Keep It Simple - Fast, Effective Counselling

Hi Andrew,
Thought I’d drop you a little line with an update on how I’m doing as we haven't spoken now for some time but also I spotted something today that made me think of you..
“Is this world a prison or a paradise? It is, of course, both. Both together. Both at once. Both in the blink of an eye. It is a prison when we feel we are being punished, when our needs are not being met, when we are more conscious of our fears and limitations than of our hopes and dreams. And yet it takes very little to turn it all into a paradise. Lottery wins really aren't necessary. Simple solutions to a few basic problems can be more than enough. So, too, can be a small change of expectation or attitude. Work on that if you want your paradise. ...”

It's actually my horoscope for today but the words just made me think of human givens! Maybe you can use it somewhere I don't know... Anyway, i guess you could say I’m doing ok. I've had no feelings of utter despair or hopelessness for such a long length of time it's impossible to say when I last felt this way. I wouldn't class myself as depressed anymore which is a huge leap. The strangest thing is I’ve not been 'aware' of my state of mind at all. It's like when I was depressed all I could think were these negative thoughts & I felt like I was drowning in quick sand in a situation I couldn't control but now that everything feels fine I guess you could say I’m just 'being'. Living life without being aware of it.

The biggest development is my work life. I have been approached by an old colleague in respect to a job. This was an unexpected development but I feel so fortunate to have this opportunity land in my lap. Not that I haven't earned it mind. I bumped into this person whilst attending another individuals leaving party. It was a completely random encounter but one that wouldn't of happened if I had been sat at home feeling sorry for myself! I've been making much more of a conscious effort to socialise more again, meeting up with old friends on a regular basis. I'm not walking on air all day by any means but I feel as though I’ve made huge significant progress in the right direction.

The change has been so refreshing & just seeing how I’ve achieved these changes inspires me to attempt more in life. I have you to thank for that. One of the most valuable lessons you taught me is that you have to take action in life to achieve things & to facilitate change. It's a very hard lesson to learn when you're in a pit of despair but if you can summon the courage to take action then that's the medicine you need to move forward & the reward is more than worth the effort.

I think I’ve talked for long enough now! Hope everything is good with you & family. Miss our chats - you helped me so much in so many ways. I think I’ve only truly began to appreciate that fully now on reflection.                       

Hi Andrew, I have been feeling a lot better about everything and more confident. I have had my down days and times when it has been tough, but I certainly coping much better than before. I am down in Dorset at the moment for a break before I go back for my final exams. I have been driving around, and even drove all the way down to Exeter, from my house to go to an interview for a student’s associate scheme placement. It involved all the aspects of driving I worry about, including country lanes, main roads and most of all parking in car park and reversing. I coped really well, had a couple of moments where I worried, but I was able to dismiss them quite easily. I want to come and see you again before I finish after my exams, I would like to just polish it all a bit, (if that’s the right phrase) and make sure the stress of exams doesn’t make it flare up again.                         

Shortly after moving to London I had become quite depressed and frustrated with my own lack of self esteem, low morale and subsequent inability to be self directing. I was struggling to accept myself and feeling at odds with the world at large as well as with the people closest to me. As a result I had become quite withdrawn. I Googled for things like perfectionism because I am very self critical which was one of the things both inhibiting and motivating me - I had arrived at a stale-mate between the two and was unable to function. I am an artist and as such need to be particularly self motivated so this seemed like a huge problem to me. The information on perfectionism led me to look into cognitive behavioural therapy and from there to find the Human Givens website, where I found Andrew Richardson listed. From the first time I met with Andrew I began to feel more at ease with my situation. We talked at some length and Andrew sent me home with a hypnotherapy CD to listen to. I found the CD to be very calming and quietly reassuring. I began to feel more positive about having had to seek help with my state of mind and confident that the Human Givens techniques were a suitably flexible and practical approach which could help me to deal with the my problems. I had about six sessions with Andrew and no longer feel depressed and anxious. I have been through some difficult circumstances recently affecting my physical health and I suffered a bereavement. Despite these factors I am continuing to make progress with my personal fulfilment and goals. I have been able to return to my work and have just had a painting accepted for a prestigious exhibition in central London. I have found a new studio and enough confidence in myself now to commit to leasing a space to work in. I had previously chosen to work at home as I didn't have enough faith in myself to go out into the world to work. I have also joined a meditation/psychic development group where I have connected with a group of people who share some of my more unusual experiences and help me to make sense of them. This was an area of my life which I was living largely in denial of as I felt that anything psychic is so taboo in our society and likely to attract ridicule. I did not broach this subject with Andrew until quite late in my therapy sessions with him and was relieved to find that he had an open mind on the subject and encouraged me to follow up my hunch to join an organisation where I could understand more about it. This has been the single most empowering thing that I have done, but I would have been unlikely to do this or any of the other things I have mentioned if I had remained in my former state of mind prior to seeking Andrew's help.