Disability Counselling

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"A therapeutic approach which is not exclusive to, or excluding of, your disability or long-term illness. Clients do not need to present with a disability-related issue, but they are coming knowing that their disability or long-term illness will not be ignored or discounted as an impact on their lived experience during the therapeutic process." Liz Whiteley (2023)

Whether disability has affected you earlier or later in life, it can be a long journey which involves not only individuals concerned but their family and friends also. 

Disability counselling is beneficial to many clients, whether you‘re suddenly classed as disabled through an accident or if you have a serious health condition such as cancer.

Grief

Many people with an experience of a disability, can often go through a grieving process. Whether you are grieving the loss of your old self, loss of independence and the loss of a life that could have been. Often this can be more complicated grief rather than a bereavement of someone who has died because the person is still here. But it is important to know that your grief is still just as valid and a process that can be helped.

Anxiety & Depression

Depression and anxiety can affect so many areas of your life, and it has been proven that people with disabilities are three times more likely to develop episodes of depression in their life than the general population. 

This can be associated with many factors, such as social and societal stereotyping, loss of roles within a family, environmental barriers, stressors of daily living. Tasks which people usually find themselves doing on autopilot can be significant events to individuals with physical disabilities. After all, once you leave your houses, it is soon apparent that the outside world is not as well equipped at accepting disabilities as first imagined. How the outside world affects us daily can be enough to affect our wellbeing.

Disability counselling aims to provide a safe and non-judgemental space to work through issues faced, looking at any associated mental health concerns that could be linked, e.g. depression or anxiety as well as exploring any worries or fears you may have.

If you feel this is a service you need, please do reach out and get in touch. liz@lizwhiteleycounselling.comor call 07388462807 for more information.