Virtual therapeutic support groups

I’m Louise: a mum; wife; friend; disabled person (living with Limb Girdle Muscular Dystrophy/MD); counsellor/psychotherapist; artist; intermittent radio voice (including BBC Radio 4/Sounds ‘Walks like a duck’ series); facilitator of therapeutic support groups for MDUK; accidental activist; occasional speaker in ‘inclusion and diversity’ spaces; and lover of water and books.  

As someone living with MD and working in the area of mental health, I have been given a unique perspective into the ways that this condition – and its many associated losses – can affect the emotional health of patients and their close family members. Having had the privilege of working on a one-to-one basis with many clients living with MD (and with the carers of people who do), I am growing in my understanding of the complex ‘dance’ between physical and mental health that many of us are trying to learn the steps to.  

Hi, I’m Julie – approaching 60, I have worked with families all my working life – firstly as a paediatric nurse, in schools, youth offending services, child and adolescent mental health services, and then as a systemic psychotherapist (family therapist for short!). I love thinking with people about relationships, and how change happens in families when just one person decides they will do something different. I feel privileged to have the opportunity to work with MDUK, considering with families the impact of the diagnosis on family dynamics and relationships through the Therapeutic Support Group programme.

Personally, I am currently supporting family members with mental health challenges, and friends who have experienced significant losses. I am particularly concerned about how poverty impacts on families’ lives, and I contribute to local conversations about diversity and inclusion. I challenge myself to swim in cold water throughout the year, and walk alongside friends with different abilities as we explore our local environment.