Hi, I'm Kim Clayden.

As a solution focused psychotherapist & clinical hypnotherapist (over at online-psychotherapist.com), my work has always been rooted in helping people navigate the complex emotional landscape of living with chronic illness. Through my practice, as well as my webinars and resources for the Hypermobility Syndromes Association (HMSA) and other charities, I have spent years teaching people how to retrain their brains, manage flare ups, and build a toolkit for sustainable mental health.

But over time, I noticed a missing piece in the chronic illness journey.

When people finish active therapy with me, they leave with fantastic self-management strategies. However, maintaining those strategies alone, while navigating the isolation, brain fog, and unpredictable pain and fatigue of a long-term condition, it can be incredibly hard.

Worse, our society tells us that "accountability" and "body-doubling" are only for pushing through chores, cleaning, or work. Great for focusing those beautiful neurospicy brains, however, for a brain wired by chronic illness, that pressure can trigger a stress response, working against the very neuroplasticity we need for healing.

I created Maintained Mind because I wanted to build a bridge.

This space was born out of a desire to provide a gentle, ongoing safety net for former clients, as well as fellow spoonies, disabled and chronic illness folk. It's a place where we take the pressure entirely off. By swapping "productivity" for restful tasks such as crafting, physio, or taking a guilt-free nap together, and gathering for solution-focused check-ins, we keep our brains on track. Not through force, but through community, neuroscience, and compassion.

I'm so glad you're here. Let's keep tending to your mind, together. 💜