Physical Disability

Coping with partial hearing loss, tinnitus, or chronic health challenges lead to fatigue and overwhelm. Irritation sets in and others don't seem to fully understand you. I will work with you to feel empowered and discover coping strategies to let you lead the life you desire.

As someone with lived experience with a physical disability, I can support you on your journey from acceptance to adaptation. We will explore the beliefs about yourself that might be holding you back and help you reclaim your identity and the life you want to live.

Director of Psychology, Neuropsychology & Behavioral Medicine Encompass Health Rehab Hospital, with current privileges. O’Donnell, P. J. (2013). Psychological Effects of a Strength-Based Intervention Among Inpatients in Rehabilitation for Pain and Disability. (Doctoral dissertation). ProQuest Dissertations and Theses. ISBN: 978-1-303-53639-7

I love working with folks who have been disabled for years or are navigating a "new operations manual" for their body. My approach usually involves working to make life more accessible or accommodating while also embracing yourself with compassion by unlearning internalized ableism or other messages about what bodies "should" be able to do. There's also lots of space for grieving the body that you could've had or used to have.

I help people figure out life again after an injury, medical change, diagnosis, or disability. As a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor, my training and experience has offered me unique insight in helping people with disabilities or medical conditions thrive.

I have thousands of hands on experience working in exercise-based rehabilitation centers with people living with all different types of physical disabilities. From Spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis, to cerebral palsy --- I deeply understand the physical and emotional barriers of someone living with a physical disability. This community was the inspiration for me going back to school and becoming a mental health clinician.

The overall goal is to promote the individual’s ability to perform daily activities in a way that enhances their quality of life, and makes it possible to enjoy independent living. Occupational therapy enables the participant to foster independence, productivity and self-care, both at home, at work, in school, and out in public.

Oh man, do I know what it's like to live with a physical disability. I was born with muscular dystrophy. It can be so hard living in an ableist world, when all non-disabled people do is tell you you're sick, or you need to be fixed. It's so difficult navigating through messages of society telling you that you're not worthy of a full life. That you're a burden because you can't do x,y,z. I know those messages are hard to silence, but you are not alone. You are just as worthy.

Learning to live with disability, be it something you recently discovered or that you have worked with your whole life, can take a lot of energy and time consuming. We will work together to process grief and reach acceptance and move into a comfortable living place.

Disabilities, both seen and unseen, can impact how you navigate the world and how the world navigates you. Together, we can work to help you meet your challenges head-on, savor your triumphs, and examine the emotions that arise from both.

I have a spinal cord injury and there are so many curve balls a disability throws ones way. It can be nice to have someone that has "been there, done that" but also knows each persons experience is their own. I want to help you process those feelings and thoughts you may not feel you are able to do with friends and family.