Testimonials From Families

“Trust is a crucial part of any relationship and when relationships with our adopted teenage daughter reached breaking point, we knew we had to do something. Our social worker put us in touch with David and from the first meeting we instinctively knew he was someone we could trust. More importantly, our daughter trusted him and this was something that she has not been able to do with any other therapist in the past.
We see David fortnightly as a family and he has not only enabled us to talk openly about our hurts and difficulties but he has also given us the practical tools to try and communicate better outside of the counselling room. David’s own experience of complex couple and family relationships gives him a unique understanding; he has an empathetic approach and our children instinctively open up to him, sometimes even quoting him in between sessions. The mantra in our family has become….”David said….”
We are still a work in progress but we move forward with confidence knowing that we have David’s expertise, wisdom and support.” Lorna S.

“We felt like a broken family when we first came to David for help. The relationship with our eldest son Mark (aged 11) was under immense strain and we were all emotionally exhausted. Mark finally accepted that we all needed some help, recognised we had reached breaking point and really wanted to try and change. The majority of our sessions with David have been jointly with myself and Mark. Through David’s own experiences, openness, warmth and insight we both felt able to talk freely and honestly and I didn’t feel embarassed depleting his tissue supply either! From the very first session Mark felt comfortable with David and we both felt that he was someone who could help us ‘mend’ our family.
David has given Mark practical ‘anger management’ tools and has also helped him understand the effects his behaviour had on us all and the potential consequences for his future. Mark has really took on board the advice and coping skills David has given him. We have never felt that David was judging us, taking sides or preaching at us. We have also had a few Family counselling sessions where all four of us have been free to talk openly with each other and David has helped us listen to each other in a way we wouldn’t make time for otherwise. Six months down the line, we are a completely different family! Mark has learnt how to manage his feelings and is overall a much happier kid. We are all gradually repairing our relationship and being the family that we had always hoped we could be. We relax, laugh and have fun together (with the occasional rubbish day that any family has!). We have achieved so much as a family and Mark has matured and learnt some invaluable life skills – none of which we could have done without David’s help and support.” Hayley C.