The professional support offered by Heart and Soul Coaching recognizes and adheres to the distinction between the concepts ‘chronic disease’ and ‘chronic illness’.

Chronic Disease refers to the pathology of the condition, based on the biomedical disease classification. Diabetes, asthma and clinical depression are just three examples of the many chronic diseases that exist.

Chronis Illness is the term used for your personal experience of living with your disease.

Depending on your need, coaching support for a chronic health condition and/or disability, consists of two main aspects:

1. Evaluating your symptoms and all the contributing factors that may be involved. Next, together we will design and implement your individual care framework to help you to best manage your condition on a daily basis. Your individual program could include certain lifestyle changes, dietary considerations, adherence to beneficial therapies and medications, setting up your support framework, a workable activity / rest routine, inventing new and stimulating activities, and so on. We can call this Structural Support.

2. Addressing and working with your associated feelings of loss, grief, frustration, depression, anxiety and more, through sharing, therapeutic writing, creative activities and compassionate interactions. We can call this Emotional Support.

Few events challenge all areas of life as does the entry of a chronic illness and/or disability. Not only does the entire background in terms of your work, your finances, future vision, and your personal relationships and roles come crashing down, and your very sense of self and of your life purpose is threatened.

As you find yourself like a lost traveller in a strange land, many deeply upsetting emotional and psychological processes take place whilst you try to find your way.

In all of this, eventually you are emotionally and psychologically ready to map out a new direction to your life. Questions relating to your life purpose and meaning which were at first overwhelming, now begin to take on a more definite shape: ‘What is still possible for me?’, ‘How can I still express my values?’ and ‘How can I still find enjoyment?’ In other words: Who can I be?

Much of the values, beliefs, expectations, and ambitions that provided your inner foundation and sense of purpose before, may have vanished. And so it has fallen to you to reformat and re-establish those concepts and inner foundation.

Living a life of quality, function and relative enjoyment within the reality of a chronic condition does not request, but demands severe adjustments in just about all areas of your life.

The number of changes that are needed, as well as their profound impact can be very overwhelming. Given your already limited energy, possible pain and your emotional distress, it is likely that most of your time and stamina, such as it is, are spent on making it through the day and tending to the most necessary chores and tasks. As a result, you may find it daunting, if not plain impossible to know even where to begin, how to find the relevant information, assessing recommendations, and how to introduce changes and maintain them.

This is where you need experienced assistance and caring attention. And this is exactly what Heart and Soul Coaching is equipped to provide.

What’s more, the convenient and encrypted email format of the consultations, workshops, programs and resources will allow you to engage safely in this coaching without the pressure of travel, scheduled appointments, and real-time video sessions.

Now you can have your own, in-house coach whenever you need him.