"Everything can be taken from a man but one thing - the last of the human freedoms: to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way."
- Viktor Frankl
Heidi Redl MACP RCC
Counsellor and Associate
Living Bridges Therapy Collective
HELP! I have MS, a clinical counselor's thoughts on thriving and surviving with a chronic disease.
In 2004, at the age of 42, I was diagnosed with Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis (PPMS). In the photo of me where I’m sitting in front of my bookcase, you can see the edge of my wheelchair to the right of the bookcase. Like all forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), PPMS is nasty and it is variable. Some days I use a wheelchair to get around, some days a walker and on good days, canes. Learning to live with a chronic disease that attacks the very fibre of your character while it is eroding your ability to live independently, is tremendously challenging. After nearly 20 years of dealing with this particular chronic disease, I have learned some very helpful ways of navigating this journey. Like other diseases: Parkinson’s, Muscular Dystrophy, Cancer, Cerebellar Ataxia, etc, MS can teach the people who have it valuable life lessons.
Mental health issues like depression, anxiety, panic attacks, grief & loss for example, are often part and parcel of living with chronic disease and they are all areas that I specialize in when I counsel people. Whether you have an illness or are perfectly physically healthy, check to see if any of the mental health problems listed here fit into your life today. Call me and we’ll talk. You don’t need to use a mobility aid to find that I understand fully where you are coming from and I am excited to help you navigate this difficult phase of your life.
Counselling
…loneliness, relationship issues, PTSD, sub-clinical depression, Major Depressive Disorder (MDD).
Depression, including…
…General Anxiety Disorder, panic attacks, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD), agoraphobia.
Anxiety, including…
Chronic Pain, including…
…pain management, symptom management.
…death of a loved one, end of a relationship, disastrous loss of home and/or possessions, recovering from traumatic accidents, traumatic diagnoses.
Grief & Loss, including…
…depression, anxiety, grief & loss, the daily stress that comes with taking care of ill or incapacitated loved ones.
Caregiver Issues, including…
I am registered with Agriculture Canada’s AgSafe program and counsel clients in the ranching, farming and dairy sectors. I am certified to provide Psychological First Aid with BC’s Provincial Psychosocial Services to victims of natural disasters including wildfire and floods.
Assessments
I offer Assessments for a variety of mental health issues and if my clients request it, I will write letters to doctors, specialists and government institutions explaining the findings of any assessments done.
About My Counselling Sessions
All of my sessions take place online. This means you don’t have to travel to have a session with me. You can talk to me from the comfort of your living room couch, your favourite chair or even your bed.
What you need to have a session with me: a computer, tablet or cell phone.
I counsel clients all over BC; from the Lower Mainland to Northern BC, the Cariboo-Chilcotin and even Vancouver Island.
What Happens When You Book A Session
I work as a Counsellor and Associate with Living Bridges Therapy Collective in Kamloops. When you book a session with me, Living Bridges will send you a simple Intake Form. Then you will be emailed, or texted (your preference), a link to our session, which takes place on an online health platform called Jane. This is the same platform doctors use and it is similar to Zoom. On the day of our appointment, you click on the link and voila! My smiling face will appear on your computer screen.
The other option is a simple telephone call and if that is the option you choose, I will call you at the time of our appointment.
Payment is handled by Living Bridges and at the time you book your first appointment with me, you will be asked for your credit or debit card information or the name of your Insurer. Pacific Blue Cross and First Nations Health Authority (FNHA) cover my services and I accept private fees. My fee is industry standard $150 per hour. If you are eligible for AgSafe or FNHA funding, then your personal financial information won’t be collected.
Please Note: I offer a free 15-minute Introductory session so that we can explore whether or not I may be able to help you in future sessions.
If you are interested in booking an appointment, you can do it through either Living Bridges, www.livingbridges.ca or by contacting me via email: heidi@livingbridges.ca, text or telephone: 250 318-2079.