Life doesn't always go the way we hoped.

Sometimes we find ourselves in situations we wouldn’t wish for ourselves: a chronic pain flare-up that once again has us renegotiating our activities and rearranging our bodies to minimize discomfort, watching our child struggle with anxiety or grief, or waking up and discovering the slow, yawning distance we see between us and our partner. Perhaps we can find some tools for breathing or coping. Perhaps we can distract ourselves with work and our hobbies. 

But what’s harder is the distance that seems to have popped up. You know, that distance from the person we used to be, or the joy we once felt, or the closeness we had, or the ability to make everything better with a bandaid and a lullaby. Suddenly, we’re struggling to find the words that bridge that mile-long distance in the two-foot space between us. Sometimes it can feel like, even when our actions and words are well-intentioned, they just don’t land right. 

And the distance grows. It’s confusing. It's tiring. And it can make us feel a little defeated at times, like change isn’t possible or, if it is, it comes at too high a cost. Sometimes it can feel easier to keep doing what we’re doing: live with the distance, the watching, the waiting, the hard words. Yet it can also feel isolating. And all we want is to be a little closer. 

You’re not alone in that longing. But that closeness doesn’t come from more willpower or reading more articles about communication styles. It comes from having someone who can help you bridge the gaps. That’s the work I do. I help people living with chronic conditions; I help children find their way back to themselves and their families; and I help partners turn back towards each other.