Unity Physiotherapy & Wellbeing

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Unity Physiotherapy & Wellbeing Providing trauma informed fatigue & pain specialist physiotherapy & integrative somatic wellbeing.

Specialist Physiotherapist & Integrative Somatic Practitioner. The services offered are tailored to each person and integrate life coaching, NLP, compassionate mind training & other compassion practices, principles of acceptance and commitment therapy, somatics and yoga into physiotherapy and all of my work. I offer an 8 week online workshop series for people with any condition associated with pain/fatigue/anxiety and a variety of other workshops. I can also offer support for people in the workplace, both to help employers understand how to support people with persistent pain, fibromyalgia, ME/CFS, long covid, and PoTS, and to create a trauma-informed compassionate workplace culture, as well as offering packages of care to help people manage the condition they are living with and to be able to thrive in the workplace.

I’m “old school” with a number of things including I still use a paper diary for my work.My 2027 diary arrived last week...
24/10/2026

I’m “old school” with a number of things including I still use a paper diary for my work.

My 2027 diary arrived last week and this morning I’ve added the bits that are already booked for next year.

This year I found a lovely diary with a tree and birds on it — a little connection to nature 🌳

I find paper diaries much nicer and easier to use than digital ones for a variety of reasons. It’s not always as convenient as it’s not always with me, but that’s fine with me!

Who else still uses a paper diary?

🌿 Celebrating the Things We Can DoLiving with chronic illness changes how we approach everyday activities. Things that ...
23/10/2026

🌿 Celebrating the Things We Can Do

Living with chronic illness changes how we approach everyday activities. Things that once felt ordinary can become something we need to think about, plan for and prioritise.

One thing that sits low on my priority list is going into shops, unless it’s to get food I need. There was a point in time when even that wasn’t possible.

I haven’t been into town since the pandemic, initially because of lockdowns and then because I became very unwell. In theory, I could have managed this a few years ago, though it would have been at the expense of something else, and wandering around shops isn’t my idea of fun — I’d much rather be in nature 🌳

Today, I went to collect some glasses, having returned to my old optician in town now that this is manageable. I decided that, as I needed something, I could manage 30 minutes, which included walking to the shop from the opticians, and time there and back to the car park. I might have stayed a little longer, though I didn’t have much time left on the car park ticket, and my heart rate has been higher than it should be on exertion this week which is a sign for me to take things a bit more steadily.

Doing something that isn’t part of our usual routine can bring additional sensory demands, which can affect energy levels, particularly when we haven’t done it for a while. For me, busy places and noise can be challenging anyway.

I knew I didn’t have anything particularly demanding planned for the next few days, so I had some space to try this and see how it went.

I’m pleased I did it, and I’m proud of myself too. I haven’t done this for 6 years and I trusted I could explore doing this 😊

It’s important we celebrate our successes, sometimes it’s about doing something we haven’t managed for a long time, or something that went well, or a small moment that meant something to us.

So, today I’m celebrating managing to go to a shop in town! I’m also sitting with appreciation for my body and being able to do this. It’s been a long journey, and one that continues. I’m enjoying the felt sense of spaciousness in feeling proud.

💭 What are you celebrating this week?

🌿 Navigating Life with Chronic IllnessThis week is Invisible Disabilities Week and whilst I’ve shared about this a numbe...
23/10/2026

🌿 Navigating Life with Chronic Illness

This week is Invisible Disabilities Week and whilst I’ve shared about this a number of times, I felt it was important to share something this week.

Many people living with chronic illness relate to not being seen or understood. Assumptions and unhelpful judgements can be made because sometimes we can do something and other times we can’t. What isn’t seen is what it takes to do things, the impact it has before and afterwards, and the many things that don’t get done!

Pacing is an essential part of managing chronic illness. From the outside, this can sometimes look like being able to do something one day and not another, without the reasons being visible to others. People might also assume that because we managed something before, we “should” be able to do it again.

There are so many things that influence what is possible each day.

Prioritising is an essential part of pacing too. We make choices about what matters most to us, what needs doing and what we have capacity for.

Sometimes doing one thing means not being able to do something else. Sometimes we choose not to do something, even if we might technically be able to manage it, because the cost is too high and will impact other things that are planned or need doing.

I often say that we can’t tell how someone is by looking at them. Appearance might give us some indication, especially if we know someone really well, though that’s as far as it goes. We need to have a conversation to understand more.
And here’s the thing: people often mask how they’re feeling for a variety of reasons. They may not want to explain themselves, draw attention to their difficulties or fear being negatively judged. Some people have learnt to appear “okay”, even when they are far from it.

Living with an invisible disability involves so much that other people don’t see.

🌿 Curiosity, a willingness to understand and compassion can make a real difference.

22/10/2026

🌿 Compassionate Trauma-Informed Healthcare

I’m really passionate about helping create a compassionate trauma-informed society and as part of that a compassionate trauma-informed healthcare system.

This means I contribute to this by the way I work and live — I embody compassion and trauma-informed principles, it’s a way of being for me. This doesn’t mean I’m compassionate all of the time, though it’s always my intention and I do my best to live this way. I manage it most of the time and when I’m not I bring compassion to this.

As part of my work I offer services to support compassionate trauma-informed working in healthcare and other organisations.

We have some wonderful clinicians and NHS trusts working in this way though they are the exception not the norm — it needs to be the norm to support the health & wellbeing of staff and the people who need to use healthcare services.

Compassionate trauma-informed healthcare needs individual and collective action; and we need system level changes.

In this video I share a recent example from my personal experience of compassionate trauma-informed healthcare and some of the elements that contributed to it being seen in this way by me.

✨ What does compassionate trauma-informed care mean to you? Would the example I shared fit into this for you?

I’ve linked one of my blogs on this subject in the comments. There are a number of blogs I’ve written in this series which you can find linked in the blog in the comments.

💭 I’d love to hear any thoughts you have on what I’ve shared in the video and/or the blog/blogs.

🌿 Indeterminate B12In 2024 NICE published guidelines for B12 deficiency. One big change was instead of having two categ...
21/10/2026

🌿 Indeterminate B12

In 2024 NICE published guidelines for B12 deficiency. One big change was instead of having two categories of low or normal B12, there is now a low, indeterminate and normal range.

In clinical practice, I see B12 results in the indeterminate range quite frequently. Yet there still seems to be a lack of understanding about what these results mean and how they need to be interpreted.

An indeterminate result isn’t the same as a normal result yet it often seems to be treated that way. It means that there is a possible B12 deficiency and it needs further consideration in the context of someone’s symptoms, history and, where appropriate, further investigations.

In my experience quite a lot of people with ME/CFS have indeterminate B12 combined with iron deficiency without anaemia.

B12 deficiency symptoms overlap with other conditions, including ME/CFS, Long Covid, fibromyalgia, and menopause.

B12 is complex and there’s still uncertainty around deficiency despite the change in guidelines. We can only understand what the research, other information and clinical experience tells us. We need more research too which is so often the case.

Are you a healthcare professional who works like to learn more about B12 and/or check your knowledge is up to date?

🌿 I’m hosting a free online training for healthcare professionals with the B12 Society the 2nd November 1-3pm, exploring B12 deficiency, its recognition and treatment.

It’s wonderful to see a range of healthcare professionals interested in deepening their understanding.

If you’re a healthcare professional and would like to join us, you’re very welcome.

To book, please send me an email [email protected]

🌿 Nurture by Nature This weekend has been about nurturing and slowness, with no plans other than to visit a local garden...
18/10/2026

🌿 Nurture by Nature

This weekend has been about nurturing and slowness, with no plans other than to visit a local garden centre that I’ve not been to before.

I went yesterday with a relative, it was a lovely little nursery who clearly take great care with their plants and customers. I learnt that they grow all of their plants except a few.

It was nurturing wandering around looking at the different plants and I spent a little time outside in my garden too.

Today I planted a beautiful little eucalyptus tree, which they had grown, it will need annual pruning otherwise it will end up huge (even though it is one of the slower growing ones it still grows about 1.5M a year). It smells amazing so the added bonus is I can enjoy the smell whilst pruning it and then can put some branches in a vase too.

💭 What’s been nurturing for you this weekend?

🌿 Mentors, Teachers & CareSince the Compassionate Living Amongst University Undergraduate Students talk, by Davey Erekso...
17/10/2026

🌿 Mentors, Teachers & Care

Since the Compassionate Living Amongst University Undergraduate Students talk, by Davey Erekson & Derek Griner at the Compassionate Mind Conference I’ve been reflecting on how we all have mentors & teachers, and how we are these for others too.

We were invited to think about an uninspiring teacher or mentor, notice how this felt in the body, then do the same for someone inspiring.

Two psychology teachers I had during my A levels came to mind - I was considering studying psychology at university until they told me I wasn't good enough.

What I know now, which I didn't believe then, is that they were very wrong! Who knows what might have happened if I'd completed a psychology degree.

It reminded me how easily our words & the way we relate to others can unintentionally cause harm.

When I thought of an inspiring teacher, my GCSE English teacher came to mind. He nurtured my story & poetry writing, and his genuine care and joy in reading my work came through in his tone of voice, facial expressions & body language. He would often write a comment like “another Parkinson Special”.

I thought of him when I published my poetry book, Living Wholeness, this year.

Some other people also came to mind who’ve inspired me, taught me & believed in me. They shared qualities including genuine care, listening with fascination (Professor Michael West's term), and compassionate presence. Nature inspires and teaches me too. I've also learnt so much from the people I've worked with over the years.

This links to something my niece's teacher said to her recently: “I would love to curl up by the fire with one of your stories.” What a beautiful thing to say, I know this was meaningful to my niece, and being the thoughtful person she is she has since bought a notebook and is writing her teacher a story.

It also got me thinking about the ripple effect of care. When someone notices something in us, encourages us or shows genuine appreciation, it can nurture something that continues to grow. And it influences how we relate to & encourage others.

The way we communicate can amplify feelings of threat or help us feel safe. Constructive feedback can support learning & change; how we offer it matters. Genuine care, compassionate presence & our own regulation can help us to communicate in ways that show care & support growth rather than unintentionally cause harm.

We may never fully know the impact our presence, words or actions have on someone, or how far that impact will travel.

✨ I'm holding gratitude for all the wonderful people in my life, past & present, who have inspired me, encouraged me, taught me & believed in me.

💭 Who are the teachers or mentors who've made a difference in your life? What was it about them, or the way they related to you, that helped you grow?

🌿 A week of online conferences This week I attended the Compassionate Mind Foundation Conference Tuesday-Thursday which ...
16/10/2026

🌿 A week of online conferences

This week I attended the Compassionate Mind Foundation Conference Tuesday-Thursday which was brilliant and this afternoon I attended the afternoon part of the British Association of Clinicians in ME/CFS conference.

This afternoon was focused on work and ME/CFS especially around supporting people to stay in work and return to work where possible. I’m not reflecting on this today as I know it’s been a cognitively heavy week and recognise the signs of cognitive fatigue. I know that I have a number of takeaways.

It was a great afternoon even though afternoons are not the best time for me to focus and especially on a Friday after a cognitively heavy and high screen use week.

I’m grateful to have attended both of these conferences.

💭 How’s your week been?

✨ I’m intending to have a gentle weekend without too much cognitive demand!

🌿 Wishing you all a lovely weekend, may it include something that’s nurturing for you.

🌿 Starting the Day With Soothing & Energising Day 3 of The Compassionate Mind Foundation conference started with Dr Wend...
15/10/2026

🌿 Starting the Day With Soothing & Energising

Day 3 of The Compassionate Mind Foundation conference started with Dr Wendy Wood guiding a series of “Body Breath Mind practices.”

The practices used the breath, self-touch, movement and imagery which started with connection to ourselves through the breath and soothing touch which included a self-hug. Then we moved through energising with movement, tapping and music, finishing with connection through the breath using coherent breathing. We were invited to do what I would call a mini somatic check-in a few times during the practices.

The start and end of the practices I experienced as soothing, others experience may be different — there isn’t a right or wrong way to feel. Various things impact our experience of somatic practices, including difficulty connecting to the body compassionately, previous experiences, the relationship with the breath and/or a level of breathing inefficiency/breathing pattern disorder.

The imagery exercise used a waterfall and arm movement, we imagined that we were moving our hands through a waterfall. After a few repetitions I had an image of standing at the bottom of a waterfall and then the sound of the water joined which is unusual in one way for me with sound, though not in another as I love the sound of water.

Starting the day with a series of somatic practices was very welcome — a nurturing and beautiful way to start the day.

I can’t attend the rest of the morning but am looking forward to attending the afternoon 😊

🌿 Compassionate Mind Foundation Conference Day 2Sharing a little bit about some of the talks at the The Compassionate Mi...
14/10/2026

🌿 Compassionate Mind Foundation Conference Day 2

Sharing a little bit about some of the talks at the The Compassionate Mind Foundation conference:

Today started with a social safeness experiential practice with Dr Elli Thorouli, this was a beautiful way to start the day.

Assistant Professor Sarah Foster talked about attachment theory which included some common misunderstandings, and how the secure base and safe haven relate to CFT.

Dr Chia-Ying Chou talked about CFT and hoarding. CBT is typically used, this helps to an extent yet it misses some important things. There is a lot of shame in this population and CFT really helps with this. Dr Chou mentioned we all hoard things eg responsibilities, ideas, money - what do we hoard and why.

Dr Melissa Hoban talked about how they adapted their service to meet the needs of people who were experiencing homelessness, addiction and mental health difficulties. It was powerful to hear how the service was made accessible, how the environment was adapted based on feedback, and the benefits for people of a CFT based approach.

Monica Grove talked about the importance of those in our social network having self-compassion and showing us compassion in shaping self-compassion. This being a predictor for self-compassion was one of their preliminary research findings.

The final session of the day was a deeply heartfelt discussion between Paul and one of his early clients who he learnt a lot from. It was a powerful example of how impactful criticism in childhood can be, along with other factors, and being taught to suppress emotions. Their reflections highlighted how they moved from what they described as living in an emotional desert, through feeling the emotions that had been repressed to compassion and finding the “fun in life again” - a process that took a long time. They reminded us all that it’s frightening and that safety is essential and suggested this needs to include NHS rooms not being so sterile - pictures and plants can make a difference.

I’m looking forward to day three tomorrow, which for me will be the afternoon live and a catch-up on the morning from the recordings.

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