Choking. Drowning. Lost. Exhausted from the struggle of trying to stay afloat. Waves of shame and confusion crashing overhead, dragging me ever downward, tumbling further into the darkness of despair. This is how I felt when, in desperation, I decided to reach out for help. I sat at my computer and started searching for a counsellor or a life-coach, and that’s when I stumbled across Antonia’s website. I was immediately drawn to her warm smile and the words that she used to describe what she does: words like kindness, compassion, integrity, authenticity, connectedness. I immediately decided to contact her, and I can honestly say it was the best decision I made. I have been seeing her for over a year now, and her support has been truly life-changing.
Antonia is extremely gifted at what she does. Her ability to listen and hold information is extraordinary. She has helped me to make sense of so many seemingly separate things, making connections and bringing meaning and value to all the various parts of myself and my story. She has taught me to appreciate and accept that ALL parts of myself have their place and a job to do, even if this job is now outdated and no longer useful. She has helped me to understand that each part, each behaviour or habit was, in the past, or still is in the present, simply an attempt at comfort, self-protection or self-expression.This understanding has brought me an enormous sense of peace and calm; I can give up the ‘struggle’ or the ‘fight’ to rid myself of anything. I don’t need to diminish or obliterate parts of my character or work hard to make changes to become a ‘better’ person. But rather, Antonia has taught me to listen and be curious, and to be a compassionate caretaker of all of these parts of myself.
In particular, I have loved the creative way that Antonia works. She uses a wide range of techniques to move this work away from a purely intellectual exercise into a much more meaningful level, using imagination, colour, symbolism, and movement. This has helped me to connect with my long-lost friend: my body, and feel anchored within my limbs, my organs, my cells! One central theme we have worked on has been to develop my self-parenting, to create a loving, caring and dependable internal resource. The image I found to symbolise this was an enormous pair of colourful butterfly wings growing from my back, constantly there to protect me, to ground me, and to help me to connect with the beauty of life, of others, and within myself.
It’s hard to summarise in a few sentences what working with Antonia has done for me. All I can say is, I am a calmer, more content and a more confident person for having met her. I feel more resourced and able to face life, with all of its twists and turns, believing that I will cope, and even better, I will THRIVE. Thank you Antonia, simply for being you.