Become your own anchor — even when the ground slips from under your feet

What she wanted: to get rid of anxiety and have fewer “something is wrong with me” thoughts. E. messaged me on Instagram, and at the initial consultation she told me about the generalized anxiety disorder she had been diagnosed with in 2020, and that she had been on medication ever since.

After 13 sessions:

— she felt well and stopped taking antidepressants
— learned to help her anxiety subside instead of amplifying it
— stopped fearing the future and worrying she'd do something wrong
— learned not to get pulled into intrusive thoughts — they became far less frequent
— became more open with her husband, started setting boundaries, and their relationship improved
— felt feminine and sexy again, and it showed in her style
— began to feel like an adult, able to meet her own needs
— joy and pleasure came back into her life

We worked with past episodes of panic attacks and with her fears of going crazy and of harming herself or her loved ones. E. worked through toxic guilt and shame, the habit of being a “good girl”, and a sense of being flawed.

She came to me because she:

— couldn't speak in public because of fear
— was afraid of her panic attacks coming back

After 6 sessions:

— she started taking part in online programs as a guest speaker
— began recording lectures for her own products
— spoke in public 9 months after finishing therapy
— found it easier to connect with people
— learned to support herself and rely on herself
— gained more connection with her body and a sense that she can be herself, and that it's safe

We “defused” her past experience of panic attacks, the toxic shame that had followed A. all her life, and beliefs like “I must” and “I must be perfect”. We also worked on separation from her mother and on her inner critic — A. found new, healthier ways of communicating and behaving with people from an adult position.

What she came with: back pain that doctors couldn't find a cause for; pain and guilt around her mother's death; self-doubt and difficulties dealing with people.

Results after 25 sessions:

— after 3 sessions “about the back”, Yu. felt calmer — when pain came up during exercise, she now knew when to stop
— allowed herself to live fully after her mother's death and let go of the heavy emotional weight she had carried for the past 2 years
— became more self-confident and able to rely on herself even in highly stressful situations
— left a partnership to start her own independent project, and already has a waiting list of carefully selected clients

Methods: CBT and EMDR

What she came with: fear of public speaking — whenever she had to speak or talk about herself, her body froze. Her breathing faltered, her chest tightened, she wanted to run away.

Results after 5 sessions:

— the strong physical tension before speaking eased: no more tight chest or knotted stomach, breathing became easier
— after just 3 sessions she noticed her anxiety had dropped by about 50%
— she spoke calmly in front of an audience and could stay with all eyes on her without wanting to “run away”
— learned to come back into her body and steady herself even when very nervous
— stopped treating mistakes as a catastrophe and began to feel more confident
— the feeling that “being seen is dangerous” disappeared
— months later the results hold: she continues to speak calmly in public

Methods: EMDR and IFS

What she wanted:

— to learn to be happy
— to cope with doubts and live in the moment without sinking into the past
— ease in her relationship with her partner

After 10 sessions: she felt more confident overall and as a future mother, having explored the theme of motherhood and her experience with her own mother; she processed the fear of being abandoned and unwanted that stemmed from her relationships with her father and sister; she accepted and let go of a traumatic first marriage and the way it ended; she learned to stay more in the present without sinking into the past when difficult emotions came up; and she gained new tools for calmer interactions in her relationship and with her husband's family.

What worried her: relationships with men weren't working out, and she was afraid of being alone forever.

After 37 sessions: she moved to a new, better-paid job in a different field; began showing her emotions and vulnerability, feeling supported from within and confident in herself; let go of a friend with whom she'd had an undefined relationship for several years; and moved in with her new boyfriend — they've been together for six months now.

We worked with her teenage experiences of rejection and the feeling that something was wrong with her. We restored the sense of safety that had been shaken in childhood by various events, a physical injury, and situations with her sister. We worked with her habit of not expressing emotions — S. learned to build a new kind of relationship, as equals.

What she came with: anxiety about her health and wellbeing, panic attacks; a missed miscarriage six months earlier and thoughts that “I'm not a complete woman”.

Results after 17 sessions:

— her fear of death went away and her overall anxiety decreased
— she stopped feeling the constant shame and guilt she'd known since childhood
— relies on herself more and trusts her own opinion
— came to terms with the loss of her baby and became pregnant again
— separated her own relationship from her parents' relationship and began to trust her partner more
— began separating from her parents and building a relationship with them as an adult daughter
— found a profession that energizes her and started studying
— notices her body's needs and takes care of them

Methods: CBT, EMDR, systemic therapy, hypnotherapy

What she came with: doubts about whether to stay in a relationship where she felt manipulated and unheard; a recent trauma of physical violence (not by her partner).

Results after 6 sessions:

— after the initial consultation, N. secured her physical safety and had her injuries officially documented
— processed and let go of the episode of physical violence, the shame, guilt and fear of it happening again
— left the codependent relationship and worked through her fears about the future (that he would hurt her, of being alone)
— strengthened her sense of her own strength and of “I can handle this”

Methods: EMDR, Somatic Experiencing, hypnotherapy

What she came with: “I can't see a future, panic, fear”; she didn't feel well outside her home and couldn't use public transport; she felt unneeded and guilty towards everyone for her condition.

Results after 5 sessions:

— in the 3rd session she said, “I'm 80% myself again”, and the anxiety was gone
— worked through her resentment towards people around her, past and present (a case where past experience was overlaying the present)
— learned to take on exactly as much responsibility as she could handle, leaving others their share
— felt safe again
— coped more easily with current difficulties and started riding public transport and going for walks again
— let go of irrational guilt and felt her own worth

Methods: EMDR, Somatic Experiencing, CBT, hypnotherapy

What he came with: “I want to write posts that resonate with people and get them interested.” We clarified how he would know our work had helped: “Then I'll get 30+ likes, 10+ comments and 500+ views” — at the time he had up to 20 likes, and views never went above 300.

Result: a single 30-minute hypnosis session — we worked with his creative part: inspiration and ease in writing.

Two days later S. sent the first screenshot: 30, 4 and 568 respectively. A week later, another new post — 27, 18 and 1K! He says with a smile that writing posts has become easy.

What she came with: she had lost her sense of safety because of various life events, including a move; she felt afraid when it got dark and generally avoided being out in the evenings; sudden waves of fear at work “for no reason”.

Results after 10 sessions:

— processed the main negative episodes from her past and began to feel safe even outside in the evening
— found it easier to handle stressful situations in the present
— along with her new calm, she gained more energy
— she gets more done and shows up more vibrantly at work and in her personal life

Methods: EMDR, Somatic Experiencing, CBT, hypnotherapy

What she came with: A.'s husband had died tragically 10 years earlier; she still felt guilty and always cried when she thought of him; loneliness and a breakup with a new man — she was on the verge of depression.

Results after 5 sessions:

— she accepted that her husband's death was not her fault, and felt relief
— A. forgave herself and released her own expectations around her ex-boyfriend — the sense that she hadn't given or done enough for him
— her psychosomatic symptoms — skin rashes — went away
— feeling stronger, A. started her own company, an idea she had been nurturing for several years

Methods: EMDR, systemic therapy, hypnotherapy

What she came with: conflicts and misunderstandings with a friend frightened her; being at home felt uncomfortable because of the atmosphere; it was hard for her to tell men what she wanted.

Results after 5 sessions:

— she learned to express her emotions and needs in a healthy way that made people hear her
— found it easier to admit her mistakes
— more self-acceptance and openness
— felt ready to start dating

We worked with a root memory in which L. decided to stay silent and be accommodating; with separation from her mother, and with her sense of worthiness and self-sufficiency. We also processed her protective refusal to let herself love others and get close. L. learned new ways of resolving conflicts while preserving and strengthening her relationships with the people who matter to her.

Techniques: EMDR, CBT, IFS, systemic therapy

She came to her first session shattered. Her husband had left. Her dreams had fallen apart. “I don't even know what I want from life anymore.” In the first session E. worked on what hurt most — her husband leaving — and afterwards the tears stopped and she felt lighter.

In 5 sessions she:

— worked through the breakup
— freed herself from the feeling that “something is wrong with me”
— began building a new connection with herself and her desires
— mapped out steps and concrete actions for the coming months

Today she isn't just “holding on” — she feels alive and is taking action.