Disability History Month: Honouring Lived Experience and Supporting Wellbeing

Each year, Disability History Month invites us to pause, reflect, and learn from the stories of disabled people throughout history. It is a time to recognise not only the inequalities and barriers that many continue to face, but also the resilience, wisdom and contributions of disabled communities. At The Wellbeing Therapy Hut, we believe this month also offers a meaningful opportunity to explore the connection between disability, wellbeing, and therapeutic support.

Understanding Disability Through a Holistic Lens

Disability is far more than a medical or physical condition. Many disabled people navigate inaccessible environments, societal stigma, and systemic inequalities in addition to managing their health. These challenges can influence emotional wellbeing, self-worth, and mental health.

Therapy can be a space where disabled clients feel seen, heard, and valued—where the focus is not on “fixing”, but on empowering, supporting and honouring each individual’s lived experience.

Person-Centred Therapy: The Power of Being Truly Heard

Person-Centred Therapy (PCT) places the client at the heart of the therapeutic process. This approach is deeply aligned with the values of Disability History Month, which emphasises autonomy, dignity, and amplifying disabled voices.

PCT supports disabled clients by offering:

• Unconditional positive regard – acceptance without judgement, which can counter the negative assumptions disabled people may encounter in society.

• Empathy – striving to understand the world from the client’s perspective, including their unique relationship with disability.

• Congruence – authenticity within the therapeutic relationship, allowing mutual trust and openness.

Within this framework, clients have space to process experiences such as discrimination, identity, loss, adaptation, or frustration with societal barriers. They also have the opportunity to explore strengths, self-compassion, and personal meaning.

DBT: Tools for Resilience in a Complex World

Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) offers practical skills that can be especially valuable for disabled individuals who may deal with heightened stress, unpredictability, or chronic health challenges.

Key DBT themes resonate strongly during Disability History Month:

• Distress tolerance – learning strategies to navigate painful situations that cannot be changed in the moment, such as medical procedures, fatigue, or systemic obstacles.

• Emotion regulation – developing ways to understand, soften, or shift intense emotions that may arise from stigma, accessibility barriers, or frustration.

• Mindfulness – grounding oneself in the present, particularly helpful when managing fluctuating symptoms or anxiety about the future.

• Interpersonal effectiveness – supporting clients in advocating for their needs, setting boundaries, and communicating within health or social care systems.

DBT’s central philosophy—the balance between acceptance and change—can empower disabled clients to acknowledge the reality of their circumstances while still working toward a meaningful, fulfilling life.

Celebration, Not Just Struggle

Disability History Month is not solely about hardship; it is also about celebrating identity, creativity, community and progress.

In therapy, this celebration can take the form of:

• recognising strengths and resourcefulness

• exploring new narratives about the self

• validating the expertise that comes from lived experience

• building confidence and self-advocacy

• acknowledging the diverse ways people adapt, grow and thrive

Creating Inclusive Spaces at The Wellbeing Therapy Hut

We are committed to providing a therapeutic environment that is accessible, respectful, and responsive to individual needs. Whether through PCT’s compassionate presence or DBT’s supportive skills, our aim is to walk alongside each person as they navigate their wellbeing journey.

This Disability History Month, we honour the resilience and voices of disabled communities—and we reaffirm our dedication to offering therapy that supports empowerment, emotional health, and holistic wellbeing.