One client’s story is an amazing example of someone finding freedom from their past. She was sexually abused as a child, raised by parents who had also been abused and a mother who was an alcoholic. The result was that she didn’t trust anyone and everything about the world hurt. She hated herself and constantly wished for death. But within her family she was the ‘fixer’. The stress and anxiety caused a range of physical problems: excessive perspiration, vomiting in the morning, back and neck pain, irritable bowel syndrome and restless legs at night. She used work, alcohol and marijuana to block the pain and on one occasion attempted suicide.

In the end she was unable to work and sought help from VisionWest Counselling Centre. After working with one of our counsellors she says: “I no longer hate myself. I no longer feel the need for drugs and alcohol. I am not afraid anymore and it is a huge relief to be free of all the body pain. I am free from the past and look forward to the future.”

This is one woman’s story of the extraordinary difference regular counselling can have in helping move from despair and difficulties to relief and freedom to enjoy and participate in life to the fullest. VisionWest’s team of counsellors are all passionate about seeing people set free and find hope and transformation in their lives. They are all qualified, trained professionals. As people of faith they understand we are all on a journey and therefore see their role as facilitators of change, not ‘people fixers’. Their desire is to journey with people.