New diagnoses | Nervous system overwhelm | Entering a caregiving role
Every chapter of change deserves compassion and you don’t have to walk it alone.
Hello there!
Welcome to Invisible Not Imaginary, coaching for those whose pain is invisible, but is not imaginary.
Through 1:1 online coaching, I help individuals with chronic illness, nervous system overwhelm, and their caregivers find clarity, self-compassion, and renewed identity.
I'm Cate, and I understand this journey through lived experience. You deserve support that meets you where you are and honors the journey ahead.
What I Offer
Through 1:1 coaching, you'll receive personalized support and practical strategies to move forward with chronic illness, nervous system overwhelm, or as a caregiver - on your terms.
Coaching and Training
Mindset Coaching
Support to grieve what's changed, realign with who you are now, and rebuild a life that truly fits you.
Nervous System Regulation Coaching
Embodied practices to calm your body, restore a sense of safety, and create lasting regulation.
Coaching for Caregivers
Support to help you balance the care for others with care for yourself - without losing your identity in the process.
AI Training
Learn to use AI tools as an extension of yourself - reducing cognitive load and reclaiming energy for what matters most.
Why Work With Me
Because I’ve been there - and I’m still here.
My journey has been shaped by caregiving, illness, and burnout. After caring for my grandma at the end of her life, her passing cracked my heart open and pushed my nervous system past its limits. Combined with neurodivergent burnout and unprocessed trauma, and very few coping tools, it became the backdrop to my own chronic illnesses.
I understand what it feels like to grieve the person you used to be, to wonder if your body is betraying you, and to carry fatigue and isolation that often go unseen.
When you work with me, you won't have to justify yourself. You won't meet pity or surface-level empathy - you'll meet presence, honesty, and deep respect for your resilience.
I'm still on this path myself, still practicing self-compassion on hard days. Still remembering that asking for help doesn’t make me weak; it makes me human. That's the heart of what I offer: not perfection or a polished "fix," but real companionship as you build a life that aligns with who you are now, not who you think you have to be.
My Turning Point
My work is deeply personal.
After a series of life-altering autoimmune diagnoses, personal losses, and career upheavals, I was forced to slow down, grieve, and rebuild my life in a way that honored my new reality.
Out of that journey, Invisible Not Imaginary was born - a practice rooted in the belief that even when life changes us forever, we are still whole, powerful, and capable of living fully.
About
I'm Cate Valadez, a Nervous System and Mindset Coach who understands nervous system overwhelm and chronic illness from the inside out. Before coaching, I spent years navigating my own overwhelmed nervous system, identity shifts with each new diagnosis, and the slow work of rebuilding.
I learned that healing isn't about going back - it's about creating a new way forward with compassion and honesty. Now I create spaces where patients and caregivers can discover what works for them, using tools and practices that helped me find steadiness when I needed it most.
Client Testimonials
What I Believe
I envision a world where transitions are not seen as disruptions, but as sacred opportunities to pause, reflect, realign, and rise. A world where support is readily available in the in-between spaces, and where individuals feel empowered to rebuild their lives with authenticity, courage, and compassion.
Even when life shifts in ways we never expected -
even when health or circumstances challenge us...
We are whole.
We are powerful.
We have trust in what is next.
The Broader Vision
Invisible Not Imaginary is more than a coaching practice — it’s a growing movement.
In time, this space will expand to include disability consulting, educational resources, community support, and advocacy for individuals living with invisible conditions and the caregivers who support them.
Because what we carry may be invisible — but it is never imaginary.