What clients have said - Experienced Counsellor in Stroud, Gloucestershire

Read what clients have said ...

"I had reached a point in my life when things had all got a bit too much. I was finding it difficult to cope and my mood was swinging from one extreme to the other, and this was seriously starting to affect my relationship with my wife. The problem was that I didn’t know where a lot of my feelings were coming from (causing more anxiety), but I knew I had to confront them. If the above sounds at all remotely like you then I recommend you get in contact with Kim. He has helped me immeasurably in understanding my feelings and where they come from, but, more importantly, has given me the tools and the resultant confidence to deal with things. The vicious circles have now been turned into virtuous ones!”

D M, Gloucester

"I contacted Kim when I was at the end of my tether. I was so anxious I could not eat, I could not sleep at night and therefore was exhausted during the day and I had no control over my crying. I was spinning in a downward spiral. My work was suffering and my relationship was suffering. Kim helped me put everything into perspective and helped me to see the bottom of the big black hole. I left Kim knowing how best to deal with my anxiety in my real day to day life and to be conscious that much of my anxiety was caused by myself. This has given me the strength to overcome many of my issues without the high levels of stress and without the need for drugs or time off work. Without my visits to Kim I honestly believe I would have lost my husband, my job and my friends. I have everything to thank him for."

A L, Wotton-under-Edge

"I went to see Kim when I was in the grip of a terrible depression. He helped me to challenge the black thoughts that were making me depressed, and rephrase them in a way that had a more positive effect upon my feelings. He also enabled me to look at the good things in my life in a way that bolstered rather than undermined my self esteem. As a result I am happier, and feel more in control of my life and how I experience it. I am doing well at work, engaging more with life and people, and feel very positive about the future. I believe the benefits will be lasting, as every day my new patterns of thought become more and more second nature.
I was very impressed with Kim’s skills as a counsellor. I felt he really listened to what I was saying, understood it, and responded with great perception. Without ever directly telling me what to do, he nevertheless taught me a variety of skills for handling my life in self-nurturing rather than destructive ways."

EG, Cirencester

"Earlier on this year I was having angry flare ups which were affecting my close family and friends and happening more and more often. I was hesitant to speak to anyone at first, however Kim’s friendly and outward perspective helped show potential causes and broke my problems down into manageable bits. More importantly Kim showed me how to recognise me for who I actually was and to stop beating myself up over what were sometimes trivial matters."

RW, Stroud

"I contacted Kim at at time when I felt incredibly trapped and powerless. I was stressed and frustrated by my immediate situation (work, relationships, worries for the future), but was also aware of being weighed down by the past and condemned to constantly repeat my mistakes. With considerable insight, care, and honesty Kim helped me to challenge the negative 'reality' that I had constructed for myself. I came wanting to change, but feeling powerless to do so, and with a fatalistic sense of being beyond change. My time with Kim not only help me gain a better insight into how negative and distorted my own perception of self had become, but also provided the insights and tools to enable to me to make real changes, let go of my baggage and move on. A lot has changed for the better, and I am more at peace with myself and what the future holds than I have been for a long time."

DR, Gloucester

"Many thanks for your help, I believe you have made a big difference to the way I feel after the loss of my wife. Just being able to talk to someone in depth about the subject has helped in itself but I will continue to use the suggestions you made as they help as well. I would definitely recommend you to others in need of help like me."

RW, Newent

"I was in quite a dark place when I first met Kim; a drawn-out convalescence from pneumonia left me with severe depression, insomnia, total loss of confidence and low self-esteem. I felt confused, miserable and useless. Having always been a very confident person this was frightening, particularly since it made me reluctant to socialize and see my friends, as social situations terrified me. I'd already seen an NHS counsellor but hadn't found it useful, but I noticed Kim's website and went along for an introductory session. From the very beginning Kim was reassuring, sympathetic yet pragmatic, and extremely helpful. Our very first meeting left me feeling much lighter in spirits. Kim's approach was very practical and together we worked out my problems bit by bit. I always left our sessions feeling more like myself. Now I feel much stronger as an individual and am able to deal with difficulties more easily than ever. Rather than feeling demoralized by my experiences I now feel strengthened by them. I would thoroughly recommend Kim to anyone going through a difficult time in their lives and in need of help or support."

BV, Bristol

"I just wanted to thank you again for all your help over the time that we met. There aren't many days that I don't use some of the techniques that you taught me and as a consequence I feel a lot calmer and get a lot more done than I used to! You have such insight, but such lightness of touch that the overall effect is very gentle but very effective, if you know what I mean!"

SK, Stroud

"I worked with Kim focusing on areas of self worth and value, the relationship with my parents and also my tendency to prematurely bring my girlfriend relationships to a close. We methodically worked through the areas and I was challenged in order to understand my own thinking and behaviours. From here and the work I did outside of our meetings, I was able to develop approaches to not to simply cope but be proactive in various scenarios. The foundation I now stand on is stronger and firmer than what I previously had. I feel more balanced and rational in my thinking, more able to take healthy steps forward and more optimistic about my future."

HJN, Stroud

"I first started seeing Kim with regards to OCD which started spiralling out of control . OCD was having a significantly negative impact on a daily basis. Kim has been fantastic with his approaches and he has always gone way above and beyond the call of duty when helping me to deal with it. OCD was a problem that I genuinely did not think I would be able to stop and manage. Kim provided me with the tools, guidance and patience to enable me to manage and reduce my OCD significantly. I would definitely recommend Kim to anyone who has experienced similar problems"

CD, Bristol

"I wasn't sure what counselling could offer me, but after our initial consultation Kim made me feel very relaxed and safe and gave me a clear framework and goals to work towards. After just a few sessions I was able to confront the ways of thinking and patterns of behaviour that had been holding me back in my life and making me depressed and frustrated. I was amazed at how confident and happy I became after working with Kim and cannot thank him enough for setting me free from the grip of low self-esteem."

NS, Stroud

What next?

If you would like to make an appointment or need further information, please call Kim Richardson on 01453 751457 or email kim@stroudcounselling.net in strictest confidence.

Kim Richardson - working for clients in Stroud, Gloucester, Cheltenham and across Gloucestershire