"How BTT changed my life"

I’ve been battling PTSD for quite some time now, and after seeing multiple therapists and not getting anywhere, I finally reached out to Bedfordshire Talking Therapies.

My symptoms had completely taken over my life. I was plagued by flashbacks, nightmares, and intrusive thoughts. I had adapted my life around my beliefs about myself and my trauma, and it ended up leading to a life of loneliness, anxiety, people-pleasing, and severe avoidance. After 24 years of this behaviour, I was even more drained. My beliefs and people-pleasing continued to cause fractured relationships, and I barely managed to survive outside of my bed after all those traumatic events.

But then, I contacted BTT, and I was paired with Chris. The sessions started off tough, and it took a lot of courage for me to open up and deal with my trauma. But Chris made it incredibly comfortable and created a safe environment for me. I never felt judged, and he always validated how I felt. When things got heavy with emotions, he had a way to bring me peace. He genuinely cared about me and felt like he was always there for me.

After the first memory that was targeted, I felt a shift in my life. I noticed my anxiety, flashbacks and nightmares decreasing. The next session brought more painful memories that I didn’t even think about that were affecting me, but again, with Chris’s help, those memories started to be processed, and I felt a change again after many sessions of processing trauma using EMDR.

After all those sessions, I could see a change of absolutely no flashbacks or nightmares. I started seeing myself changing old habits without even thinking about it twice. I’ve also learned to not take blame for others and their actions, to not be scared to live my life, to be kind to myself, and to set healthy boundaries to protect myself.

24 years after my first traumatic experience, I have my life back, and that’s all thanks to Chris and Bedford Talking Therapy. I will always be grateful for the impact Chris had in my life and the care he showed me.

Whoever is reading this, I want to encourage you not to let life hold you back from getting help. Take a deep breath, step out of your comfort zone, and reach out for the help you deserve. You’ve got this!