I am available to speak at your next didactic, grand rounds or keynote event. I have over 10 years experience speaking in a variety of settings throughout the world.
Since surviving Long Covid in 2020/1 and spending nearly 3 years navigating the US healthcare system with a chronic illness I also now speak on this new topic.
I help Covid long haulers who find themselves struggling alone in the dark to move out of extreme chronic fatigue and into recovery so they can find joy and meaningful activity again.
I also help medical professionals understand the psychological complexities of long haul covid so that they can support their patients fully without gaslighting.
I also help human resources professionals retain their staff by understanding the impact of long covid on the workforce.
Potential Speaking Topics
“5 psychological survival strategies to make it through the darkest days of Long Haul Covid (and no, it isn’t positive thinking!!!)”
Dealing with long haul covid is in my opinion the most difficult thing a human will ever have to do. Surviving doctors telling you there’s nothing wrong or that they don’t know how to treat Long covid yet. Losing the life that you used to live. Being unable to do all the things that bring you joy, see friends, even spend time outside. There are truly few things worse than this. To keep going on this arduous and unknown journey definitely requires us to dig deep psychologically at a time when we have few resources. And to make matters worse, every Tom, Dick or Harry will tell us “just think positive” when that’s the last thing we have the strength to do (and what do they know about dealing with this stuff anyway!!)
As a psychologist who had my life destroyed by long haul covid for 21 months and made it out the other side to recovery and living a full life again, I will share the secret to keeping going. My 5 step process (which doesn’t include positive thinking) will help you navigate this most horrible of times and emerge the beautiful butterfly that you are.
“Detecting and managing Long Haul covid: the hidden pandemic in our patients”
We all know that SARs COv2 hit New York City hard – 1.87 mill cases at last count. And while you all worked so hard to keep the death toll as low as possible, we now also know that about 10% of that 1.87 mill were left with debilitating Post Acute Sequalae of Covid (or as Covid Long Haulers as they are know in the peer led movement). This multi system disorder characterized by chronic fatigue, post exertion malaise and cognitive impairment has caused significant dysfunction and disability in those experiencing it. And yet the majority with this disorder have also been dismissed and somaticized by the medical community, something that BIPOC and female identifying patients have already experienced long before the Covid pandemic. For those who work in healthcare settings that serve these diverse and marginalized communities it is doubly crucial that they learn to diagnose and treat this debilitating disorder.
“Don’t lose your staff to Long COVID: managing the accommodations needed to keep your employees”
We all know the reality of the current national labor shortage with the Bureau of Labor Statistics reporting 11.4 million job openings in June 2022. But less talked about is the fact that according to the Job Accommodations Network 15% of these job openings could be accounted for by Long COVID. This multi-system disorder characterized by chronic fatigue, post exertion malaise and cognitive impairment has caused significant dysfunction and disability in those experiencing it. As a result many are meeting criteria for disability under the ADA and without adequate accommodations may be forced to leave positions that they love. Long COVID is a complex condition, diagnostically, medically, and functionally and accommodations may not resemble any you have provided for disability or illness in the past. This talk will get you fully up to speed on how to manage accommodations for Long COVID and help you keep those vital staff in your organization, who desperately want to work, despite their illness or disability.
