Clare Caldwell

I know what it feels like to be unwell and not know how to get better.

In 1988, I was diagnosed with ME after a period of intense stress and bullying at work. What started as a virus developed into an illness that would affect my life for the next 15 years. I know first-hand the frustration, fear and exhaustion that can come with living in a body that simply doesn't seem to be working the way it should.

At my worst, I was bedbound with severe symptoms affecting almost every part of my body. I needed a wheelchair to go any distance and, like many people with energy-limiting illness, my world became very small.

Eventually, with the right support, I found a way forward and made a full recovery in 2004.

That experience changed the direction of my life.

It gave me a deep understanding of what it is like to be the person sitting on the other side of the desk - exhausted, searching for answers and desperately wanting someone to understand what you are going through.

For more than 20 years, I have worked with thousands of people helping them understand their symptoms, reconnect with themselves and move towards better health.

My own experience of ME, combined with my professional background, extensive client work and a rather persistent curiosity about why we become ill in the first place, led me to develop The MindBody Reconnect.

I believe the mind and body are not separate systems. They are in constant communication.

Sometimes, through prolonged stress, trauma, difficult experiences or simply having been in survival mode for too long, that communication can become disrupted. The symptoms we experience can then become part of a much bigger story.

My work is about helping people understand that story and, importantly, giving them practical ways to change it.

I don't believe your body is working against you. I believe it is always trying to communicate with you.

My role is to help you understand what it might be saying.

Before becoming a therapist, I worked in NHS management, where I developed a strong interest in preventative healthcare and in understanding what helps people stay well.

My own illness eventually led me to study a number of Complementary Therapies at Inverness College. I also studied Reiki before training in Mickel Therapy in 2005.

In 2012, I became Head Practitioner and Head of Training at Mickel Therapy, a role I held until 2018.

By then, I had continued to develop my knowledge and understanding through years of working with clients, further training and extensive research. I wanted to bring all of this together in a way that felt true to what I had learned - both professionally and through my own recovery.

And so, The MindBody Reconnect was born.

I have also been greatly influenced by the work of Dr Gabor Maté, particularly his thinking around stress, trauma, compassion and the relationship between emotional experience and physical health. In 2020, I completed his postgraduate-level Compassionate Inquiry training.

I bring something that can't be learned entirely from a textbook: I have been there.

I understand how frightening it can be when your health changes and you don't recognise yourself anymore. I understand the uncertainty, the endless searching for answers and the impact illness can have on relationships, work, confidence and everyday life.

But I also know that things can change.

My approach is compassionate, practical and down-to-earth. I'm serious about the work, but I don't believe everything has to be serious all of the time. A bit of humour, curiosity and the ability to laugh along the way can be surprisingly helpful too.

Today, I combine my personal experience, professional knowledge and more than two decades of working with clients to help people develop a different relationship with their mind, their body and their symptoms.

Alongside my work with clients, I have developed The MindBody Reconnect Training Programme for practitioners, as well as a self-development programme for people who want to explore this approach more deeply.

If you are living with ME/CFS, Fibromyalgia, IBS, an autoimmune or stress-related illness, burnout, anxiety, depression or another condition where the mind and body may be playing an important part, I'd love you to explore the website and find out more about The MindBody Reconnect.

You don't need to have all the answers before you get in touch.

Sometimes the first step is simply having a conversation.

If you'd like to find out whether The MindBody Reconnect could be right for you, book a Discovery Call.

I'd be very happy to meet you.