“Everyone who is born holds dual citizenship, in the kingdom of the well and in the kingdom of the sick. Some of us live too long with one foot in both.”
— Susan Sontag, Illness as Metaphor
The story our culture tells about illness is often incomplete.
But there is strength in writing a new one—on your own terms.
Living with an autoimmune disease, chronic fatigue syndrome, or fibromyalgia can feel like moving through a world that’s moving far too fast for your body to keep up. You may be recovering from a neurological or gastrointestinal disorder, while silently adjusting to your “new normal”—one with slower processing, less stamina, or unexpected symptoms.
The experience isn’t always about physical symptoms. Often, it’s about the loss of energy, the frustration of slowed functioning, and the isolation that comes from not being able to keep pace with life as it was before.
And still, life continues to demand performance. And, society expects optimism. Productivity. A can-do attitude. You're told to “stay strong,” “keep fighting,” or “look on the bright side.” But when your lived experience doesn’t match the cultural script of triumph and recovery, it can feel like you're failing at something no one else can see. And that quiet dissonance—between what’s visible and what’s real—can be profoundly lonely.
In our work together:
We won’t pretend the story of your body is simple—or that it must match the one our culture tells.
You won’t be asked to perform wellness or become someone you’re not.
Therapy becomes a place to pause, to rest from the pressure to “overcome” or “push through.”
We’re not aiming for “normal.” We’re building something real—sustainable, honest, whole.
Together, we’ll shape tools and practices that let you navigate a demanding world—while staying true to your own experience.