Column: What Is a Lyme Literate Therapist?

If you have Lyme you are aware of a Lyme Literate Medical Doctor or LLMD, but have you heard of a Lyme Literate Therapist? 

We are not a myth, we do exist.

Lyme Literate therapists are a small community of therapists who understand Lyme and how it affects a person on every level—mental, emotional, physical, social, financial, and spiritual—and offer care based on that understanding. 

Imagine going to a therapist who questions your Lyme diagnosis. Imagine the therapist minimizing your symptoms or attempting to diagnose those symptoms as a manifestation of a mental illness. It's something that happens. It’s rate, but it can be a barrier to a person with Lyme disease accessing necessary mental health care. That's where Lyme Literate Therapists come in.

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Typically, Lyme Literate Therapists either have Lyme disease themselves or are close to someone who does. This allows the client to feel like they are truly heard and understood by someone who has been there and knows the unique challenges.

​One of those challenges is the controversy related to Lyme disease itself. There are differing opinions in the medical community about Lyme disease, including how and how long to treat it. Every time a person with Lyme meets someone new they have to make a decision about whether or not to tell them about their Lyme diagnosis. LLTs don’t want our office to be another place you feel misunderstood and alone. 

If you have Lyme disease and could use someone to talk to, you may consider seeking out a Lyme Literate Therapist. I’ll be honest, it isn’t easy. There are not many of us and we are spread out all across the country. 

Due to the geographical constraints of therapy, many LLTs practice remote therapy or Telehealth through videoconference. 

​We, as Lyme Literate Therapists, communicate with one another about how best to support those with Lyme disease. We are working together on ways to get the word out and also to provide training to other mental health professionals, so that there are more of us. We are raising awareness in our field, so that a person with Lyme can walk into any therapists office and be understood and believed. 

"There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you." - Maya Angelou