“I felt completely alone” – Katy’s story of finding hope

Katy’s Story*  

Last summer, after a series of challenging events in my personal life, I was at a very low point. I felt completely alone even though I have a family and some good friends. The problems I was facing seemed insurmountable; I felt trapped and a bit like a hamster in a wheel, running and running without getting anywhere. All my dreams and hopes had been destroyed and I was unable to see the light at the end of the tunnel.  

Friends and family members I spoke to were sympathetic, but I realised that I needed to speak to somebody who was not emotionally involved or biased in any way. I had heard about Wellspring before and decided to contact them.  

My counsellor listened – there was so much on my mind, and my situation seemed so complex and complicated that I talked most of the time. After initial apprehension, I soon started to look forward to my sessions. The atmosphere at the Wellspring house was always calm and soothing.   

I kept coming for 7 months, and when I finished, I felt I had gained some insight into my problems and that I had found a starting point from which to work on some of them. My counsellor had always insisted on making me think about my own needs, something I find very difficult to do, and this is an aspect I am still developing now. 

The only reason that I was able to afford the counselling sessions was the donation-based cost, but even then, I was struggling to keep up the payments when I realised that 6 sessions would just not be enough. My counsellor helped me to reduce my payments to the minimum, so that I was able to continue for as long as I did.  

I am very glad that I decided to do the counselling with Wellspring. I still have my problems to deal with, but I have learnt to understand more about how I react, and how I can learn to react in a different way. I feel that I have made the first step on a very long journey, and Wellspring helped me to get started. I would encourage anybody who feels they need counselling to give Wellspring a try.  

 *Name has been changed to maintain confidentiality  

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