“When I started counselling I was lost”

To give my review I have decided to answer the question how has counselling changed me?

When I started counselling I was lost, I had built my own prison with my mind. I had been poisoned by the toxic world, it had infected me and made me toxic. I had lost my way in life, I had hit rock bottom. My kids were in care, my marriage was in tatters, I was being evicted, I had an ASBO at the grand age of 44 and my mental health was of out of control. My mental health was holding me hostage. My Borderline Personality Disorder, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Anxiety controlled me.

Steph my counsellor has helped my totally change my life. I now control my mental health instead of it controlling me and I have found true happiness. I have become an expert on me and found my purpose in life. I now have a life worth living and I believe in myself. I have been on a journey of discovery, I finally know who I am and for the first time ever, I am very happy to be me.

I have been to many counsellors and psychologists over the years and learned many valuable lessons, but Steph helped me put all the jigsaw pieces together. I finally felt totally understood, validated, not judged or stigmatised. Then I had a thought, the reason the therapy/counselling actually worked this time is because I didn’t feel judged or stigmatised and I felt understood and validated instead, I could really open up and tell her things I didn’t feel comfortable telling the others. So by finding the problems and naming them together we found the answers. It was a hard journey but so very much worth it. I can honestly say I owe Steph my life. Before I met Steph I didn’t have a life, I was wasting it away letting the lies from my past take over my future. I was feeling angry at the world for my mistakes, only seeing the bad and hating myself for even breathing.

I am now starting my own business Positive Mobile and charity Positivity Mobile so that I can share what I have learned and help others. I now live my life with Positivity and I believe it can change the world. Our goal at Positivity is to wipe out poverty, abuse, stigma, hate and inequality. We will be offering pro-active problem solving, life coaching, support, signposting to other services if needed and education. We need to start a positive revolution, where people are N.I.C.E. and K.I.N.D. with a S.M.I.L.E to themselves and others, where they believe in themselves and others. A future of hope instead of hopelessness.

I am an empath, a deep emotional thinker, I wear my heart on my sleeve and I am a born storyteller. Some have even called me a drama queen and they would be right, by their standards. You see what they call a “Drama Queen”, I call passion. I have come to believe as these as my gifts, not afflictions by which I was cursed. I am now confident enough to share my gifts with the world and use them to change the world for the better, by spreading positivity.

To find out more visit our website https://www.positivemobile.org

“When I first arrived at Steph’s door I was at the lowest point in my life I could possibly be.”

I had decided life was not for me anymore and could see no other way, I was planning my suicide to stop the pain I was feeling.

Someone saw my pain and begged me to get help, I found Steph and she literally saved my life. I have hope now, hope that the pain will go, the realisation that there is someone who I trust to talk to about my innermost dark secrets.

Steph is non-judgemental and personable. Her strategies really work and they make so much sense. She keeps everything nice and simple to understand.

I have already recommended her to two people I know whose pain I can see, and who I feel will benefit from Steph’s knowledge. She is kind and caring and the sessions are relaxed.

I’m in the middle of my process, and I see an improvement in myself every day. I owe her my life and for that, I am truly grateful.

“I cannot stress how much Stephanie has helped me. It took so much courage to “try” counselling as I didn’t think it was for me.”

I had lived with historic abuse for such a long time, I felt there was no way to get rid of the nightmares, the triggers that would come unexpectedly, the anxiety and feeling that something was wrong with me. It was “my shame”.

Stephanie “heard me” she understood my pain and I could share in a way that I never could before, all in a safe, calm environment.

I have grown in confidence and self-belief and unravelled more than the historic abuse. I have had a total life change in the way I think and no longer hold the shame or the blame for those things. I truly cannot recommend that you courageously take the first step and contact Stephanie, highly enough.

I’ve been a recipient of all styles of councilling for over 10  years now, I came across Steffi after searching the directory on line some two years ago.

I spoke to many but Steffi Allen’s empathetic approach to my problems instantly gained my confidence. Having spent the past two years working with her, have been by far the best results I’ve achieved with any counsellor ever. 

She has challenged me, by giving me books to read and setting me exercises that have really changed my life, by bringing so much into my awareness.

I could write so much as a testimonial to this ladies profound approach and dedication she has given me in order to find a successful resolution for my issues.

But I won’t.. I’ll say this… I drive 120 miles a week to have the benefit of this unique service….. that’s how good I think she is ….. thanks Steffi 

“I came to Stephanie for counselling after struggling most of my adult life with mental health issues, limiting beliefs, and relationship issues.”

“I came to Stephanie for counselling after struggling most of my adult life with mental health issues, limiting beliefs, and relationship issues. I found Stephanie to be incredibly professional, genuine, warm and a true expert in her field. Her down to earth manner allowed me to build immediate trust and feel safe during the sessions. Stephanie’s approach using varied tools, skills and techniques has been life-changing for me for which I am truly grateful. I would highly recommend her counselling practice to anyone who is looking for positive change in their life.”

“For a long time I have been depressed and it was one of the major factors of the break down of my marriage..”

My name is (withheld*) and for a long time I have been depressed and it was one of the major factors of the break down of my marriage.

When I started my counselling sessions with Stephanie Allen I wasn’t really sure on how she could help me or what we were going to talk about.
I had no real interest in life I wasn’t suicidal but I did want to just go to sleep and not wake up.

I felt lonely, sad, tired and just in general lost and had no idea on what to do.

In the first session Stephanie made me feel very relaxed and comfortable I felt that I could tell her anything and there would be no judgement or disapproval.

I told her what I thought was wrong and how I was feeling. Stephanie then took key points for what I had said and helped guide me to finding out the root cause of why I was feeling the way I was and how to deal with it. I have learnt that most of my issues and behaviour stems  from my childhood, how I managed things then and now in my adulthood are the same.

Stephanie explained the different unconscious state to me and recommended I read a book which helped me greatly understand these states and to first acknowledge the way I was feeling, that it was ok to feel that way and how to move past it and learn new coping mechanisms.

For the first time in a long long time, I am happy, happy about who I am what I am doing and where I am in my life. I know that there is no real cure for depression I still get my down days but now with the help of Stephanie I can maximize my good days, learn to minimise the bad days and put everything into perspective and know that it’s ok to feel the way I feel and not to be ashamed of it. And know that I’m ok as I am.

I would highly recommend everyone to try it at least once it is so refreshing and invigorating to talk to someone who is not apart of your life or network of friends and have that trust in them to tell them anything.

I no longer need to see Stephanie but I continue to go because I am under no illusions that I could fall back into my depression and it’s good to keep a handle on it. But I mainly go back because it feels really good to unburden yourself with things that are bothering you and you may find out, what you thought you were worrying about isn’t what you were worrying about at all.

Thank you, Stephanie, for all the help you have given me and continue to give me.

 Regards (withheld)

I started counselling with Stephanie in December 2018. I had previously had counselling before but never felt that my mental health had improved.

I came to her with extremely low self-esteem and within a matter of months my situation has improved vastly. Through her counselling I have been able to understand and recognise the issues I face.

She has provided me with the tools necessary to deal with my mental health. I am very grateful for her help.