One Step Therapy

ME/CFS Recovery

Overcome ME/CFS, just like I did!

ME/CFS Specialist

I help clients to overcome ME/CFS, working independently from my Private Clinics in London and Essex, and as part of the Gupta Amygdala Retraining team. The Gupta Amygdala Retraining Programme is a DVD treatment for ME, CFS and Fibromyalgia.

www.cfsrecovery.com

I work from my London Bridge office every Thursday and from my Private Practice in Buckhurst Hill, Essex all other days. I also offer telephone consultations to those who are overseas or unable to attend therapy sessions.

I use a holistic/integrative approach to therapy and combine all of my therapeutic skills to help my clients return to full health. I am trained in Hypnotherapy, Psychotherapy, Counselling, NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming) and CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy).

I believe, from professional and personal experience, that working in this way enables people to heal on all levels and not only recover from this condition, but to stay fully recovered and enjoy a healthy and happy life.

What's the Science behind my work?

I work with Ashok Gupta's hypothesis of ME/CFS and the role of the Amygdala. There is a brain structure in the subconscious mind, called the Amygdala, which decides if something is threatening us. If it believes that there is a threat it releases an appropriate response to protect us, which then stimulates the stress response (fight or flight response).

It's possible to unintentionally train the Amygdala to overprotect us, causing us to be on high alert constantly. During the onset of ME/CFS, the Amygdala can negatively react to how the body is feeling, causing an anxiety loop. The body gets stuck and symptoms continue relentlesly.

In many cases, sufferers can remember feeling extremely stressed around the time they developed ME/CFS symptoms, or can remember experiencing a particularly difficult time in their lives leading up to the onset of their condition. There may have also been a physical trigger, such as a viral infection or an accident of some kind.

It is the combination of these stresses to the body and mind that cause the Amygdala to remain on high alert. Stimulation of the nervous system causes sufferers to feel as though their body has 'broken down' and experience very real physical symptoms.

Similar Personalities?

Often, ME/CFS sufferers share similar personaly traits. These can include perfectionist tendencies, a desire to achieve, a desire to be accepted and approved of by others and often ME/CFS sufferers show incredible amounts of kindness to others, but leave themselves at the bottom of the pile.

Subconscious, negative self belief structures are present in many cases. When looked into more deeply, there tends to be fears of rejection or failure present. The following beliefs are most common with ME/CFS sufferers:

Why, or how, people become conditioned to think in these ways varies from person to person. For some, they may have only ever been praised or shown attention as a child when they achieved and so they became conditioned to believe that they are only good enough if they are achieving (fear of failure).

Others may have experiened an emotionally absent parent, who made them feel rejected, and so they put everybody else before them to make sure they were always accepted and approved of from then on (fear of rejection).

How does Therapy work when treating ME/CFS?

I believe that it's extremely important to not just treat the symptoms, but to treat the underlying cause of the condition. This way sufferers can recover and return to full physical health and also learn how to make sure that they continue enjoying a physically, mentally and emotionally healthy and happy life.

Medical science and other therapies tend to have a 'one size fits all' approach which often fails to address the cause. It's important to me that suffers not only recover from the physical symptoms but feel empowered as individuals and back in control of their health.

I use a combination of Hypnotherapy, Psychotherapy, Counselling, NLP and CBT to seek out the causes of the condition and work with underlying factors, as well as re-programming the Amygdala and encouraging the body and mind to work harmoniously together once again.

I know it works because I've been there and experienced it working for myself!

My Personal Story

I suffered from ME/CFS for nine years in total and at my worst I was bedbound and unable to walk unassisted. I suffered from extreme fatigue, severe pains in my muscles and joints, poor concentration, sensitivity to light and sound...you name it, I had it! I was extremely ill and told by doctors that I would never fully recover.

I embarked on a journey of personal development; practising meditation and self hypnosis as well as reading self help books, when I was well enough. I became extremely interested in the connection between the mind and body and one evening at a meditation class I experienfced a realisation that was the beginning of my recovery.

I understood for the very first time that my illness didn't suddenly come out of the blue like I thought it had. I had lived a very stressful lifestyle that was depleting me of energy very slowly.

I was a very high achiever and put an extreme amount of pressure on myself to be perfect and be the best at everything I did. On top of the mental pressure I was placing upon myself, I also neglected my physical and emotional health.

With the help of an Integrative Therapist, who used Hypnotherapy, Counselling and NLP, I was able to challenge my negative self beliefs, learn to speak more kindly to myself, improve my self esteem and make a full recovery.

My journey was challenging at times, but I learnt to 'find my voice' and discover who I was and what made me happy. I am now completely healthy and live a very happy and fulfilling life, helping others to recover just like I did.

If you would like to book a consultation or you would like more information please do Contact Me today.

Tel: 07825 448937

Email: mail@onesteptherapy.co.uk