You Are More Than Your Body

A gentle, supportive guide to developing coping skills and improving quality of life for disabled and chronically ill people Managing the stresses of everyday life can be exhausting and overwhelming. Dr. Jennifer Caspari knows this struggle well—both through her work as a clinical psychologist and her lived experience as a disabled woman with cerebral palsy. You Are More Than Your Body weaves together clinical expertise, personal stories, and practical, evidence-based tools to help readers with chronic health conditions better cope with pain, fatigue, depression, and the emotional vulnerability that comes with living in a world not designed for our bodies. The methods in this book synthesize a wide range of emotional regulation skills and coping techniques drawn from cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), and mindfulness practices, all of which Dr. Caspari has successfully used with her own clients. In this book, you’ll learn over thirty practical coping skills to help you: tune into internal experience and connect with your body; shift mental focus; cultivate self-compassion and radical acceptance; change your relationship with your thoughts; engage the power of the present to get unstuck; practice realistic goal-setting; tap into your deepest values as a resource; tolerate discomfort; and give yourselves permission to do things differently. Each chapter includes a personal story or experience; a self-reflection exercise; associated coping skills; and practical guidance on how you can start using these tools in your own life. Having a disability or chronic illness does not have to mean accepting a lower quality of life. While we can’t make our issues and challenges disappear, by practicing the exercises in this book, we can learn to better manage challenges that arise and learn how we can live a meaningful life now—whatever our bodies and abilities might be.