Ingela Thuné-Boyle, PhD
Health Psychology 
Illness, Pain & Wellness Coach

"The aim of Chronic Illness & Pain Coaching is to help you better understand persistent symptoms, develop practical, evidence-informed skills, and build the confidence to move towards a fuller and more meaningful life, whether that means living well alongside a chronic health condition or working towards recovery where meaningful improvement is possible."

 

Information About Chronic Illness & Pain Coaching

Thank you for your interest in working with me. I am a UK Chartered Health Psychologist and HCPC-registered Practitioner Health Psychologist with over 25 years' experience working with people living with chronic illness, chronic pain, and complex health conditions.

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​My regulated psychological therapy services are available to clients in the UK under my HCPC registration. For individuals located outside the UK, I may be able to offer a separate Chronic Illness & Pain Coaching service, depending on your circumstances and goals. Coaching is a distinct service from psychological therapy and is designed to provide education, guidance, and structured support rather than psychological treatment.

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My coaching draws on over 25 years of professional experience together with evidence from health psychology, behavioural medicine, pain science, and the biopsychosocial understanding of chronic illness. The focus is on helping you translate that knowledge into practical, evidence-informed strategies that support your everyday life, enhance your confidence and self-management, and help you move towards goals that are meaningful to you.

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What is Chronic Illness & Pain Coaching?

Chronic Illness & Pain Coaching is an educational and collaborative service designed to help you better understand persistent symptoms and apply evidence-informed behavioral strategies to your everyday life. The focus is entirely on helping you develop practical skills, increase self-efficacy, and make meaningful lifestyle changes that support your overall health and wellbeing tailored to your individual goals.

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Depending on your needs, sessions may include:

• Understanding Persistent Pain & Chronic Illness: Education about persistent pain, chronic illness, the nervous system, and current pain science.

• Predictive Processing & Neuroplastic Pain: Understanding how the brain and nervous system influence symptom perception, and what current research tells us about recovery.

• Pain Reprocessing & Somatic Awareness: Learning the principles behind evidence-informed approaches that help reduce fear and increase a sense of safety.

• Pacing & Activity Management: Developing sustainable strategies for balancing activity, energy, rest, and recovery.

• Overcoming Fear & Avoidance: Building confidence in returning to meaningful activities through gradual, evidence-informed behavioural change.

• Self-Management & Behaviour Change: Applying practical strategies consistently and overcoming obstacles that can make change difficult.

• Living Well with Chronic Illness: Exploring the psychological, emotional, and practical challenges of living with a long-term health condition, including uncertainty, identity changes, relationships, communication with healthcare professionals, and maintaining a meaningful and fulfilling life despite ongoing symptoms.

• Managing Setbacks: Developing practical approaches for navigating symptom flare-ups, setbacks, and periods of increased uncertainty.

• Goal Setting & Progress: Identifying realistic, personally meaningful goals and reviewing progress together in a supportive and collaborative way.

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What Coaching Is Not

⚠️ Important Jurisdictional Notice

Chronic Illness & Pain Coaching is entirely distinct from psychological therapy. It is provided as an educational and coaching service focused on practical skills, behavioural change, and evidence-informed guidance. It does not involve the practice of psychology, medicine, or mental healthcare within the United States or any other international jurisdiction and is not a substitute for medical or mental health care.

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Although my coaching is informed by my extensive professional background in health psychology, it is not psychological therapy or medical care. The purpose of coaching is to help you better understand persistent symptoms, develop practical self-management skills, apply evidence-informed strategies in everyday life, and make meaningful changes that support your health, functioning, and overall wellbeing.

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Coaching does not include:

• Psychological assessment or diagnosis.

• Psychological therapy or treatment of mental health conditions.

• Trauma therapy or in-depth processing of traumatic experiences.

• Crisis intervention or emergency mental health support.

• Medical diagnosis, treatment, or medication advice.

 

Please note: Living with chronic illness or persistent pain often brings understandable anxiety, worry, frustration, grief, or periods of low mood. These experiences can certainly be discussed within coaching when they relate to living with your condition and working towards your goals. However, if it becomes clear that your needs would be better met through psychological therapy or another healthcare service, I will discuss this with you and encourage you to seek support from an appropriately licensed healthcare professional in your local jurisdiction.

 

​Who Coaching May Be Suitable For

Chronic Illness & Pain Coaching works best for people who are motivated to actively practice new skills and apply what they learn between sessions. It's an excellent fit if you are actively looking for support with:

• Learning evidence-informed strategies that may help reduce symptoms, improve day-to-day functioning, and, for some conditions such as neuroplastic pain, support substantial recovery.

• Developing a better understanding of your condition so you can make informed decisions and communicate more confidently with healthcare professionals.

• Navigating the daily lifestyle adjustments required by a chronic illness.

• Translating pain neuroscience and neuroplastic pain concepts into daily actionable habits.

• Developing sustainable routines around sleep, movement, pacing, and overall wellbeing.

• Managing the uncertainty of symptom fluctuations and flare-ups.

• Building functional confidence to return to the hobbies, work, and activities you value.

• Improving your day-to-day independent functioning and overall quality of life.

 

My Approach

My approach is compassionate, collaborative, and strictly evidence-informed. Rather than focusing solely on symptoms, we explore practical, evidence-based ways to help you move towards the life you want to live, while fully recognizing and respecting the very real physical challenges that chronic illness can bring.

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The coaching relationship is centred on education, skills development, behaviour change, collaborative problem-solving, and supporting you to put new knowledge into practice in your everyday life. My role is to support, encourage, and guide you as you apply these practical strategies in ways that naturally fit your unique lifestyle, environment, and circumstances.

 

Before We Begin

Coaching is intended for adults who are medically stable and able to take responsibility for implementing any strategies discussed in consultation with their own healthcare providers where appropriate. If you are interested in exploring coaching, the first step is to arrange an introductory consultation. This allows us to discuss your functional goals, answer any logistical questions you may have, and determine whether a coaching framework is an appropriate and safe fit for your current needs.

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If coaching appears suitable, you will be issued a formal Coaching Agreement outlining the scope of the service, session rates, cancellation policies, and operational arrangements before your first official session.

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I charge $220 USD per 60-minute session. If you'd like to know more about my background and experience, you can read more about me [here]. 

 

Thank you for considering working with me. I appreciate the trust involved in reaching out for support and look forward to discussing whether Chronic Illness & Pain Coaching is the right fit for your needs.