"She helped bring me back to life!"

Over the past 7 years, I have experienced a long struggle with fertility issues, a failed IVF attempt and two successful IVF pregnancies which both ended with quite traumatic births. This all took a toll on my mental health, with it severely deteriorating soon after the birth of my second child. After visiting my GP I was referred to the Perinatal Mental Health team at Forth Valley Royal Hospital. I am so grateful for this referral and the therapy that followed.

I was thankful for the appointment however was very sceptical about how helpful it would be due to hearing/knowing about other people’s experiences of mental health care (not within the perinatal service).

Within minutes of my first appointment with Denise I just knew I was going to get the help I needed. Denise was so welcoming and had a very calming manner which helped to relax me when I was in such a debilitating state of anxiety. I saw Denise for just under a year and cannot express how amazing she was. Denise helped me understand why I am the way I am and how my hormones play a very significant role in my ability to regulate my mood. We spoke through previous experiences and different scenarios and she gave me strategies to help me deal with the more challenging parts of my personality. Denise walked me through the toughest years of my life, enabled me to process everything I have experienced - physically, mentally and emotionally. She did this with great compassion, understanding and care. There was never any judgement and I knew I could be completely honest during our appointments. All of this has allowed me to accept everything that has happened and think more positively about my long journey to becoming a parent.

Most importantly to me, Denise helped bring me back to life! I was a complete shell of myself when I first met her and over time I could feel myself returning to the person I used to be, actually an even better version of that person! I truly believe I was only able to achieve this because Denise is so good at what she does. For this, I will be forever grateful.