrated and mutually influencing e.g. if you sleep, eat and exercise well your mood will improve. Or if you have lots of emotional difficulties you might experiences these physically and your motivation for self-care might plummet. Therapy aims to build healthier patterns and problem solve obstacles whether they are practical or psychological ones.

Trying to have a baby can create a lot of pressure and uncertainty. And there are huge physical and hormonal changes which might suddenly prompt a different relationship with your body. This can stir up a host of different feelings and relationship shifts even when things go smoothly. Therapy can be particularly helpful for more difficult experiences, particularly: anxiety, phobias, OCD, birth trauma or loss and depression. Such struggles are common and under-recognised around conception, pregnancy and birth. Therapy can make a big difference at an important time. Mountain Therapies brings a lot of perinatal experience and therapists who have previously worked in maternity and parenting support. CBT is recommended for peri-natal anxiety, depression and trauma (NICE Antenatal and Postnatal Mental Health: 2020). A range of approaches could be helpful depending on the problem and can be discussed in a free phone consultation before deciding what you want.