Reconstructing With Ryan offers specialised counselling for stroke survivors and people living with an acquired disability. I support individuals who are navigating the profound physical, emotional, and identity changes that can follow life-altering illness or injury. Recovery is not only about rehabilitation and regaining function — it is also about making sense of what has been lost, rebuilding confidence, and finding ways to live a meaningful and fulfilling life, even when things look different from before.
My work is shaped by both professional training and lived experience. After experiencing three strokes in my early thirties, I understand first-hand the grief, frustration, uncertainty, and isolation that can accompany acquired disability. Counselling became a turning point in my own recovery, providing tools to manage chronic pain, fatigue, emotional distress, and shifting identity. Today, I draw on Person-centred therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Narrative therapy to walk alongside clients as they adjust, reconnect with what matters most to them, and move forward with hope. My aim is not to “fix” you, but to support you to reclaim agency, rebuild a sense of self, and create a life that feels worth living.
If you’re living with the impact of stroke or acquired disability, I can help:
- Stroke survivors at any stage of recovery (recent to long-term)
- People living with acquired disability following illness, injury, or neurological events
- Adjustment to life changes after stroke or disability
- Grief and loss related to changes in body, ability, independence, or identity
- Identity changes and rebuilding a sense of self (“Who am I now?”)
- Chronic pain, fatigue, and energy limitations
- Anxiety, depression, and emotional distress following life-altering events
- Frustration, anger, or hopelessness during recovery and rehabilitation
- Loss of confidence, self-trust, and sense of control
- Isolation, loneliness, and disconnection from others
- Coping with setbacks, plateaus, and uncertainty in recovery
- Finding meaning, purpose, and hope after stroke or acquired disability