Not because you’re lazy or unmotivated – your body just… won’t. The fatigue sits heavy in your bones, while pain or allergic reactions move through your body like weather patterns, unpredictable and beyond your control. Some days are better than others, but there’s always this underlying current of having to negotiate with your body about what’s possible.
You’ve learned to plan your entire life around your energy levels and reactions. Every invitation comes with mental calculations – Will you have enough energy? What if it’s a bad day? How long will you need to recover?
The medical appointments are their own kind of exhaustion.
The endless tests, the skeptical looks, the suggestion that maybe it’s “just stress” or “all in your head,” that somehow you’re just not trying hard enough. Each time you have to prove that your experience is real, while simultaneously being told there’s nothing wrong with you. You’ve spent countless hours researching, advocating, trying every suggested treatment, only to end up feeling more frustrated and less understood.
Your body speaks a language the world refuses to hear, so you’ve become fluent in the language of negotiation – with your body, with medical systems, with a world that wasn’t built for bodies like yours…
You might be experiencing:
Of course — we so hear you! We live in a world that has a documented history of not believing pain, especially from marginalized bodies, a world that expects you to go on business-as-usual while navigating a convoluted healthcare system, a world that forces us to prove we’re in enough pain to deserve support, a world that celebrates “overcoming” pain and fatigue rather than dismantling barriers, treating it as a personal failure rather than recognize the widespread ableism affecting us all.
Mitigating our experiences of pain, reactions, or fatigue is definitely part of chronic pain and chronic fatigue counselling in Vancouver, but the how might surprise you.
The latest pain research shows us something remarkable: chronic pain often involves neural pathways that can be reprocessed and rewired. What does this mean?
It means that your pain is real AND changeable.
Whether you’re experiencing a flare up of a chronic condition, have just experienced a car accident, or other concerns are contributing to heightened pain and fatigue, counsellors at Venturous Counselling can support you to redefine your relationship with your body; reprocess underlying neural pathways that contribute to your chronic pain, fatigue and reactions; and to cultivate the practices and systems to build a life that works with, not against, your current reality.
How we work
At Venturous Counselling, we understand that healing requires more than just individual coping strategies (though we’ll talk about that as well). Our approach to chronic pain and fatigue counselling integrates:
including somatic practices, nature-based sessions, and expressive arts therapy.
Our counsellors bring both professional and living experience to this work. We are Master’s level practitioners with specialized training in chronic pain and fatigue counselling in Vancouver, pain reprocessing therapy, anti-oppressive, intersectional feminist, and anti-colonial frameworks. Most importantly, we understand firsthand the importance of finding therapy that doesn’t require you to explain or justify your identity and experiences.
Sessions are offered virtually across BC, and in-person in Vancouver and Burnaby. We are covered by most insurance providers (check for RCC or Registered Clinical Counsellor in your plan) and can provide direct billing for certain insurance providers, including ICBC. You can also access sessions with us through CVAP, WorkBC or FNHA.
Start with a free 15-minute video conversation to find out more
Q&A
There’s a lot of research out there about the link between the mind and body. While counselling can’t address the physical causes of chronic pain or fatigue, it can help you build a different relationship with your body, reprocess the emotional causes of increased pain, fatigue, or chronic allergic reactions, process medical trauma, and create sustainable ways of living that honours your reality.
We can work flexibly with your energy levels. Sessions can be shorter, less frequent, have breaks, and/or virtual when needed. We’ll find a rhythm that works for you and your body.
Our space has wheelchair accessible gender neutral bathrooms and is equipped with masks and air purifiers. We offer both virtual and in-person sessions, with flexible scheduling and direct billing options.
Part of colonial ideology is that healing must be measurable and visible to be valid — we respectfully reject that notion. Many cultures and lineages have well evidenced practices of healing that science is just now catching up to. While we work within our scope as counsellors, please bring forth the practices that you know work for you as we navigate your experience of chronic conditions, together. We’re also happy to collaborate with other practitioners in your care team.
Nope! We work with your lived experience, whether or not you have (or want) a formal diagnosis. Many people in marginalized communities face barriers to getting diagnosed, and when they are diagnosed, it often leads to additional systemic harms – we focus on supporting you regardless of your diagnostic status.
Yes! So much of the distress we experience when living with chronic conditions is exasperated by the relational networks we’re part of. We can help you develop strategies for communicating your needs, setting boundaries, and maintaining relationships while honoring your body’s limits.
We can support you in processing workplace trauma, navigating compensation systems, and working with you in session to advocate for accommodations.
Life happens! We ask for 24 hours notice for cancellations or changes. This helps us maintain accessibility for our community and sustainability for our practice.
Yes, we can work with you in session to create supporting documentation when needed. We understand the importance of access to resources and will work with you to support your needs. Please note that most documentation requires a medical doctor to fill out.
Both options can be equally effective. Virtual sessions offer convenience, accessibility, and comforts of being in your own space, while in-person sessions might feel more grounding for some. We can explore what feels right for you, and you’re welcome to switch between the two.
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occupying the stolen, ancestral territories of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), S’ólh Téméxw (Stó:lō), Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh), Qayqayt, and kʷikʷəƛ̓əm (Kwikwetlem) peoples. Our relationship with these lands dictates our commitment to understanding and responding to the ongoing impacts of colonization in our practices in and out of the counselling room.
Learn more about the land you’re occupying at native-land.ca
Building reflexive and fulling relationships can be difficult without guidance, support, and effective communication strategies. Our Services Overview provides insights into various therapeutic approaches designed to help individuals and relationships navigate their journey toward deeper connections.
