“I was experiencing social anxiety based off an extremely low self-esteem and poor self-image.”

How was the original issue affecting your daily life ?

“I never felt comfortable in public places as I was extremely paranoid of complete strangers or people I knew talking about my appearance. I felt constantly stressed and worried in all scenarios as this would take up the forefront of my mind at all times.”

How did it make you feel ?

“This compounded my feelings of social anxiety and self-hate. It translated to making everyday tasks (eg. taking the bus to uni) extremely difficult, leading to increased stress resulting in public and private breakdowns.”

How would you describe your experience with Derek ?

“Derek is the perfect combination of personal and professional. He is easy-going whilst conveying constant empathy. He isn’t afraid to say it how it is and tell me things I need to hear, which I will always be thankful for. I loved my time with Derek and counselling became something I wanted to go to, not a checklist item.”

How much has the original issue change since you started ?

“I’m not one to believe that anxiety is something that switches off. It lingers around at different intensities and it might be something that stays with me forever. But through my time with Derek my anxiety has ungripped its strangle-hold on my life. It’s intensity has diminished, and it doesn’t debilitate me nor does it dominate my thinking. I am in the best phase of my life on a psychological level.”

What can you do now that you can’t do before?

“Go out in public without the constant stress and worry present. Come home after a day in public without hating myself more. Catch the daily bus to uni or even sit in a restaurant without my anxiety compounding day after day.”

What did you learn ?

“I am more aware of my thoughts and how my body reacts to triggers and why knowledge of this is so important. I can then utilise mindfulness strategies to avoid battling with these thoughts but instead exist alongside them. I learnt that my self-image problem was not face-value and there was a lot underneath that needed to be unpacked and explored to help me understand why my anxiety was manifesting itself this way.”

How do you feel about having your issue resolved/decreased ?

“Absolutely stoked and surprised. Initially I couldn’t fathom the thought of living with anxiety for the rest of my life or seeing it improve at all. Yet, now I have achieved both of these.”

Why someone should come to counselling and get started?

“My biggest problem prior to counselling was I thought I knew my mind and thoughts to the greatest degree. Counselling revealed to me how much I needed to learn about my mind and body and how surface level issues which seem so obvious are related to other parts of your life and how you are living. I battled with my problem for multiple years prior but now through 2 years of counselling I wonder why I didn’t get started sooner.”

“When I came for counselling, I had no idea how much I was about to learn about myself.  I’d been seeing myself through a fogged mirror, and Derek helped me to see how the issues I face today are closely connected to my family, my past, and my beliefs about myself.”

“Derek is a great listener and has the ability to be able to understand and analyse your situation very quickly. He is very practical and simple in his explanation and it has had a great positive effect on my life. “

“The professional concern, insight and empathy I have received through Khaya Counselling has led to considerable gains in my mental health. This has allowed me to enjoy a better quality of life in terms of family relationships, career and leisure pursuits.”

“Working with Derek has provided me with some essential tools that have greatly improved my emotional confidence. I feel that I ‘ve learnt how to control my thinking and emotions to the point that I feel fully capable to live and function as I had always imagined but never thought possible”

“It was a rewarding experience for me… instead of being spoon fed with advice all the time, I had  very constructive conversations where my situations and feelings were heard and understood and at the same time I got encouraged and empowered.”