Chronic Illness: helping you help you and/or a family member

I have created a structured counselling approach guided by common phases that come with raising a child with a chronic health condition. We can work together on:

• navigating the first year
• starting school (and beginning to learn about advocacy)
• building friendships (and learning about advocacy)
• puberty (and learning about advocacy)
• independence (and learning about advocacy)—and beyond—with your child’s diagnosis and wellbeing. 

The number of sessions (60 mins/per session) you feel you need to work on/through these phases will be up to you and different for each family. Ultimately what matters is the work we do together to figure out what works for you and what doesn’t.

If you are wanting to explore parenting your child with a diagnosis using the structured approach or individual sessions, I can help you:

• Learn to process the diagnosis and the complicated feelings that come with it - shock, joy, grief, guilt, hope etc.

• Learn to navigate chronic illness and the healthcare system, ask effective questions and get the answers and help you need, and manage the many aspects of appointments and practitioners

• Become your child’s strongest advocate

• Talk to family members and others about the health condition and understand how they can support you and embrace your child

• Discover your own self-care techniques so you aren’t “pouring from an empty cup”  

• Keep your child’s quality of life - body, mind and spirit - at the centre of discussions with the healthcare team. While the healthcare team understands what the next steps can be based on test results and physical exams, you know your child best. It is vital to realize that both your and your child’s input is indispensable.

 I am a registered social worker (RSW #13987) practicing in British Columbia using video counselling (BC residents only). I have my Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) from the University of Victoria (2012) and my Master of Social Work (MSW) from Dalhousie University (2018).