As a Coaching Psychologist, and as a support group leader and trustee of Endometriosis South Coast, my work sits at a powerful intersection: evidence-based psychological practice, lived experience shared within a community, and the deeply human realities of chronic illness. Coaching people with endometriosis is not about "fixing" pain or pushing positivity, it's about creating space, restoring agency, and supporting sustainable ways of living well with a fluctuating condition.
Understanding the Coaching Context
Endometriosis often brings unpredictable pain, fatigue, cognitive fog, and emotional strain, alongside long diagnostic journeys and frequent experiences of being misunderstood. In coaching, this means we start by honouring reality. Sessions are paced, flexible, and responsive to energy levels. We work collaboratively to define goals that are meaningful and compassionate, recognising that progress may be non-linear.
A coaching psychology lens allows me to draw on frameworks such as values-based goal setting, self-compassion, and strengths-informed approaches. These help clients reconnect with who they are beyond symptoms, while still respecting the limits imposed by their bodies on any given day.
Agency Without Pressure
One of the most important distinctions I make in this work is between agency and pressure. Many clients have internalised messages to “push through,” which can exacerbate symptoms and erode self-trust. Coaching offers an alternative: exploring choices without judgement. Together, we identify what is within a client’s control, communication boundaries, pacing strategies, decision-making at work or home, while releasing responsibility for what isn’t.
This approach often includes practical experimentation: testing adjustments at work, renegotiating roles, or developing scripts for medical appointments. Each step is framed as learning, not success or failure.
Identity, Loss, and Rebuilding
Endometriosis can disrupt identity, careers pause, plans change, and relationships are tested. Coaching creates a reflective space to process grief and ambiguity, and to rebuild identity in ways that integrate illness without letting it define the whole self. We explore values that endure even when capacity changes, helping clients craft lives that feel aligned, not diminished.
Community as a Therapeutic Asset
My role within Endometriosis South Coast continually reinforces the importance of community validation. Peer support reduces isolation and counters stigma; it also informs my coaching practice with real-world insight into the barriers people face. Coaching complements this by offering confidential, individualised support, helping clients translate insight into action within their unique contexts.
A Relational, Ethical Practice
Coaching people with endometriosis requires humility, adaptability, and strong ethical grounding. It means being trauma-informed, collaborating with (not replacing) medical care, and recognising when coaching goals need to soften rather than scale up. Above all, it means listening, deeply and without agenda.
For me, this work is both professional and personal. It’s a privilege to walk alongside people as they reclaim voice, choice, and self-trust, one compassionate step at a time.