Living with PCOS: How My Journey Shapes My Work as a Therapist

When you live with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), it isn’t just a diagnosis, it’s a lived experience that impacts body, mind, and spirit. The graphic above lists many of the challenges that people with PCOS may face depression, anxiety, sleep issues, weight gain, infertility, disordered eating, insulin resistance, and more. For me, PCOS isn’t just something I read about in textbooks, it’s something I navigate every single day.

PCOS can feel like carrying a hidden weight. Some of the symptoms are visible, like acne or weight fluctuations, while others are invisible, like fatigue, hormonal imbalances, or the emotional toll of infertility. There’s also the frustration of feeling unheard or dismissed by the medical system, something many people with PCOS can relate to.

Because I know what it’s like to sit with the confusion, the grief, and the “Why is my body working against me?” moments, I bring that empathy into the therapy room. My clients don’t need to explain to me what it feels like to live in a body that doesn’t always cooperate. I understand the exhaustion that comes with advocating for yourself, the pain of repeated disappointments, and the resilience it takes to keep moving forward.

As a therapist, my PCOS journey informs the way I hold space for:

• Body image struggles: I understand firsthand how weight stigma, diet culture, and medical dismissiveness can harm self-esteem and mental health.

• Grief and infertility: Month after month, hope and heartbreak can take a toll. I know that grief intimately, and I sit with clients in theirs.

• Anxiety and depression: Hormonal imbalances can amplify mental health symptoms. I validate that this is not “all in your head”, your body and mind are deeply connected.

• Resilience: Despite the struggles, I’ve also found strength in community, movement, mindfulness, and the daily work of self-compassion.

I don’t believe therapy is about “fixing” what’s broken, it’s about walking alongside someone as they navigate life in the body and circumstances, they’re in. My own lived experience with PCOS has taught me how to hold complexity: grief and hope, frustration and growth, fear and courage.

If you live with PCOS, or any chronic condition, you’re not alone. And if we work together in therapy, know that I don’t just bring professional knowledge, but lived empathy. Your story matters, your pain is valid, and your journey deserves compassion.