Client Testimonials

“It has helped me to manage my own emotions and recognise/communicate my needs to others. My resilience was suffering a lot when I started counselling, and since attending, I feel much better equipped to bounce back and tackle challenges in life.”

“I wish I had had counselling before. It has made my life more bearable with my issues.  I have been listened to without any judgment and never once felt uncomfortable. I will continue to have counselling as it has helped me so much. A big thank you to you all”

“I am grateful for the assistance I received through counselling. I feel as if a weight has been lifted off me, and I’m able to connect with myself and others more. I now feel that I have the tools to understand myself and manage future stressful situations.”

“It has made me more confident in the way my brain works, and I’m able to understand and name the emotions I am feeling and comfortably communicate those with my partner and support network. People around me no longer have to guess what’s going on and are able to understand now why I process and feel the way I do, and why I do things the way I do. It’s made my relationships stronger.”

“The ability to become more self-aware, prioritise positive relationships and cope with reflecting on pain and difficulties from the past and present. I have a better relationship with myself, and this has improved family relationships too.”

“It has allowed me to deal with my childhood and has given me an understanding of my own feelings and that they matter as much as everyone else’s. I now think about what I need as well as what everyone around needs, and if it hurts me by putting them first, I don’t.”

“It has given me a sense of consistency of support that I have really needed for my mental health. It has really helped being able to talk honestly in a safe place when I have felt alone. Without it, I would have struggled so much more with my emotions and thoughts. And now I have a better understanding of where my struggles began, so I can keep working on them from there.”

“It has changed my view of myself quite fundamentally – and given me a sense of self-worth. I am only 12 weeks in, but I see that once I have processed what it means for me, it will also have beneficial impacts on my relationships with others. A huge thank you to all of you running an invaluable service.”

“It has helped me to share my thoughts and feelings in a way without the fears of overwhelming friends and family. It has freed me up to be more spontaneous and confident with others, and lightened my mood.”

“I was having a very difficult time at work, and the sessions helped me talk through the situation, to help me validate what I was experiencing was real and not just a ‘figment of my imagination’. It was useful to talk to a neutral person who wasn’t a family member or friend.”

“I have had an opportunity to thoroughly explore specific issues in my life, and this has left me and my family feeling happier. It was a very comfortable and helpful experience, and I will have no hesitation about seeking further counselling in the future, if needed.”

“Given me time to be heard and work through my feelings and have them validated.”

“The process has been life-changing. I now know what I need to do to keep myself healthy. I am no longer tearful and afraid. I am really hopeful for the future and am now making plans to travel next year. I have a greater sense of individuality and self. I now feel confident accessing support in the future if I need it.”

“It’s been vital in helping me carve out time for myself to process what’s been going on and reset myself and my week”

“It has changed my life completely. It took me 10 years to seek help and guidance, and is the best thing I did for myself. I cannot thank Octavia enough.”

“Since I have been having regular counselling sessions, I have been able to come to terms with life events, deal with the emotional difficulties, and my self-confidence has grown. I’m no longer brushed under the carpet; I have a voice and an opinion, which I now have the ability to use. My counsellor was amazing, she really helped me find myself and who I am. I’m still learning, but compared to where we started, I know a lot more about myself. So many aspects to my life, and with counselling, I learnt how to cope and understand them and why I felt them. I can’t thank my counsellor enough for the help she has provided me with, but I will have her on my shoulder during any difficult times ahead.”

“It has helped me look straight in the eye issues and events too painful to address on my own or with a layman. This has cleared obstacles to my health, wealth and happiness. I am now more confident about speaking up, accessing further practical help to get back to work, get fit and build an emotional wellbeing toolkit. I have been able to take up relationships with friends and family in a far more positive and assertive way. I am now planning to write, speak and campaign about women’s issues and serial assault. I can do this more safely knowing that I have defused much of the distress and dire need I felt before counselling. Thank you more than I can say.”

“Counselling has changed my life for the better. It has removed blocks, behaviours and patterns I didn’t even know I had. It has allowed me to process and understand past trauma, and come to terms in a safe way with all that has happened. It has made my relationship with my partner stronger, and my ability to handle stressful situations in a much better manner. It has allowed me to put myself first and see what is really important in life. I’m not really sure there are enough words in the dictionary to describe how grateful I am to GCS and Natalie, my counsellor, for the impact the last 6 months have had on my life.”

“It’s had such a positive impact on me, my life and how I’m managing things.”

“It has made me look at things differently and more positively. I feel better being able to have offloaded some of my feelings and anxieties.”

“It has got me out of a real ‘rut’, helped me to work through the past traumas that were stopping me from moving forward, and negatively impacting my view of myself. I have gained a lightness which was not there before, and a confidence in myself and greater self-esteem. It has, quite honestly, changed my life.”

“Thank you to all concerned. Although I cannot say my dark spells are over. It was lovely to talk to a really understanding person and feel that I am normal and maybe expecting too much of myself.”

“I feel more at peace and more confident in my ability day to day.”

“My sessions with Joe were of great benefit to me. Joe had the patience and understanding to hear what I needed to get out and gave me a safe space to get it all out.”

“I found the service invaluable in helping me navigate a really tough time in my life and subsequently exploring underlying factors that affect my thought processes and behaviours. My counsellor, Roisin, was always understanding and helped me immensely in exploring whatever I brought to the table.“

“I’m very thankful for my sessions with Natalie. She’s helped me to understand a lot about ‘why’ .. I started off feeling ‘stuck’. Natalie helped me come to a place where I can move forward. Great Counsellor, great service! Thankyou.“

“Counselling has really helped me with anger/rage following the death of my Mother. I feel in control now. Ultimately, this will be better for Family & Friends.“

“I feel less blown about by the wind of life. I am more sure of myself, of who I am becoming and of the relationships I want in my life. I listen to myself, I am not afraid to be me or to make choices and decisions which others may not approve of. Clementine accepted me, and so I have learned to do the same. I realise the shallow depth of many of my relationships, and while accepting these relationships for the way they are, I hope to also move on and connect more meaningfully with new people. I don’t feel as fearful or as desperate to find answers; it’s ok to rock up each day and count my blessings.“

“Made me feel safe and not alone with thoughts in my mind. Able to feel more confident with how I approach scenarios. Made me feel like I can do things myself without worrying all the time.“

“I have realised a lot of past experiences were not my fault, and able to now focus on the present. I am able to set boundaries, and am starting to prioritise myself and my needs.“

“Its helped me be more open with my family & now I know what I’m feeling is normal. Which was a great relief.“

“Having that calm, safe, comfortable space and being seen, listened to and cared for gave me strength at a difficult time and more understanding of what I was going through.“

“I blamed myself for what had happened to me, and I know now it was not my fault.”

“I am now a more positive person, and I find I am a better person to be around. I have learnt valuable skills to help deal with anxiety issues I have. I can’t thank Joe enough for everything he did for me.”

“Excellent – flexible when needed, affordable, superb quality of care, I understand myself much better, which has improved my experience of my relationships.“

“Just wanted to say thank you, this feels like the start of a very big positive change in my life, and Abbie was so understanding, compassionate and present. After a long time of stumbling my way through services that didn’t help me, Abbie was the first MH professional who guided me well enough to validate me whilst gently correcting any self-damaging behaviours, and she has empowered me to look forward to my future with confidence and curiosity. I am immensely grateful for the help that GCS and Abbie have given me.“

“I have such a better understanding of myself and my background and how I can respect myself and my support network with clear boundaries and an open mind. I understand my partner and my parents, and feel infinitely closer to them since I started counselling. My work life has improved, and I feel like I’m taking steps to manage a lack of emotion/trauma-related symptoms that I didn’t have the emotional awareness to tackle before this. I know it’s a journey, but this has been the most confident I’ve felt in my life so far to be able to continue on and forge my own way, knowing myself better.“

“I feel able to be me. Family have seen a positive impact as well.“

“Pete was a really good counsellor, and I felt that he helped me through many ups and downs. I have already recommended GCS to others through my job.“

“Elena has gotten to the root cause of my challenges very, very quickly, and it literally solved my biggest issue within a few days, and any further sessions kept helping more and more. I’ve felt in very good hands with her. Such an eye opener, how she figured out something that I could not see. She’s a Sherlock Holmes in the best possible way. Very, very grateful.“

“Thank you very much for the amazing service and support.“

“I’m very grateful I got to work with such a compassionate and understanding person.“

“I feel as if a weight has been lifted because I was able to talk about the things I needed.“

“Counselling allowed me to express my thoughts and feelings about my life, past, present, and future in a really calm and judgement-free area. I was able to make big and difficult decisions that have had huge effects on my life, and I know I had someone there to help me without directing me or having a biased opinion. Very close individuals around me saw improvements in my mood and anxiety as well. Overall, counselling had a very positive impact on my life both personally and for those around me.“

“Someone was interested and understood. My friends are great, but I felt I had offloaded on them enough! I think my family were very happy that this kind service was available for me.“

“It sounds dramatic, but I feel as though I was saved from myself. If I hadn’t accessed the service, I don’t know where I would be today. The guidance I received taught me to not be so hard on myself, relax, and be kind to myself. It’s ok to not be 100 percent everyday ,and there are always good and bad days. Learning to accept and acknowledge that it’s okay to be me. I’m so much happier and in a better place mentally, which has given me confidence again, directly impacting my family, work life and colleagues.“

“Leila was so helpful, listening and understanding the person I was when I didn’t understand myself.“

“I’m very grateful I got to work with such a compassionate and understanding person.“

“Counselling helped me to untangle some deep-rooted knots of my own psyche over the years I was meeting with my counsellor. I grew to be more rounded and confident.“

“As an adult survivor of childhood abuse, who has never had professional support or counselling, the service I received, and particularly the fully funded 12-week course, was incredibly invaluable. I am grateful to Sarah and GCS for the opportunity.“

“Sarah provided a warm, professional and constructive therapeutic space, and helped me to work through and process difficult memories and emotions (some for the first time ever), whilst creating a non-judgmental working partnership. Sarah was able to reframe and reflect my own thoughts and emotions back to me, helping me to work through challenges and find answers myself. As a survivor of abuse with no prior experience of counselling, I did find the process of talking to someone for the first time a challenge. However, Sarah was able to help me to break down barriers, and I left the sessions feeling more empowered with a renewed sense of self-confidence and more positive about my future. I have since repaired relationships with close family members, set boundaries for others and goals for myself.“

“Counselling has had a significant positive impact on my ability to cope at a time when everything in my life felt hopeless. I have learnt so much about myself and have gained self-care skills that I can use moving forward.“

“I cannot thank you enough for fully funding my counselling for such a long period of time and then agreeing to let me pay a very reduced fee of £5.00 until recently. I would not have been able to access counselling without this financial support, and I have appreciated it so much.“

“I have learnt to listen to my feelings and deal with things head on rather than bury them and letting them fester. I have made peace with several things in my past, emotional trauma, family feuds and friends’ passing. Emotionally, I am more stable and have a more positive outlook on life.“

“It has helped me manage my feelings in certain situations and enabled me to find strategies when I know something is going to make me upset. I have been able to consider my feelings in a rational way alongside understanding the feelings of people around me.“

“Service was excellent, counsellor was excellent. Had time to listen and made me feel rather comfortable in sharing my story thoroughly, due to the great deal of confidentiality. Lisa is/was just amazing.“

“The sessions have given me insight into what anger is and how to deal extensively with it. What boundaries are and how to know when to say enough is enough, etc.“

“When I contacted you, I was in a bad place, but my counsellor gave me the space and time to work through my problems. She was amazing. It has made me able to face the future.“

“I feel so much lighter within myself. I’ve been able to speak up about past trauma and experiences that I’ve never voiced out loud before. For once in my life, I felt safe and listened to. It was an amazing experience, and it has really helped me process my emotions and how to work on myself.“

“Invaluable support, understanding which has helped me to cope with all that life has thrown, and continues to throw at me. To be heard, held, supported, and encouraged by my therapist has helped me to manage all the stresses in my life and to continue supporting my son with MH problems and my husband. Without this ongoing long term support, I would have collapsed many times and been unable to carry on, and support the vulnerable people in my family. I have learned strategies to help me cope and endure long-term high levels of stress, to manage working, caring and the decline in my own physical health.“