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Client Feedback

The following quotes have been included by kind permission of past clients who Kirsty feels immensely privileged to have worked with.

‘Kirsty has helped my daughter overcome some troubling emotions and manage her anger more appropriately, but perhaps more importantly, created a safe space for her to just be herself in, and explore play and craftwork without the demands placed upon her. This in turn created a level of trust between her and Kirsty, allowing her too discuss difficult matters without discomfort or distress.’

What was your experience of counselling? Counselling has changed me as a person, helped me to become more self-awaare in exploring past experiences. Also mindful of how my own  growth as a person can help others.

What difference, if any, has counselling made to your life? Self-awareness has grown, it has highlighted the importance of not holding onto 'stuff' and helped me to develop as a person.

Did you feel listened to? Definitely

What could have improved your experience of counselling? Winning the lottery - it was an expensive time going through uni, paying out for supervision etc...

Is there anything else you would like to say? Thank you Kirsty for putting up with me. You have helped me a lot and I value your truly professional experience, knowledge & wisdom. 'You're the best!'

What was your experience of counselling? Much better than my experiences with counselling in the past. I was very pessimistic becuase of this but really feel that Kirsty was warm, welcoming and understanding and genuinely cared about my progress and improvement.

What difference, if any, has counselling made to your life? I am much happier and more positive for it. I am much more gentle on myself. It helped me through a very dark period of my life and for that I am very grateful.

Did you feel listened to? Always. And I really felt that I was cared for, much more than just a patient in the 1 hour slot I had.

What could have improved your experience of counselling? Nothing

Is there anything else you would like to say? A very big, personal thank you for everything. Your support and the space you allowed me to have in the sessions have been impeccable to my healing and getting better. Thank you so much Kirsty xx

What was your experience of counselling? A positive one, we're glad we arranged for our daughter to speak to a counsellor and have no regrets

What difference , if any, has ocounselling made to you life? When your child is happier, more content and sleeping well, the whole family is happier

Is there anything else you would like to say? It is very difficult leaving your child with someone unfamilliar but from the first session we could see how much it was benefitting her and felt completely comfortable with her talking through her worries with Kirsty, Thank you.

My experience was amazing, it was so comforting and fun. I learnt lots of new things

What difference, if any, has counselling made to your life? It has changed my life for the better, I used to not be able to sleep at all, but now I sleep like a log!

Did you feel listened to? Definitely, Kirsty was such an amazing listener! She listened to everything I had to say.

What could have improved your experience of counselling? Nothing except from just doing more sessions because it was so fun!

Is there anything else you would like to say? Kirsty has changed my life, I am so happy now and its incredible how far I've come from where I began.

What was your experience of counselling?  Very positive. I had began counselling previously but this was discontinued as a result of the counsellors ill health. I was very nervous and reluctant to re engage with a counselling service as I struggled with the thought of going over things again and building a new relationship where I felt comfortable to discuss my issues, however I immediately felt at ease with Kirsty and in a safe space to begin the journey again, this time seeing it all the way through.

What difference, if any, has counselling made to your life? A huge difference; my anxieties day to day are dramatically reduced, I feel more in control of my life and am able to cope far better when things go wrong or don’t go as planned. I used to feel easily overwhelmed by my emotions but I am able to manage this far better now. I used to have difficulty with unwanted thoughts and disturbed sleep, and this has also significantly reduced.  Others have also commented on the change in me in a positive way.

 Did you feel listened to?  Always, and never judged,

 What could have improved your experience of counselling?  No, it was exactly what I needed when I needed it most and it has improved my life in more ways than even I probably understand at the moment. 

 Is there anything else you would like to say? Just thank you, I know 100% I would never be in the positive place I am now if I hadn’t taken that first step by coming to see you. 

What was your experience of counselling? It was a very positive experience, and the environment was very welcoming and I felt safe.

What difference, if any, has counselling made to your life? I've learnt to not keep things bottled up so I'm much more open.

Did you feel listened to? Yes, as even if my thoughts might have been silly or if I spoke for ages, I was never interrupted or laughed at.

Is there anything else you would like to say? ‘The way the counselling works is very good as it incorporates creative things with letting out your feelings.’

What was your experience of counselling? ‘It was a very safe and secure environment for my child. Kirsty made the experience much less intimidating than it could have been. Very welcoming.’

What difference, if any, has counselling made to your life? ‘It has given my child a lifeline - it has kept her aloat and it became something that she aimed for. It got her through the week.’

Did you feel listened to? ‘Very much so. It enabled my child to open up and reveal issues which may have remained a burden to her.’

Is there anything else you would like to say? ‘I would like to express my thanks and appreciation (it is so much more than this). Your were a very positive start to what is going to be a very long process.’

What was your experience of counselling? ‘It was a very positive experience which challenged my feelings and thoughts in a way that wasn’t obtrusive or uncomfortable. Whilst apprehensive initially, these feelings soon disappeared with the support I felt from the counsellor.’

What different, if any, has counselling made to your life? ‘It has enabled me to view aspects of life that had previously built up inside causing stress and anxiety. It has also enabled me to talk about feelings and consider my relationships with others.’

Did you feel listened to? ‘Yes without a doubt. On each occasion I felt that all feelings and thoughts were considered without judgement or dismissal.’

Is there anything else you would like to say? ‘I feel that I can now deal with a range of situations as opposed to allowing them to ‘get the better of me’.

‘I was made to feel comfortable at every session. I'd never had counselling before but Kirsty made be feel safe, secure, believed, valuable and worthy from my first session.’

‘The difference it has made to my life has been almost unmeasurable. I was in such a bad place, and had been there for a very long time. I've made changes in my life that I'd never have had the courage to without Kirsty's help and gentle encouragement. I have laid past ghosts to rest and for the first time in my life I feel positive about my future. Something I never though I'd deserve. Kirsty has made me realise the world is for me and not just for other people.’

I was listened to at every session. ‘I was never forced to confront difficult issues, but I was gently and comfortably lead through incidents that had haunted me for a long time. I honestly think that without Kirsty I wouldn't be here today, Kirsty really has helped me that much. I would highly recommend Kirsty.’

What was your experience of counselling? ‘The prospect of seeing a counsellor was rather dauntin - it was always something other people did. It has turned out to be very helpful and I wish I had known how helpful it would be earlier in my life.’

What difference, if any, has counselling made to your life? ‘It has hellped me through a difficult stage and led me to a place where I feel like I'm becoming a better person, with a rosy future.’

Did you feel listened to? ‘Yes. But in a way that had no ongoing 'baggage'. Something which can never happen with friends.’

What could have improved your experience of counselling? ‘This is my first experience of counselling so I have nothing to compare it to. As with most things in life a cup of tea would have helped!’

What was your experience of counselling? In all very positive and not like I expected.  It was difficult at times because of the nature of the process but it’s helped me enormously.

 What difference, if any, has counselling made to your life?  A very positive one that has had a greater impact than I anticipated.  I definitely achieved what we set out to achieve at the beginning and I have learned some very important things that I feel are now fully embedded that will stay with me for as long as I try.

Did you feel listened to? Yes, absolutely! I have heard friends’ experiences of counselling that were very different to mine and on that basis I have recommended Way Forward as an alternative for them.  It seems my experience has been much more positive than theirs and the main reason was due to the listening skills of the counsellor.  

Is there anything else you would like to say?  Just a massive thank you for helping me in ways I never knew anyone could.  I would strongly encourage anyone needing support to at least give counselling a try.  I wish I’d had the courage to go sooner had I known how much of an impact it would have had.  Thank you again.  

As a trainee counsellor experiencing counselling for the first time  it gave me an insight to what it feels like when you are listened to. No matter how trivial or deep the content I brought to session I felt listen to and understood. The feeling of being understood in itself felt empowering.

Counselling with Kirsty through the medium of talking, art therapy and sand tray enabled me to work through past issues which were blocking me from moving forward. 

Kirsty's  name and ethos 'Way Forward' is something I experienced. I was able to move forward. 

For those of you who haven't experienced counselling before, what you put in is what you get back. Kirsty was an excellent catalyst in the shifts I was able to experience. 

What was your experience of counselling? ~ It was very relaxing and calming

What difference, if any has counselling made to your life? ~ I look at everything positive these days more

I felt listened to and am happy that I came

I will come back if I feel I need to.

From feeling so anxious and uncontrollable, counselling helped me feel myself again and helped me cope with my feelings. I could focus and I'm now feeling positive about my future.

I'm back to myself, positive and happy, I felt totally listened to when all I could see was black clouds surrounding me. I 100% feel counselling was the best thing I could have done.

I totally felt listened to at every step of my Journey

Kirsty is amazing, no need to improve anything, just fantastic.

Kirsty, thank you for your support and time spent with me. I'm focused positive and so looking forward to my future. Thank you for helping me to see my way forward, can't thank you enough.

Kirsty is a warm embracing counsellor who made me feel welcome and special on each visit. Every time we met either face to face on Skype, I felt secure, safe and accepted. The best bit about working with Kirsty was her ability to challenge my perceptions in such a way that I never felt I was wrong thinking how I did but that I was capable of thinking/acting in ways that were more beneficial for me. She enabled me to open my own doors and explore my own outcomes.

Working with Kirsty has been a very rewarding experience for me. There are many areas where I uncovered new awareness that has helped me to grow and develop new ways of resolving tensions in my daily relationships. She helped me to understand aspects of myself that I have shied away from and me courage to embrace all aspects of my personality.

On every occasion I felt I had Kirsty’s complete attention and focus, this never changed even when working via Skype.

As a trainee counsellor I was thoroughly intrigued by my own counselling, becoming very aware of the ways in which a good counsellor can be of benefit to their client in ways not taught in a lecture. Personally not only do I feel that I came out of counselling more aware of myself as an individual by also I hope it will improve my own counselling ability as I am more aware of the role a counsellor plays in kickstarting individual growth.

Kirsty was very supportive. She was a friendly and helpful listener and helped me to see things from a different perspective.

I’ve developed more confidence in my abilities as a result of exploration with Kirsty

Counselling was a very good experience, learned a lot about myself and how to cope better with difficult things. Feel a lot happier and able to talk to people easier.

Thanks very much for helping me through this difficult time it has made a huge difference to how I feel and think about things. I feel I am in a much better place and that things are going to work out well

I feel I was acknowledged and listened to, prompted to explore and be expansive. ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ would not do. Gentle without being ‘soft’.

Counselling allowed me to to see me for what I am – The positive aspects of me. I now see me in the light. It’s bright!

I felt listened to, valued and held. The responses I got indicated that I was being listened to.

My experience of counselling was only slightly different that I imagined as someone who’d never done it. Overall it was an extremely positive experience. It brought out the real me in a safe environment and allowed me to identify issues that were holding me back and to work to overcome them. Highly recommended.

Being able to talk freely about my life to someone who is genuinely interested in making positive changes to my thinking and actions has enabled me to feel more confident in myself and more confident knowing that issues I faced can be dealt with. Kirsty’s priority was understanding me and my problem and she did a great job in helping me; emotionally, socially and mentally.

I most definitely felt listened to. The time I spent with Kirsty was mine and mine alone. She was extremely attentive and asked the right questions. I always felt that I had a voice when I sat with her, even if I didn’t outside of the comfort of her room.

I felt the whole experience was fulfilling and gave me a brighter outlook on life, by the end. The sessions provided exactly what I needed and I am wholly satisfied.

Thank you very much for all you’ve done. I look forward to sitting down and discussing more recent events in the near future.

I was quite uncomfortable in coming to counselling, although I had recognised the need for years. However, once I made the effort and contacted Kirsty, I felt completely valued as a human being (not just a client) and felt a genuine sense of care on her part. Kirsty is exceptionally professional, using a variety of techniques, which I felt tailored to my circumstances and needs, but without being intrusive. This has been an incredibly positive experience, one that has helped me to change for the better.

I have been able to think more positively about myself, but also take responsibility for my actions and behaviour. My personal relationships, including those with my partner and child, have vastly improved and I am a much happier person. Of course there are still challenges ahead, but I feel equipped to deal with them now in a positive manner.

The only thing that could have improved my experience of counselling was that I should have come before.

“Thank you for supporting and helping my daughter through a very difficult time in her life. Your sessions together offered her a safe environment to talk through issues she would have found difficult to discuss with anyone else”

“My experience of counselling was positive and caring. It is a friendly, calm environment where I feel welcome”

“My experience was positive and very good. It helped me make sense of that “foggy view”. Things are clear enough so as to journey on. It was gentle without being soft. Did it make a difference to my life? A huge difference. I was not alone. Questions asked were the ones that I would have asked had I thought of them! Was I listened to? Yes and that did it for me for the most part. You accompanied me on my way for a while and your responses to me allowed me to realise that you were listening and taking notice. Thank you”

“Counselling has helped me gain some more self confidence and every time I leave the room I feel calm and happy”

“Thank you for continuing to help me through things. You make me feel welcome every time I see you ☺”

“Kirsty was very easy to warm to and made me feel at ease and I was able to speak about my emotions without feeling silly. When I started the sessions, I had a multitude of issues that seemed to be all mixed up into one big problem. Counselling helped me to untangle the mess and deal with each part a piece at a time so that I could deal with things better. It helped me to manage my emotions better. It also helped me to make decisions about what I could do to bring about a change to make things better and for those things I couldn’t change, to accept to a degree but to manage the pressures with different interventions.”

“I was apprehensive at first but Kirsty soon put me at ease. Kirsty has helped me to deal with my issues and to not be critical about myself”

“I am now more confident and learning to get on with my life”

“I definitely felt listened to. Kirsty is very patient and manages to get me talking about things”

“I am very grateful for all the help she has given me and I have recommended her services to my G.P. practice”

“Counselling made a big difference. I am surer of myself, more steady and now accept that things cannot be perfect. Kirsty made me feel reassured that the decisions I had made or making were the right ones for me and that it is ok to do nothing sometimes. I am still experiencing difficulties but the difference is that I am coping with it better and have made some changes so that the problems are not so big. (Work in progress!)”

“I felt listened to, Kirsty has a unique way of listening and getting you to challenge any negative thoughts that you speak about – feelings that can make you feel so upset and ill. Kirsty was there every step of the way”

“I think that from the outset you have to realise that counselling will not solve all the problems and that you have to put in a lot of effort yourself and just be guided by the counselling and use it for support and encouragement. The hard work is really worth it in the long run.”

“I would like to say that Kirsty’s work is invaluable and that she will hopefully continue to help people. For my own experience, I am back on tract and still working to improve things. I was in a much worse place before the counselling and feel much more normal now.”

“My daughter needed Kirsty’s guidance – as a family it offered us support and guidance through a terrible period. We could see our daughter comforted by sessions and having a lovely trust and relationship with Kirsty which has grown.”

“Counselling has shown us as a family how we need to talk more.”

“We are utterly thrilled with our daughter’s improvement.”

“At the beginning we were in the dark as to find help for our daughter, we needed someone we could trust with one of our greatest treasures. We feel totally comforted knowing she is improving from her sessions.”

“I had two rounds of counselling six months apart and both times helped me a lot. I was able to understand more about myself and really start to think what helped me and what didn’t.”

“Counselling made a huge difference in my life because I was able to control my anxiety more, we also discovered what made my anxiety flare up.”

“I absolutely felt listened to, the way Kirsty takes the time to listen and her nice calm voice all adds to it.”

"Kirsty helped me believe in myself and feel confident of my abilities"

"I wish I had made the decision to go to counselling before...it made such a difference to me"

"The hardest thing about starting counselling was picking up the phone and asking for help, it was really easy after that and I looked forward to my sessions every week."

"I really enjoyed using the sand tray, I was able to understand my feelings and see what changes I could make"

"I used Plasticine in my counselling session, afterwards I showed my family the model I made, it helped me to explain and they understand me better now"

“Thank you for helping me!”