Are you struggling with...

post traumatic stress
​medical trauma
anxiety
overwhelm
stress
fear
​sadness
frustration
​depression
worry

​​​​shallow breathing
​racing thoughts
loss of identity
​brain fog
​rumination ​
​tension in the body
feeling wired and tired
difficulty unwinding
difficulty sleeping
​invalidation

low motivation
​perfectionism 
avoidance
​disconnection
​withdrawal
low confidence
​boom and busts
​confusion
difficulty managing basic daily activities​

Welcome – I'm Paula Sladdin, a registered psychologist and EMDR therapist
with a focus on supporting individuals ​living with chronic health conditions.
​
Throughout my career, I've been dedicated to offering a safe, supportive, and non-judgmental space for those navigating the often unseen and misunderstood realities of chronic and invisible illness.
If you've ever felt dismissed, told your symptoms are “all in your head,” or have experienced medical trauma, know that you're not alone and this is a place where you will be heard, believed, and supported.
I understand the deep emotional challenges that can come with chronic illness, including loss of identity, confidence, and motivation. While these conditions are not psychological in origin, they can carry a heavy psychological toll.

​You deserve compassionate care and I’m here to help. 

Anxiety and Depression

Anxiety and depression are common and often understandable responses to life’s challenges.
Anxiety is a natural reaction to stress, but when it becomes constant or overwhelming, it can affect your ability to function, disrupt relationships, and impact your overall well-being. Depression, on the other hand, may bring a deep sense of hopelessness, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, changes in sleep or appetite, and a loss of interest in the things you once enjoyed. Sometimes, it can feel like you’re caught between the two swinging between anxious overdrive and emotional shutdown.

These experiences can arise from many sources, including the ongoing impact of chronic health conditions or the strain of navigating life’s pressures. Therapy offers a safe and supportive space to explore these patterns with care and curiosity. Using evidence-based approaches such mindfulness and acceptance-based strategies, therapy can help you better understand your emotional responses, develop healthier ways of thinking, and build resilience. Most importantly, it can help you reconnect with a sense of meaning, direction, and self-compassion.

Trauma 

Trauma is a natural response to experiences that are deeply distressing or overwhelming.
It may stem from a single event such as an accident, loss, or medical emergency, or from ongoing stressors like childhood neglect, chronic illness, or repeated invalidation. When trauma isn’t fully processed, it can leave lasting effects of anxiety, depression, hypervigilance, difficulty trusting others, or a persistent sense of disconnection from yourself and those around you.
Therapy offers a safe, supportive space to gently explore these experiences. Together, we work toward understanding your responses, regulating emotions, and reshaping the patterns that may be holding you back. Using evidence-based approaches like EMDR and IFS therapy can help you process trauma at its roots, rebuild a sense of safety, and reconnect with self-trust so you can move forward with greater ease, strength, and peace.

Myalgic Encephalomyelitis / Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS), Long COVID, ​Persistent / Chronic Pain Syndromes, 
Hypermobile Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (heDs), Hypermobility Spectrum Disorders (HSD), Orthostatic Intolerance (OI),
Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS), Dysautonomia, Gut Issues and Autoimmune Disorders.

​   To book an appointment please email me at
 [email protected] 
​          Hours of operation: Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday