Fatigue Coaching for CFS, Long COVID, POTS and Burnout

Jo Thomas, Fatigue coach and Registered Nurse, smiling in a home setting

Without pushing, forcing, or giving up on the life you want

You've probably already tried a lot. Resting more. Pacing more carefully. Tracking every ounce of energy you spend. Maybe even convincing yourself you're fine, and pushing through anyway.

And still, the crashes keep coming. Or life has simply stayed small, quietly, for longer than you expected.

Whether you're navigating CFS, Long COVID, POTS, or burnout fatigue that's left you running on empty, you're in the right place, and I'm glad you're here. Recovery isn't about trying harder or finding more willpower. It's about creating the conditions that support it, working with your energy, your mindset and your nervous system, together.

I'm Jo, NLP coach and a Registered Nurse of over 20 years, and I've been through this myself, chronic fatigue and POTS. I don't run a video curriculum or a group programme. Every client works with me directly, 1:1, session by session, built around what's actually going on for them, not a fixed curriculum everyone moves through the same way.

Book Free Connection Call with Jo

What's really going on

It's not just about pacing physical activity

You might already feel like you're doing everything "right," resting, pacing, avoiding the obvious triggers, and still feeling stuck.

That's because recovery isn't only about what you do physically. It's also about the invisible energy drains that get overlooked, the fear of crashing, the pressure to make the most of a good day, the guilt of resting, the constant wondering if you're getting this right.

Pacing is the foundation. On its own, it's rarely the whole answer.

Pace, Rewire, Regulate

My approach: Pace, Rewire, Regulate

I'm often asked:

"Should I just focus on pacing?" "Do I need mindset work?" "Is nervous system regulation the missing piece?"

My answer?

Each has value. But recovery isn't usually about choosing one. It's about understanding how they work together.

🌿 Pace — understanding your baseline, reducing the push-crash cycle, and making decisions about your energy with more confidence.

🌿 Rewire (Mindset) — using coaching and NLP to gently work with the fears, thought loops, and beliefs that are further impacting your energy and chronic illness. This isn't forced positivity.

🌿 Regulate (Nervous System) — practical tools to help your mind and body find more moments of calm and safety, especially after months or years in survival mode.

There's one thing I want to highlight clearly. This isn't Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, and it isn't Graded Exercise Therapy. I don't ask clients to override or push through symptoms, and pacing stays a foundation throughout, never something to be coached out of you. NLP work supports your recovery in a different way. It's not about pretending these conditions are "all in your head," your symptoms are real, and you feel them physically. It's about working with your beliefs and your nervous system alongside where your body actually is, not instead of it.

Man sitting cross-legged on a rock at sunset, calm and reflective, representing the sense of peace

Time to reclaim your energy?

"Before working with Jo, I was afraid of my body and felt stuck in my recovery from long COVID. I was caught in thought patterns that made it hard to do what I needed to do for my recovery without fear or guilt. Jo helped me shift how I think about energy, rest, and progress as well as the inevitable setbacks." — Stacey, Oxford, CFS Freedom client

You don't need a formal diagnosis to start, and you don't need to have stopped seeing your medical team. Coaching sits alongside any treatment you're already receiving. It's not a replacement for medical care, and it's not a cure. It's personalised, 1:1 support to help you understand your own patterns and build an approach that fits your life, not somebody else's.

Living with CFS, Long COVID or POTS and not sure whether the Toolkit or 1:1 coaching is the right starting point? Take the free 2-minute CFS Recovery Quiz →

Here for burnout specifically? Learn more about Burnout to Balance →

Ready to talk it through either way? Book Your Free Connection Call →

Fatigue Coaching FAQ

If you can't find the answer to your question, get in touch: jo@jothomascoaching.com

Is this the same as CBT or Graded Exercise Therapy (GET)?

No. I know this is a real concern for a lot of people, especially if you've come across GET before. I don't ask clients to push through symptoms or ignore what their body is telling them. Pacing stays a foundation throughout, not something to override. The mindset and nervous system work I use through NLP isn't about pretending the illness is "in your head," your symptoms are real and physically felt, it's about working alongside your beliefs and your physiology while fully respecting where your body actually is.

Do I need a diagnosis before I can start coaching?

No. Some clients arrive with a clear diagnosis, others are still in the process of getting one, or have chosen not to pursue further medical investigation. Either is fine. Coaching can also sit alongside any medical treatment or other support you're already receiving, a nutritionist or another therapist, for example, neither is required and neither gets in the way of the other.

How many coaching sessions will I need?

That depends on where you are and what what you want to focus on. CFS Freedom runs over 10 weeks, Burnout to Balance over 12, both with fortnightly 1:1 video calls and email support in between. If you're not sure which fits, book a free connection call and we can talk it through, or take the free CFS Recovery Quiz.

What's the difference between coaching and therapy?

There is an overlap between these two disciplines, but in general, therapy mainly focuses on exploring someone’s past, whereas coaching is future-oriented and solution-focused. However, in coaching, we sometimes look at your past for patterns and answers, if deemed appropriate, to help you move forward towards achieving your goals.

Will coaching interfere with the treatment I am receiving from my GP or from the hospital?

No. My coaching is designed to sit alongside your medical care, not replace or compete with it. Stress, fear and nervous system overwhelm can affect energy levels, sleep, pain, digestion, and concentration on top of your existing symptoms, and addressing that side can support what your medical treatment is already doing. If at any point it seems like you'd benefit from further medical support, I'll encourage you to speak with your GP.

Are you a certified on-line life coach?

Yes. I hold a Level 5 Diploma in Performance Coaching with Neuro-Linguistic Programming, and I'm a member of the National Council of Integrative Psychotherapists (NCIP), following their Code of Conduct (www.the-ncip.org). I'm also a Registered Adult Nurse in the UK with over 20 years of clinical experience, though I want to be clear, the service I provide is coaching, not nursing.