Welcome To The Waiting Room

Stop Fighting the System Alone

Welcome to the Waiting Room is an online classroom and support space for people with chronic illnesses to learn about the emotional and advocacy skills that are necessary if you live in a society with a broken healthcare system.

How Do You Know "Welcome to the Waiting Room" Is Right For You?

You're tired of explaining your invisible illness to people who say "but you don't look sick" while you struggle with fatigue, pain, and brain fog

You don’t know how to explain your symptoms - both to doctors who need precision and to yourself as you try to track patterns, leaving you wondering if it's "all in your head" despite very real physical experiences

Medical appointments leave you feeling unheard or dismissed, and you struggle to advocate for yourself when brain fog hits during important conversations

You've stopped reaching out to friends and family because you worry about being seen as a burden or "always complaining"

Your emotions feel overwhelming - from rage when another treatment fails to guilt when you have to cancel plans again

You've tried meditation apps and general wellness programs that don't address the unique challenges of navigating life with chronic illness

You feel stuck in "the waiting room" - waiting for a diagnosis, waiting for a treatment to work, waiting to feel like yourself again, or waiting for others to understand

You find yourself saying "I'm fine" when you're not because it's easier than explaining or risking rejection

You want practical tools - not just validation or vague advice to "reduce stress" without showing you how

If you nodded along to several of these points, you've found the right program. Welcome to the Waiting Room provides the specific frameworks, scripts, and community support to address these exact challenges.

Welcome To The Waiting Room*

Master the Emotional & Advocacy Skills No One Taught You About Living with Chronic Illness

Welcome to the Waiting Room is where chronically ill people learn to navigate medical appointments without being dismissed, manage relationships without feeling like a burden, and handle the emotional rollercoaster of living with ongoing health challenges.

No more googling "how to make doctors believe you" at 2AM. No more apologizing for your needs. No more isolation.

Join our online classroom and supportive community to learn practical skills from a licensed therapist who specializes exclusively in chronic illness—because surviving a broken healthcare system shouldn't be a solo journey.

Common diagnoses seem among members inside include EDS, MCAS, fibromyalgia, ME/CFS, Long-Covid. Common age ranges from 25-40 years old, but anyone older than 18 is welcome to join.


*Name coined by Taylor Pastor, MS, APC

Join the Waiting Room Today → Get the Advocacy Tools You Weren't Given at Diagnosis ⬇️

join us today in the waiting room

join us today in the waiting room

Community Circle - Quarterly Price

✓ Access to monthly educational workshops

✓ Participation in 3 monthly support group sessions

✓ Weekly coworking/body doubling sessions

✓ Private community forum access

✓ Resource library

✓ Monthly community newsletter

Village Membership - Annual (One Month Free)

EVERYTHING in Community Circle

SAVE $17 (1 month free compared to monthly)

✓ Early access to workshop recordings

✓ Exclusive quarterly Q&A sessions

✓ Ability to suggest workshop topics

✓ Annual private check-in with facilitator

Personal Guide - Monthly

EVERYTHING in Village Membership

✓ One 90-minute personal coaching session per month

✓ Priority scheduling for support sessions

✓ Personalized resource recommendations

✓ Direct messaging access to facilitator

✓ Custom action plan development

✓ Quarterly progress review

All memberships support individuals with chronic pain and illness in a non-medical*, community-focused environment.

When the Waiting Seems Endless

People with chronic illness or pain have typically:

  • Seen multiple doctors

  • Tried countless treatments

  • Spent thousands on tests

  • Researched endlessly online

  • Tried various diets/supplements

Yet we still struggle. The hard truth is that some medical mysteries take years to solve, and some conditions don't have clear answers yet — no matter what the wellness influencers try to sell you.

What People Actually Need While Searching (besides Universal Healthcare, of course!)

  1. Practical Survival Tools: How to manage energy when you have doctor appointments, work, and basic needs to meet.

  2. Navigation Expertise: Learning how to advocate for yourself, prepare for appointments, track symptoms effectively (when needed), and coordinate between specialists.

  3. Emotional Resilience: The constant disappointment of "no answers" takes a massive psychological toll that directly impacts physical symptoms.

  4. Community Knowledge: Other patients often know about specialists, testing options, or approaches that even good doctors might not suggest.

  5. Productivity Despite Limitations: Many struggle to maintain careers, relationships, and daily functions while ill.

This group offers people a place to become better equipped for their continuing medical journey. My job is to help you become more effective at getting the most from your medical care while maintaining high quality of life during the search.

My goal is to help you continue your search for answers more effectively while spending LESS energy, so you have more to give to yourself and your family.

Welcome to a Community That Understands

  • Connect with others who truly understand your experiences

  • Learn practical mental wellness strategies specifically designed for chronic illness challenges.

  • Develop a growth mindset that helps you adapt and find possibility within limitations.

  • Monthly Group Sessions: Safe spaces to share, learn, and grow together

  • Evidence-Based Resources: Practical tools and techniques adapted for chronic illness realities + nervous system regulation

  • Private Community Forum: Connect with others walking similar paths, available 24/7

What’s inside

Monthly Workshops

Specialized workshops with licensed professionals* who are just as passionate about living a good life despite chronic pain and illness. Some of our past workshops include

  • How To Stop Feeling Like A Burden

  • Chronic Pain & Intimacy

  • ADHD & Chronic Pain

  • Calm Your Pain, Come Home To Your Body

Bi-Weekly Support Groups

  • Coworking group (Mondays at 4pm EST) designed to boost your motivation to get things done (think: Physical Therapy exercises, meal prepping, cleaning, journaling, etc.)

  • General support group (Fridays at 12pm EST) designed to give you time and space to process difficult emotions, brainstorm ideas for handling medical situations, and build communication skills in an effort to be effective in sharing your needs with family and friends.

  • Intimacy and chronic pain group (Thursdays at 2pm EST) focused on education around sex and intimacy, helping you release unhelpful beliefs about physical connection and rediscover pleasure despite pain challenges.

Assignments + Learning Lessons

These are always optional, and here for when you want something tangible to work on.

The research is abundantly clear: Patients who understand the biological mechanisms of pain, psychological factors influencing pain perception, and social contexts affecting pain experience show:

  • Modest but clinically significant reductions in pain intensity ratings

  • Decreased frequency and severity of pain flare-ups

  • Improved pain coping and self-management skills

  • Reduced reliance on passive treatments and unnecessary medical interventions

  • Improved sleep quality

  • Enhanced relationship satisfaction and social functioning

  • Better overall reported quality of life

  • Increased sense of control over pain experience

Ready to join? ⬇️

welcome to the waiting room

welcome to the waiting room

Community Circle - Monthly

✓ Access to monthly educational workshops

✓ Participation in 3 monthly support group sessions

✓ Weekly coworking/body doubling sessions

✓ Private community forum access

✓ Resource library

✓ Monthly community newsletter

Village Membership - Annual (One Month Free)

EVERYTHING in Community Circle

SAVE $17 (1 month free compared to monthly)

✓ Early access to workshop recordings

✓ Exclusive quarterly Q&A sessions

✓ Ability to suggest workshop topics

✓ Annual private check-in with facilitator

Personal Guide - Monthly

EVERYTHING in Village Membership

✓ One 90-minute personal coaching session per month

✓ Priority scheduling for support sessions

✓ Personalized resource recommendations

✓ Direct messaging access to facilitator

✓ Custom action plan development

✓ Quarterly progress review

All memberships support individuals with chronic pain and illness in a non-medical*, community-focused environment.

Examples of Topics We Cover Inside

  • Coping strategies for chronic illness

  • Mindfulness and meditation techniques

  • Nutrition and dietary considerations

  • Exercise adaptations for different conditions

  • Managing flare-ups and symptoms

  • Navigating healthcare systems and advocacy

  • Building a support network

  • Mental health and emotional well-being

  • Time management with chronic illness and neurodivergence

  • Sleep hygiene and its importance

  • Setting realistic goals for personal and home projects

  • Strategies for maintaining a clean and organized home

  • Time management tips for caregivers

  • Self-care routines that fit into your daily life

  • Meal planning and preparation for busy individuals

  • Simplifying household tasks to reduce stress

  • Creating a calming and supportive living environment

  • Incorporating mindfulness practices into daily routines

  • Budgeting and financial management for chronic illness

  • Navigating relationships and communication with loved ones

  • Setting realistic goals and expectations

  • Sharing personal experiences and stories

  • Resources for further learning and support

  • Creative expressions and hobbies as therapy

  • Impact of chronic illness on relationships

  • Utilizing technology and apps for organization and errands

  • Developing a flexible cleaning schedule that works for you

  • Tips for decluttering and minimizing possessions

  • Creating a safe home environment for health and wellness

  • Addressing common challenges related to chronic illness and home management

✺ Frequently asked questions ✺

  • I believe in bottom-up processing and change through acceptance.

    Here's what you WON'T find here: "think this way, not that way." I don't believe in directly advocating for "thought change," but I do believe that thoughts change on their own when we give them the right environment.

    In our membership, we focus on creating the conditions where natural shifts can occur. Rather than trying to forcibly replace "negative" thoughts with "positive" ones, we work on developing a compassionate relationship with all of our thoughts. We explore how our bodies, experiences, and social contexts shape our thinking, and we practice noticing thoughts without immediate judgment.

    Many traditional approaches focus on challenging thoughts directly. While this works for some, I've found that for many living with chronic illness, a gentler approach that honors your experiences and starts with acceptance leads to more sustainable changes. As we cultivate awareness, safety, and self-compassion, our thought patterns often transform naturally as a beautiful side effect – not because we're trying to "fix" them.

  • My teaching style is gentle, collaborative, and experience-based. I blend evidence-based education with a compassionate approach that acknowledges the unique challenges of living with chronic illness.

    I create space for both structured learning and organic discovery, recognizing that everyone's journey with illness is different. Rather than positioning myself as the expert on your experience, I share frameworks and tools while inviting you to explore what resonates with your situation.

    You'll find I use a mix of storytelling, practical examples, reflective questions, and optional experiential exercises. I emphasize accessibility—presenting information in multiple formats and ensuring concepts are applicable regardless of energy levels or symptom severity.

    Above all, my style honors the expertise you already have about your own body and experience. I aim to facilitate connections between what you already know and new perspectives that might expand your options for living well alongside illness.

  • This membership is fundamentally different from therapy in several important ways:

    In therapy, the focus is on individual assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of mental health conditions through a therapeutic relationship developed over time. Therapy typically involves deep personal exploration, processing of trauma, and personalized interventions specific to your psychological needs.

    This membership, by contrast:

    • Provides education and learning opportunities in a community setting rather than individualized treatment

    • Focuses on skill-building and general wellness strategies rather than addressing specific psychological diagnoses

    • Offers peer support alongside professional guidance

    • Presents content to a generalized group rather than tailoring interventions to individual needs

    • Does not include formal assessment, diagnosis, or treatment planning

    • Has different boundaries and expectations than a therapeutic relationship

    • Offers no HIPAA protection, although your privacy is still of utmost importance to me

    While I bring my background as a therapist to how I structure and deliver information, my role in this membership is as an educator and facilitator, not as your personal therapist. We focus on learning and community support rather than the deeper psychological work that happens in therapy. I highly encourage you to do this work alongside your work in therapy.

    If you're currently experiencing significant mental health symptoms or going through a crisis, you are encouraged to turn to your individual therapy with a licensed provider.

  • Professionally, I've specialized in working with chronic illness and pain as a mental health therapist for 6 years, supporting over 100 clients navigating these complex challenges.

    Personally, I bring my own lived experience with several chronic conditions. I've navigated ADHD, recovered from Lyme disease, and managed symptoms consistent with mold exposure, MCAS, POTS, and fibromyalgia. This firsthand understanding of both diagnosed and dismissed conditions informs my approach and deepens my empathy for the challenges members face.

    While everyone's experience is unique, having walked both sides of the therapeutic relationship—as both provider and patient—gives me perspective on the full spectrum of challenges involved in living well alongside chronic health conditions.

  • This isn’t a program that you’re expected to do X number of weeks and then graduate from. The classroom is intentionally set up in a way where you can take what you need when you need and learn and grow over time.

    Because of this, success in this membership is defined broadly and personally. Rather than imposing external metrics, I encourage members to identify what meaningful progress looks like in their unique circumstances.

    Some common indicators that members report include:

    • Increased self-compassion and reduced self-criticism

    • Better ability to communicate needs and boundaries

    • More confidence in navigating healthcare systems

    • Reduced isolation and stronger sense of community

    • Enhanced capacity to find meaning and purpose alongside illness

    • More personalized and effective self-care strategies

    • Greater emotional resilience during symptom flare-ups

    • A decrease in how much symptoms interfere with daily living tasks and social engagements

    During the membership, we regularly reflect on what's working and what needs adjustment, celebrating small shifts and meaningful changes however they manifest for each individual.

  • If you find the membership isn't meeting your needs, I would be grateful to know about it. I'm committed to creating a valuable experience, and your feedback helps me improve.

    Practically speaking, you can cancel your membership at any time [details about my cancellation policy can be found here]. If you've prepaid for a longer term, [my refund policy details].

    Sometimes, what you're looking for might be better addressed through a different format or approach, and that's completely normal and human.

    My goal is for you to find the support that works for you, whether that's within this membership or elsewhere.

  • The content in this membership is designed to be broadly applicable across different chronic illnesses and conditions. While specific symptoms and medical treatments vary, many of the psychological and social challenges are shared experiences—navigating uncertainty, managing limited energy, communicating needs to others, finding meaning within limitations, and developing coping strategies that honor your unique situation.

    Whether you're living with autoimmune conditions, chronic pain, neurological disorders, respiratory conditions, or any other persistent health challenge, the frameworks and approaches we explore can be adapted to your specific circumstances. The diversity of experiences within our community actually strengthens our collective learning as we share different perspectives and strategies.

  • You are absolutely welcome here. So many people, including myself, struggle for years without clear diagnoses or face dismissal from medical professionals. The lack of validation can add another layer of distress to an already challenging situation.

    In this membership, your experience is honored regardless of diagnostic status. We focus on working with your lived reality rather than requiring medical validation. Many members find that having a supportive community that believes them provides strength during the often difficult journey toward answers and appropriate care.

  • I approach differing perspectives with respect and curiosity. Our community embraces the reality that illness management is highly individualized—what works wonderfully for one person might not work at all for another.

    I create space for diverse approaches while emphasizing critical thinking. We explore various models of understanding illness without dogmatically adhering to any single framework. Members are encouraged to share their experiences while recognizing that each person's journey is unique.

    This respectful plurality of perspectives creates a rich learning environment where you can discover what resonates for your particular situation without judgment or pressure to conform to any one approach.

  • Chronic illness doesn't exist in isolation. It spills over into all aspects of identity and social positioning. Research consistently shows that factors like race, gender, socioeconomic status, and sexual orientation significantly impact healthcare access, quality of care, diagnostic timelines, and treatment options.

    My approach acknowledges these intersections through:

    • Creating space for discussions about structural barriers to care

    • Recognizing how various identities shape illness experiences

    • Honoring cultural differences in approaches to health, illness, and healing

    • Maintaining awareness of my own perspectives and limitations

    The community guidelines emphasize respect for diverse experiences, and I actively work to ensure the membership is accessible and relevant across different backgrounds, socioeconomic status, and identities.

*Licensed professionals lead our workshops, bringing ethical standards and expertise to our community. However, Welcome to the Waiting Room is not considered therapy, nor is it a substitute for medical care or therapy. Our professionals offer educational content and support within a community setting, not clinical treatment or medical advice.