Finding Clarity with Fibromyalgia: How Coaching Can Help You Move Forward

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Fibromyalgia Coaching: Support for Living Well with Chronic Illness

Living with chronic illness can feel overwhelming. Managing symptoms, navigating treatments, and coping with the emotional toll of a diagnosis often feels like a full-time job—especially with dynamic symptoms like pain, fatigue, and brain fog. Add in the responsibilities of work, caregiving, or simply trying to have a life (maybe even some fun!), and it’s... a lot.

If you're navigating fibromyalgia or a similar chronic condition, you're not alone. Wherever you are in your journey—newly diagnosed, stuck in a cycle of flares, or ready to pursue something meaningful—coaching can provide thoughtful support.

Nervous System-Informed Coaching for Fibromyalgia

I offer coaching that’s grounded in nervous system awareness and lived experience with fibromyalgia. This isn’t about pushing through or fixing—it’s about creating space for your needs, reconnecting with what matters, and moving forward at your own pace. Depending on where you are right now, coaching might support you with:

Early diagnosis or diagnostic limbo: When everything feels confusing or uncertain, coaching offers a space to sort through what’s going on, understand your patterns, and gently begin navigating next steps.
Struggling with consistency or flare cycles: You may know what supports you, but find it hard to stay grounded or motivated—especially when life gets busy or setbacks happen.
Pursuing goals beyond illness: Whether you’re considering work, travel, creative projects, or something else, we can explore how to honor your energy and build toward what matters with more ease and intention.

Some Benefits of Coaching

While doctors and practitioners are essential, many people with fibromyalgia find that medical care alone doesn’t address the full picture. You may face long waitlists (especially in Canada), lack of understanding from providers, or a gap between knowing what helps and putting it into practice.

In fact, studies highlight this gap:

A large study in the Scandinavian Journal of Pain found that it took an average of 12.7 years to receive a fibromyalgia diagnosis, and only 20% of participants said they received adequate information from physicians to support improvement. Many simply wanted to be believed and guided with more clarity and empathy. (1)
A pilot study of a 12-month health and wellness coaching program showed significant improvements in quality of life, pain levels, and reduced healthcare usage among participants with fibromyalgia. (2)
Research suggests that life coaching can improve health outcomes by building resilience—helping individuals maintain psychological and physical well-being despite adversity. Coaching fosters qualities like self-efficacy, empowerment, and optimism, empowering you to persevere, cultivate joy, and achieve your goals. (3)

These findings highlight the value of coaching as a complement—not a replacement—for medical care.

What We Can Explore in Coaching:

Coaching is flexible and collaborative. Here are some areas we might work on together:

Nervous System Awareness: Learn how stress and safety states impact your symptoms, and explore tools for grounding, pacing, and co-regulation. Nervous system mapping can help you identify what support looks like for you.
Gentle Goal-Setting & Energy Management: Whether it's work, hobbies, or routines, we’ll set realistic goals that honour your body. Together, we’ll explore pacing, boundaries, and rhythms that make life feel more sustainable.
Advocacy & Communication: Build confidence in expressing your needs—whether with doctors, loved ones, or at work. Coaching can support you in practicing self-advocacy, setting boundaries, and taking up space in a way that feels authentic and grounded.
Creative Exploration & Joy: What helps you reconnect with yourself? Together, we’ll explore space for play, purpose, and creativity in ways that feel nourishing and aligned with your energy.
Consulting & Tactical Support: Make sense of the overwhelm with simple, supportive systems. This could involve accessing resources, exploring accommodations, or creating practical strategies to manage your care and daily rhythms.

A Note on Approach

Fibromyalgia doesn’t follow a straight line—and neither should your support. I don’t offer one-size-fits-all plans or quick fixes. Instead, I bring curiosity, compassion, and a trauma-aware lens to support you in creating your own toolkit.

I also walk this path myself. As someone living with fibromyalgia, I understand both the invisible weight of the condition and the power of gentle resilience. Coaching doesn’t mean doing more—it means doing what matters, in a way that feels aligned and supportive to your nervous system.

Ready to Explore What’s Possible?

If you’re curious about nervous system-informed life coaching for fibromyalgia, I offer a free 30-minute discovery call to connect, ask questions, and see if working together feels right. Book a complimentary call here.

Rooted & Rising is a weekly newsletter about intentional living and nervous system regulation. It’s designed to support people navigating the world with chronic illness, burnout, or neurodiversity—offering gentle tools to shift limiting beliefs and deepen self-connection. Join here.

Citations:

Wigers SH, Veierød MB, Mengshoel AM, Forseth KØ, Dahli MP, Juel NG, Natvig B. Healthcare experiences of fibromyalgia patients and their associations with satisfaction and pain relief. A patient survey. Scand J Pain. 2024 Apr 16;24(1). doi: 10.1515/sjpain-2023-0141. PMID: 38625666.
Hackshaw, K. V., Plans-Pujolras, M., Rodriguez-Saona, L. E., Moore, M. A., Jackson, E. K., Sforzo, G. A., & Buffington, C. A. (2016). A pilot study of health and wellness coaching for fibromyalgia. BMC musculoskeletal disorders, 17(1), 457. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12891-016-1316-0
Ammentorp, J., Uhrenfeldt, L., Angel, F., Ehrensvärd, M., Carlsen, E. B., & Kofoed, P. E. (2013). Can life coaching improve health outcomes?--A systematic review of intervention studies. BMC health services research, 13, 428. https://doi.org/10.1186 /1472-6963-13-2 8 4