Recently one of my clients who has now recovered from OCD, obsessive compulsive disorder, wrote some lovely feedback for me, which we would like to share. One of the factors in making the decision to have CBT for this client came from reading other peoples stories and experiences on a range of sites, one of which I often recommend for people looking for additional support and information which is http://www.ocdaction.org.uk
So I hope by sharing this experience of CBT and recovery others may also be inspired to seek support so you can live your life to the full.
“From the beginning, Sarah was open and honest about what my sessions would involve and how they would aim to help me. As a result, I knew what to expect throughout which aided my progress.
Each session was structured to build on my individual progress from the previous week. As a result, I felt that I had a great deal of support and that any concerns or questions I had could be discussed to help me move forwards.
After each session I was clear about what I needed to work on before my next session to help me keep moving forwards.
I feel that my overall therapy experience was an extremely positive one. My past experiences of therapy had been negative and I was uncertain whether I could find someone I could trust enough to help. After initially emailing Sarah, her responses really made me feel that she cared about my individual situation and that it wasn’t a hopeless one.
Having previously been told OCD was something I would never get rid of, Sarah gave me hope that this didn’t have to be the case. From the beginning, Sarah was open and honest about what my therapy would involve and so I was never under the impression that there was a ‘magic fix.’ This helped my progress as I never had unrealistic goals.
Throughout my therapy experience I felt comfortable speaking to Sarah which I had never felt with previous therapists. Sarah spoke to me like a ‘normal’ human being; I never felt judged by her or that she was belittling me by sympathising all the time. Sarah has a genuine and objective understanding of my condition; which lead me to feeling that I deserved to get better.
Sarah was always open to listening and to answering any questions I had, even in between sessions. Whenever I was unsure whether I was doing the right thing, or if I felt I had lost my way, Sarah always managed to pick me up by giving me support and reminding me of the progress I was making. I have come away with a deeper knowledge and understanding of OCD, how it works and what I need to do to continue to weaken it to practically non-existence. I still have some way to go but for the first time in over 20 years I finally feel like I have my life back. I now notice a lot more of what is going on around me and am beginning to ‘feel’ what it’s like to live without the constant interruptions of OCD. I can’t thank Sarah enough; I couldn’t have done it without her.”