Individual Testimonials

“I found it very easy to form an initial relationship with David. I liked his open and structured approach, and subsequent sessions have proved invaluable in dealing with my personal problems. David has managed to put problems that had frustrated me for years into perspective and I was given sound practical advice, which I have since used to good effect. Everyone’s problems are different, but in my case, I found the counselling of great benefit and on that basis I would highly recommend David’s services.” John M.

“If you’re in a place where you don’t know where to go, then the one thing I couldn’t recommend highly enough is that you go to see David. His ability to listen and contribute constructively is invaluable. I began in a bizarre way to look forward to our sessions and learnt an immense amount and my relationship with my family has improved beyond belief. David has left me with increased communications skills, confidence and self belief. Thank you.” David S.

“My experience with David was extremely positive. His welcoming attitude and room, followed by the professional help provided, was priceless to me and I now look to the future with a smile.” Penny H.

“After some changes in my personal and work life, I contacted David. I was very nervous at first as I had never spoken to a counsellor before. David’s friendly and relaxed manner put me at ease straightaway. After discussing my thoughts on a number of subjects, David offered practical advice to help me positively move forward with my life. David’s approach was like having an open and honest conversation with a non-judgemental friend who would happily provide support. I would recommend David to anyone who might be facing a stressful or difficult time in their life.” Alan G.

“I first went to see David during an emotionally challenging time in both my professional and private life. David’s kind and warm demeanour allowed and gave to me the confidence and assurance to open up about issues that I had never previously been able to discuss. I cannot thank David enough for his support throughout this difficult time that has allowed me to look forward to my future with a positive outlook that I never thought possible before.” Tom R.

“On first meeting David, I described my mind as a tangled mess. Having relationship problems, hindered by long-standing life issues, I was at a loss. With his kind, understanding and most importantly non-judgemental approach, I have learnt to deal with my emotions and problems in a more rational manner. It has been a difficult and painful journey, still ongoing. But no longer feeling worthless and having a more positive outlook, I feel able and strong enough to cope with my fears. Thank you, David”. Jane B.

“I want to thank you David from the heart for your patience and understanding and listening to me each week. Our meetings were very beneficial to me mentally and I think without them I would have fell apart. I no longer have silly thoughts about calling it a day and life goes on and you have helped me through that David. I will always be grateful to you David.” Tony M.

“I often thought counselling was not for me. It’s surprising how quickly you can get bogged down with your feelings but since attending David’s sessions, it has made me realise just how valuable his service really is. I now feel that I can deal with problems in a more productive manner.” Ian I.

“Thanks to my counselling, I have managed to overcome my emotional problems in a way that I can deal with them . This means that I can now focus more on the future and am feeling less stressed and more healthier. Thank you David!” Sam F.

“Previous to my counselling sessions with David, I’d spent years trying to deal with low esteem and extreme lack of confidence. David is very easy to talk to. He allowed me all the time I needed without ever judging me. We talked through the times in my past, particularly from my childhood, which had greatly influenced my feelings of being useless and not worthy of having an opinion. He asked me how I felt at the time when I told him about incidents in my life, my relationships with relatives, friends and colleagues and we would then talk things through. Often this would be quite painful and distressing but with David’s caring attitude and good listening skills, along with his non-judgemental explanations, I began to feel stronger.
He offered reading material and particular books which he thought I may find useful. At the end of each session David would give me “homework”. This I found really beneficial as I could continue to think things through more fully and allowed me to put into practice what we had discussed. At the beginning of the following session David would ask how I was and encouraged me to tell him about my life. But at no time did I ever feel pressured to do anything I didn’t feel I wanted to do.
At work I began to realise that I felt more confident. Situations, that previously I would have found really daunting, I dealt with professionally and calmly. Even when faced with unexpected tasks, I coped without feeling unduly flustered. I have joined in with activities that, in the past, I wouldn’t have considered and would have made an excuse so that I didn’t have to take part.
I have found David Woodward’s counselling sessions very rewarding. His skills, thought provoking explanations and descriptions, along with his naturally genuinely, caring personality has instilled in me the necessary coping mechanisms I needed and that I can continue to use and build on in the future.” J.

“Through the talks we had, you’ve given me better insight into my thinking patterns and my behaviour and I believe you’ve given me a better chance of making better decisions in the future by making me have a better understanding of my behaviour. Thank you for everything. God bless you. I learned a lot from you.” Ben F.

“I was experiencing my second bout of depression early in 2009; as per a lot of people I had doubts about counselling. I felt it was too American, being somehow a fringe science at best and initially resisted advice from my Doctor and family to give it a try. My family and friends at this time were suffering the full down side of my depression, as I was moody, sullen, argumentative and a general pain in the bum. It was my daughters, who I love very much and am eternally grateful to, that finally made me see sense and make the first appointment to see David.
During the first meeting with David, I still harboured all my initial doubts re the usefulness of counselling. However, within a short time, we established a rapport and I found we could talk easily about anything. During this time we established a few basic elements of my depression talking briefly about good and bad thought processes. I was quite sorry when David said we had run over our time, as I was re-evaluating my misgivings with the counselling philosophy.
I met with David on a weekly basis during which time we talked at length over problems I was having with work and home life. Throughout he was my rock; we could talk about anything and everything. He had many ‘tools’ that were invaluable to overcoming my depression.
Soon life and relationships started to improve so much that I could resume work on a phased return – building my hours up over the weeks. My Doctor had told me I would know when I would be ready to return to work but without David’s help and family support, it would have been a lot longer in coming.
I am a convert. I no longer call it psychobabble and I wholeheartedly recommend that anyone with depression or relationship problems should visit a counsellor. I can highly recommend David Woodward as an excellent example of one. Yes, you can talk to David about anything. He is never shocked and does his utmost to help.” John H.