Key to You Counselling- Katrina Young Medical Services in Bristol, Stoke Gifford

Reviews

1. Shayne B ★★★★★

   Katrina and I worked together for 490 days across 46 sessions. I started my journey to gain clarity about a decision I had to make about taking a new job. I recall achieving my original goal of regaining clarity around taking the new job pretty early into our sessions. But there was so much more I had to discover about myself. The decision to take the job such a small part of my life but at the time, it seemed so overwhelming! It felt like that decision would upset the entire balance of my life. What we quickly discovered is I had no balance in my life whatsoever. I gave myself no time to rest, worked more hours than I needed to and was very hard on myself. At first, it seemed like this would be a breeze because it felt like the actions I had to take to regain clarity were simple: give myself the time to rest, don't work more hours than there are in the day and give myself some kindness. Putting those things into practice was anything but simple. The confusion and misery I felt at my place in the world blinded me to the impact of my own actions on those closest to me. I felt a great deal of shame but could only express it instead of accepting and forgiving myself. Whilst working with Katrina, I confronted the deep seated beliefs and habits I had. Namely, the shame I held onto from my past and how that affected my thoughts and feelings about my future. I felt stuck and alone. By talking through shame that filled me with guilt and apprehension, I was able to give it less power. This was only possibly by first accepting that I had no trust in my decision making, accountability and self-regulation. Put simply, I did not trust myself. Katrina drew these conclusions from me that left me feeling emotionally raw in our sessions. But she would always guide me towards considering small and manageable actions to adjust my mindset. One brilliant method was to eliminate the negative thoughts about myself I had grown up with childhood by acknowledging my achievements. This finally made the things I had done in my life feel so special to me. The patience and empathy Katrina gave me allowed me to grow from reactive actions to proactive decisions. The best example of this was in my decision to step back from a long-term volunteering role after almost a decade. This is something that had given me so much joy for so long. However, I felt it had come at the detriment of my long-term fulfilment. Yet I kept going out of obligation to the beneficiaries of my volunteering. In understanding the importance of self-love, I recognised that letting go would give me the opportunity to practice caring for myself. Something I had not done ever. It was a hard 490 days where present life events clashed with past wounds to create more shame and guilt. Yet Katrina was always supportive of my journey and gave me the space to explore these feelings. It let me see for myself how the fear, shame and guilt could no longer control me. Katrina usually ended our sessions with a fantastic question: "what can I leave you with?". I leave this review with a simple message: progress isn't linear. There still days where being accountable to self-love feels incredibly alien. Yet I have so much more trust in myself be kinder to myself than I did 490 days ago. I cannot recommend Katrina highly enough.

   almost 7 months ago
2. David Potts ★★★★★

   Katrina has been an amazing counsellor, she really helped me get through the hardest time of my life. She has helped me process all of the difficulties I have had in the past and given me the ability to deal with all of life's challenges moving forward. I couldn't recommend her enough

   1 year ago
3. Emma Leighton-Carey ★★★★★

   I worked with Katrina for around 10 months and the journey has been incredible! I felt comfortable speaking openly with Katrina from the start, and felt supported throughout my journey. It is really clear that she stays up to date with her research/learning too, as she took the time to explain different methods and theories to me, so I always felt I was working with someone professional and knowledgeable. I would highly recommend Katrina and Key to You Counselling!

   1 year ago

1. adam jackson ★★★★★

   Katrina is lovely. She helped me immensely during our time together. I felt, in every session, that she was invested in me and my situation and I felt safe and heard throughout. Thank you.

   1 year ago
2. Iain Stewart ★★★★★

   Katrina has created a space in which I feel free to open up about personal issues-this does not come easily to me and has been a revelation. Openness, honesty, disclosure, making connections previously not considered and in an atmosphere of trust, finding aspects of myself I didn't know existed, all leading to: I don't know where yet. The talking therapy has been of great benefit to me and I'm glad I ventured into counselling.

   almost 3 years ago
3. delvo76 ★★★★★

   Changed my life immeasurably for the better. Very impressive counsellor

   almost 3 years ago

1. Hannah Booth ★★★★★

   Katrina has been amazing to work with. She's calm, empathetic and really focused on what i need. Would 100% recommend working with her.

   almost 3 years ago
2. simrann paul ★★★★★

   Katrina is an incredibly talented individual. I could not recommend her service enough, she is an extremely patient and trusting individual who will always provide a non judgemental environment for you. Having been with Katrina for 8 months I can categorically say her sessions have definitely helped my personal development.

   almost 3 years ago

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