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"This wouldn't have  been possible without Claire"

From August 2022 our daughter, P, began to feel miserable and low for no seemingly apparent reason. She was well aware that she had a lovely life and thoroughly enjoyed all the things she did and was very grateful for them. There weren’t any problems at school, she had a very understanding and close, long-term boyfriend and a stable and happy home life and yet she was still low. Unfortunately, despite our best efforts, the situation continued to deteriorate until we, as parents, realised that we needed outside help. It took a little longer for P to come to terms with this but, with many evenings spent in tears, she realised that the situation was unsustainable. This was a real breakthrough as P had initially been resistant to talking to anyone about how she felt, and this was probably the biggest hurdle and concern in seeking advice.

 

Having come to the point whereby we all agreed that we had to consult a professional, we were fortunate to be recommended Claire by our local GP who had direct experience of her work.

 

P’s first session with Claire was faced with trepidation by us all for obvious reasons but having met Claire we, as parents, felt very happy with her, and she very quickly built a close, personal and productive relationship with P who soon came to suggest when she should visit Claire. Obviously the first session didn’t solve all P’s problems, but she did come away more content with herself and hopeful that she could make progress. This proved to be the case over the following few months with P having regular, usually weekly, sessions with Claire and then thereafter as and when she felt that she needed a “top up”.

 

Although we discussed P’s sessions openly and as a family, we obviously weren’t all in attendance. What we found was that P came away after each visit with practical exercises, largely for her but which did extend to us too, regular advice on how to deal with various situations and perhaps most importantly, detailed and practical guidance on how to understand and control her own mental processes such that she no longer spiralled into misery.

 

Overall, we found that P’s anxiety reduced significantly and along with this her mood gradually improved. Although gradual this was revelatory for us as a family as we had gone from P feeling very low and regularly in tears to becoming more stable in her moods and better able to cope with life. As parents the hope and the lift that this gave us cannot be overstated and it encouraged us, if any further encouragement was needed, to support both P and Claire in their work.

 

Whilst we all realise that it would be foolish to believe that these issues will never re-emerge, we now have a happy and well-adjusted daughter again who is thoroughly enjoying life and is quite comfortable to take on any new challenge and situation. We don’t believe that this would have been possible without Claire’s help.

 

We have always found Claire to be approachable, gentle, friendly, smiling, encouraging and in no way overbearing but nonetheless very effective. A very difficult balance to strike in such a sensitive situation. We would have no hesitation in recommending Claire to anyone with similar issues and, should P relapse and further issues emerge, we will have no hesitation in seeking Claire’s help.

Thank you for confident daughter

When we moved our daughter to Spratton Hall in year 6 from the local village school, we were worried about how she would settle in, especially as she has high-functioning autism (HFA).  As parents, we had many concerns about her ability to adapt to such a different environment, but one of our key worries was her ability to connect with new children and make friends.

 

When I met Claire at Spratton, it was my daughter that introduced us, as she had already known her from the local tag rugby club.  I was struck by Claire’s warm nature and could see that my daughter was very comfortable chatting with her. Once I realised that Claire specialises as a life coach for children with wide-ranging needs, I asked her if she would be able to coordinate some sessions with my daughter to help support her with the transition to Spratton.

 

My daughter was delighted to spend time with Claire, sometimes at school, sometimes at her home/office and really relished the sessions they had. 

 

Claire helped her to express her feelings about herself and the school through various mediums including creative art, drawing, writing and discussion.  Claire was then able to analyse my daughter’s responses and tailor her approach to them. She helped to develop her self-esteem and confidence with others, whilst also coaching her on how to be a good friend.

 

Our daughter was able to keep the artwork she created with Claire, and therefore refer back to the important messages within it, long after the sessions with her had ended.  We parents too received notes from Claire via email after each session which highlighted all of the aspects they discussed, helping us to better understand our daughters’ feelings, and how we could continue to support her at home.

 

Almost one year on, our daughter has settled very well into her new school and our family is so grateful for the important words of encouragement and advice that Claire has given her and us over this period.  They have really helped her to become a much more confident, self-assured and sociable young girl. Thank you!

Claire's changed her life

Catherine and I (Mum & Dad) contacted Claire for help and support for our daughter as she was struggling with confidence, friend relationships and school-work suffering from anxiety, low mood, and low self-esteem. 

 

Claire was recommended to us by friends who spoke very highly of her when their child needed psychological support.  They emphasised the kind, supportive, nurturing approach Claire’s consultations had and the difference it made to their child who was having similar problems to our daughter.

 

The communication from Claire from the offset was excellent.  The initial consultation with Claire allowed us to be present and listen to how she would approach dealing with our daughter’s issues clearly explaining what would happen and the proposed outcomes.  Claire was very open in her explanations making it easy for Catherine and I to understand what was to be undertaken and was realistic about the likely outcomes.

 

 Our daughter’s feedback about her sessions were always positive and she would always comment afterwards about how comfortable she felt opening up to Claire about her problems.  The tangible difference that we saw in her demeanour and behaviour in the following weeks after her coaching sessions can’t be understated.  

 

 It was obvious to Catherine and I that Claire had a significant and positive impact on our daughter’s confidence and mood.  This change was far reaching in both her personal and school life.  Her friendships at school improved considerably and the feedback we received at subsequent parents evening spoke volumes for the difference Claire’s work has had on our daughter’s studies.   

 

Her classroom participation and quality of schoolwork improved considerably, particularly in areas she previously found challenging including Science and Maths, so much so she now aspires to follow a career in Engineering!

 

Catherine and I want our express our gratitude to Claire for the change she made to our daughter’s life.  The work you did will last a lifetime. Thank you.

I am so relieved you've put her at ease

"I just wanted to say, thank you. My daughter has come away from her sessions with you with a skip in her step, such a transformation from the way she felt before she came. I feel so relieved that you have been able to put her at ease, almost immediately and hope over time as trust is built, she is able to open up to you more.

I have confidence that with your help, she will feel better equipped to manage her anxiety".

I now believe in myself

" I didn't have the confidence in my own ability and therefore was worried I was going to look silly in front of someone.  However, you have an aura of kindness and compassion from the outset.  Your ability to get on my level (whatever that might be) is incredible.

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You gave me clarity in what my options were, confidence in myself and advice on how to move forward.

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I have since been on a 4 day intensive training to overcome my fears of not being good enough and have now set up my new business."

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Thank you Claire x

Phobias managed

"The best help which I can never, ever thank you enough for is for my son.  He came to you with emetophobia (an overwhelming intense fear of vomiting) learned from me, his mum.

 

You provided him with coping tools; 5 things to see, 4 things to touch etc. Also, to distract himself if someone near him is being sick by imagining what a dolphin feels like, what it feels like to be an eagle etc.

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This was absolutely amazing when he was on a 24-hour coach journey across Europe without me and he was messaging me panicking as people around him were travel sick. You emailed my son’s coping techniques which I sent to him via WhatsApp.

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It was like an absolute miracle and I was so relieved at how quickly it worked and how effective it was it made me cry with relief. With my child hundreds of miles away, being able to help him with your help, was amazing especially as I felt so powerless before."

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Exam preparation

“Claire has been a much-valued source of support to my family. She has helped my daughter address some deep-seated worries and lack of confidence and helped her create a positive and confident approach to her current challenges of finding the right senior school.

Claire has encouraged her to make the most of herself for the interviews by knowing she has the tools she needs for such a situation.   Having been through the preparations with Claire, who she knows is in her corner, giving her the attitude, approach and practice she needs to build herself up from the shy and self-effacing girl she is - who would not do herself justice in an interview.

I have seen a significant improvement in her confidence and in her ‘can do’ attitude to life generally and I am very grateful to Claire for giving this gift to my daughter”

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