Dr. Ingela Thuné-Boyle
Health Psychologist
Online Therapy

Research in psychology, neuroscience, and medicine has increasingly confirmed what many survivors have felt for a long time: the wounds of childhood do not simply disappear over time. Childhood trauma, whether through abuse, neglect, household instability, or chronic emotional stress, can leave lasting marks not only on the mind but also on the body. These effects are not imagined; they operate through clear biological and behavioural pathways

Chronic illness presents a relentless challenge, not only to the body but to the human spirit. Living with a condition that does not resolve quickly, and may never fully disappear, demands more than just medical intervention; it requires resilience. Resilience - the capacity to adapt in the face of adversity - becomes a vital psychological resource for those navigating the long, unpredictable terrain of chronic illness.

Pain is rarely simple, and for many people living with chronic conditions, it is not confined to a single cause. Some experience both neuroplastic pain - pain that arises from the nervous system’s learned patterns of over-sensitization or misfiring - and structural pain, caused by identifiable damage or dysfunction in the body’s tissues, joints, or organs.