Bateman Horne Center

09/03/2026

For years, Jessica believed her worsening health was her fault.

As her symptoms progressed, she searched for answers, only to repeatedly hear that she appeared healthy, needed to exercise more, or that what she was experiencing was “all in her head.”

Over time, those experiences affected more than her health. They affected her ability to trust the medical system, and herself.

Today, Jessica has greater confidence in advocating for herself as a medically complex patient.

Her story reminds us why listening matters. Being heard, respected, and included in decisions about your own health can make a meaningful difference.

Swipe to read more of Jessica's story.

09/02/2026

This Sunday, Caregiver Wisdom is hosting a free, 90-minute support group focused on staying grounded amid constant change. The gathering will include guided practices, reflection, small-group conversation, and connection with others who understand.

Sunday, September 6
12–1:30 p.m. PDT / 3–4:30 p.m. EDT / 8–9:30 p.m. BST

While the group often centers caregivers of people with ME/CFS, Long COVID, and related chronic illnesses, all caregivers are welcome. See the post for details.

When so much keeps changing, how do we stay grounded?

As caregivers, we live with constant change.

Our daily lives change. Our energy and bandwidth change. Our relationships change. Our sense of who we are can change. And the future we once imagined may look very different from the life we’re living now.

At this Sunday’s free Caregiver Wisdom support group, we’ll explore:

💜 Staying Grounded Amid Constant Change
🗓 Sunday, September 6
⏰ 12–1:30 p.m. PDT / 3–4:30 p.m. EDT / 8–9:30 p.m. BST

We’ll have an extended 90-minute gathering this month so we can spend some time not only sharing our experiences, but also practicing two approaches that have deeply strengthened my own resilience as a caregiver:

🌿 Hara breathing — a restorative breathing practice to help calm the body and mind

🌿 Non-attachment — learning to loosen our grip on what we can’t control and meet change with greater steadiness

We’ll also reflect together on questions like:

• What changes have been hardest for you to accept?
• How has caregiving affected your sense of self?
• How have changing circumstances affected your relationship with your loved one?
• What is one change you’re still learning how to navigate?

And, as always, we’ll have time for small breakout groups for honest sharing, connection, and simply being with others who understand.

While we often center on caregivers of loved ones with ME/CFS, Long COVID, and related chronic illnesses, all caregivers are warmly welcome.

If you’d like to join us or learn more, email me at [email protected].

If you’re craving reflection, connection, or simply a place to exhale, you’re welcome here. 💜



The Network Bateman Horne Center Solve MECFS Initiative Open Medicine Foundation Massachusetts ME / CFS & FM Association The Sick Times Patient-Led Research Collaborative World ME Alliance RTHM Cohen Center for Recovery from Complex Chronic Illness PolyBio Research Foundation Complex Disorders Alliance COVID-19 Longhauler Advocacy Project Long Covid Families

09/02/2026

Over the past year, Bateman Horne Center has been quietly doing a great deal of work to strengthen our clinical team, deepen our research partnerships, and build toward reaching more people who need this kind of care.

Today, we get to share one of the most meaningful parts of that work. We are delighted to welcome Douglas Jones, MD, as our new Medical Director. Dr. Jones is a board-certified allergist and immunologist who has spent more than fifteen years treating patients with complex, often underdiagnosed chronic conditions, and his expertise adds real depth to the clinical leadership shaping BHC's future.

The people living with ME/CFS, Long COVID, fibromyalgia, and other complex chronic conditions, along with the caregivers and clinicians who walk alongside them, remain at the heart of why this work exists, today and as we grow.

Read the full story on our blog, including the official press release: https://bit.ly/4zQ2lCP

09/01/2026

The BHC Clinical Care Guide is freely available to download at any time; and for those who prefer a printed copy, it is also available for purchase on Amazon.

This evidence-informed resource offers practical guidance for the assessment and management of ME/CFS, Long COVID, and other infection-associated chronic conditions.

Download the guide for free, order a printed copy for yourself, or consider sharing it with a clinician.

👉 Access both options using the link in our first comment below.

08/31/2026

Join us for our next online support group: https://bit.ly/3SnqfVr

Emotional Freedom While Experiencing Illness: Avoiding Thinking Traps That Make Us Suffer

This conversation will explore how our thoughts can influence emotional distress, not as a cause of illness, but as one part of how we navigate its challenges.

We’ll discuss:
• How we evaluate whether painful thoughts are true
• How we recognize helpful and unhelpful thoughts
• The kinds of thoughts that can leave us feeling stuck in emotional pain
• Ways of thinking about ourselves and illness that may help us access calm, hope, or peace

Tuesday, September 1
1:00 p.m. MDT

08/30/2026

“We hear you. We’re on your side.”

As we close Severe ME/CFS Awareness Month, we return to one of the reasons awareness matters: helping more people understand what living with this illness can truly look like.

During our “Coffee” with a Clinician, Stoo Brown of the WIMEL Writers shared what inspired "What Is Myalgic Encephalomyelitis Like?", a collection created to bring lived experiences of ME/CFS to healthcare professionals, decision-makers, and others who may not understand the realities of the disease.

For those living with severe ME/CFS who may feel invisible or forgotten, Stoo shared a simple message:

“We hear you, we’re on your side. We’re trying to put your accounts into the public domain and bring your experiences to the attention of influencers, decision makers, and health care professionals.”

Severe ME/CFS Awareness Month may be ending, but the work to listen, learn, educate, and advocate continues.

Watch the full conversation on our YouTube channel: link in first comment

08/29/2026

Join Bateman Horne Center online this September for education, connection, and support.

Online Support Groups
Moderated by Timothy Weymann, LCSW

Tuesday, September 1 | 1:00 p.m. MDT
Emotional Freedom While Experiencing Illness: Avoiding Thinking Traps That Make Us Suffer

Tuesday, September 15 | 1:00 p.m. MDT
When Our Bodies, Life, and/or Others Don’t Cooperate: Coping When Things Don’t Go the Way We Want Them To

“Coffee” with a Clinician
Wednesday, September 9 | 10:00 a.m. MDT
Topic: Assessment of Orthostatic Intolerance and Dysautonomia

All events are held online. Register: https://bit.ly/4npZ4Ud

08/28/2026

“Believe yourself as a witness.”

Caregiving for someone with severe ME/CFS can bring its own experience of isolation, grief, and emotional strain.

In this excerpt from our “Coffee” with a Clinician, Amy Mooney, OT, reflects on her own experience as a caregiver and the importance of acknowledging what caregiving can cost, while recognizing that the caregiver’s experience is different from that of the person who is ill.

Amy encourages caregivers to find safe spaces and people who understand, to give themselves compassion and grace, and to remember:

“You are doing enough. You also belong. And you are also witnessed.”

Watch the full United for ME conversation: https://youtu.be/HlfbfyRl3K8

08/27/2026

To understand the full spectrum of ME/CFS, research must center and include those most profoundly affected by the illness.

In this excerpt, Jessica from Solve MECFS Initiative discusses the importance of adapting research methods so people with severe ME/CFS can participate. That can include decentralized trials, reduced blood-draw volumes, assistance completing patient surveys and options to participate by phone.

These accommodations do more than make individual studies accessible. They help ensure that research priorities, potential treatments and future care pathways reflect the realities of people with severe ME/CFS.

Watch the full "Coffee" with a Clinician conversation: https://youtu.be/HlfbfyRl3K8

08/26/2026

Listen. Believe. Advocate. Respect.

In this excerpt, occupational therapist Amy Mooney explains how healthcare professionals can best support people with severe ME/CFS by recognizing the patient as the expert in their own experience and translating what they learn into meaningful action.

That action includes providing appropriate accommodations, listening to caregivers, and carefully documenting what a patient experiences—information that can support communication across the medical team and strengthen disability documentation.

Respect begins with recognizing the patient as the expert in their own experience.

Watch the full severe ME/CFS "Coffee" with a Clinician conversation: https://youtu.be/HlfbfyRl3K8