Pamela Phillips

I will help you explore your world with compassion and flexibility, needed for chronic illness based on my own experiences. Throughout my life I constantly found myself in the role of supporting people emotionally. A couple of times I ended up facilitating groups of people. I thought, perhaps I need to learn how to do this properly? Then with moderate ME/CFS I had some free time to fill and out of interest went along to attend a class on Counselling Skills at my local adult education college. Finding I enjoyed it, I signed up for the Counselling Diploma, again just out of interest, not with any intention of becoming a practising counsellor. My placement was with a mental health charity and once I had qualified I continued to volunteer with them, counselling face-to-face. When they set up an online single session counselling service I joined this and became a part-time paid counsellor which led eventually to my setting up my personal online and telephone practice. From the start I specialised in ME/CFS and other chronic illness and disability, as well as mental health given my background experience with the charity. I’m always aware how my client’s health may be affecting them during a session and keep in mind how it might factor into the therapy as a whole. For example, some of my clients with ME/CFS opt for fortnightly sessions to have longer than a week to process each session. I am an Integrative counsellor, making my own models from a variety of theoretical concepts and suiting them to my clients. I like working with a client and seeing how different methods fit them rather than taking a one size fits all approach.

Having ME/CFS completely controls how I live my life and how I interact with people. It’s been a huge learning curve; it has its own language and conventions. It is a political issue; some doctors still don’t believe it exists, some believe it is a psychological disorder, despite it being a biological disease, coded as a disorder of the nervous system in the ICD (International Classification of Diseases, code 8E49). Disability in general is often poorly treated in our society and chronic invisible illnesses often most of all, which can add to the stress caused by the conditions themselves. I am passionate about the rights and well-being of disabled people and use the energy I have to work with clients who need the understanding I have from my own lived experiences. Whether you have issues to do with chronic illness or disability, or just need that background understanding, I can support you. I provide a calm, non-judgmental space where clients can explore the emotional, physical, and psychological impact of living with disability and long-term health conditions such as autoimmune disorders, fibromyalgia, ME/CFS, and other invisible illnesses.

Living with chronic illness often involves more than just managing symptoms—it can affect identity, relationships, work, and mental well-being. I work collaboratively with clients to navigate these challenges, offering support in coping with grief and loss, fatigue, frustration, fear, anxiety, and the sense of isolation that can often accompany long-term illness. I aim to create a supportive therapeutic relationship where clients feel seen and understood, while also gently challenged toward meaningful change. I believe healing occurs through the relationship between client and counsellor and will always promote client well-being, especially within the limits of existing illness.

Writing

Pamela has written an article for us sharing her experience of training in and offering therapy via Messaging. Many people with sensory issues struggle with screen time and video in particular, and this may be an excellent opportunity to engage with therapy via the written word.

Sessions can be stopped early if needed due to health. Cancellation within 24 hours of session/same day as session is charged at half cost.