The names have been changed to protect client’s confidentiality.
When I reached out to Natalie, I was going through a period of rethinking what I wanted to do with my life, having left my job. This was causing me a lot of anxiety and stress – I was overwhelmed by the options and a feeling that whatever I chose wouldn’t be the best choice.
I had about 7 sessions with Natalie over roughly two months. I really liked the fact that from the outset this wasn’t going to be a life-long commitment; instead it was about acquiring some tools that I could use to look after myself better. The first 3 sessions were quite tough as we started digging deep into unhealthy thought patterns and why these were occurring. After that though, the rest of the sessions sped by and they quickly became a highlight of my week: not because everything was positive, but because I felt some measure of control over how I was feeling and could see the changes happening so quickly.
Natalie is compassionate while keeping a focused view on the process. It’s a perfect combination: at those really tough points, I felt supported; when I was tempted to focus too much on the negative feelings, Natalie reframed the situation so I could move past them. She also made sure I was clear on the steps and techniques, and ensured I could apply them independently.
I think of my sessions with Natalie all the time, whether I’m in a tough professional situation or in my closest personal relationships. I feel a lot more confident in myself and my ability to handle whatever happens next. My ‘worry loops’ are shorter now and that mean voice in my head has found a much kinder, friendlier expression.
I’ve got married, moved country and changed jobs within the last year, and was able to manage the stress far, far better. Anyone who knows me has heard of Nathalie, and I encourage anyone who’s considering CBT to make that commitment. It’s probably the best thing I’ve ever done for myself.
E, Management Consultant
I’ve had health anxiety for most of my life and always assumed it was something I just had to cope with. When panic attacks started interrupting my work and relationships, I was encouraged to try CBT. I was skeptical that my in-built compulsive thinking could be undone, but I thought that even if it doesn’t work, at least all I’ve done is have a conversation.
From my first phone call with Nathalie I was astonished how well she understood the way my anxiety works. What I thought was impenetrable and complicated, to her was straightforward and logical. At times she could articulate the way I was feeling even better than I could. The sessions were a pleasant surprise. Yes, it was challenging and emotional at times, but we also spent a lot of time laughing and focusing on the positive.
Working with Nathalie has noticeably improved my day-to-day life. I now have the tools to control my anxiety instead of being controlled. Even more importantly, she has changed the way I see anxiety. She helped me see past embarrassment and fear, and the things I learned in our conversations have proved applicable in nearly all other areas of my life.
Anna, 25, Marketing
Anxiety, unhappiness and not understanding what exactly was causing it. In hindsight, I had also lost confidence in my own judgement.
Through discussion, Nathalie helped me identify what drives me. She encouraged me to embrace my emotions (rather than suppress them) and taught me how to identify what was really driving them (e.g. fear). We talked through some typical behaviour patterns I displayed and how I could avoid them. It all sounds so simple but the implications were very powerful. Our discussions often led to the subtlest shift in the way I thought about something but, which in turn, could have a disproportionate impact on how I would feel (positively!). It was amazing. I left feeling stronger, happier and more aware of my emotions and how to manage them.
The sessions felt, in part, educational and the whole process was incredibly interesting. During the sessions, I could get frustrated if I didn’t understand something or didn’t see how it applied to me but Nathalie was always patient and was happy to talk things through from multiple angles. The ‘homework’ or just a week of thinking about what we were discussing further always helped me see things clearly.
What I especially liked about working with Nathalie was that she asked me to set out what I wanted to achieve at the start. After 6 sessions it was she who read them back to me and highlighted that I had achieved them and that she no longer thought we needed the sessions.
It is great to know she is there if I ever need help in the future. I would 100% go back if I felt anxious or unhappy about something again and have shared Nathalie’s contact details with both friends and colleagues.
Just the other day I was walking down the street and thought to myself that this was the happiest and most in tune with myself I’ve felt in years. I put that entirely down to the therapy sessions I had, the clarity of thought the sessions gave me and the decisions I’ve made since. Thank you again Nathalie.
Investment Manager, 31
Having had very bad experiences with psychotherapy and psychoanalysis I had little hope when I first approached Nathalie Salaun. How wrong I was. Her straight forward and practical approach to my concerns, after the break-up of a thirty five year marriage, helped me from the very first session. Her guidance was always clear and compassionate. We also shared a lot of laughs. She brought light into my life and structure into my thinking. In what seemed to be a short time I was ready to stop my weekly online meetings with her and, far from prolonging the treatment, she was encouraging about my going on without her regular guidance, while making it quite clear that she would always be available should I feel in need of her cognitive behavioural therapy.
K.T.
I recently completed an 8 week mindfulness course. The course drew on both Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) to offer a mindfulness approach to working with difficulties both mental and physical. I already knew of both Nathalie’s and Cindy’s work; as both are highly regarded in their fields. I was aware of how incredibly fortunate we were to be able to attend their joint course.
The course was well structured, well held, and expertly guided throughout the 8 weeks and yet the atmosphere was relaxed, warm and friendly. Each week built on the previous week’s teaching and learning. All that was required from me was a commitment to the practices and the rest unfolded in quite remarkable ways.
I have come away from the course with what feels like a new set of tools to not only working with my difficulties, but a fresh approach to life which looks full of exciting possibility. I have been constantly surprised by what I have learned, and continuously inspired not only by the teachings but by the individual experiences of the group.
Nathalie, I am enormously grateful to you personally, for all your understanding and patience and great knowledge and skill that I leant upon and learned from.
D
I am so grateful to have attended Nathalie’s 8-week mindfulness course in May 2010, she is a wonderful teacher – compassionate, firm and understanding and mindfulness practice is now a very important part of my life. The drop in groups facilitated by Nathalie over the past few years have deepened my practice and I am always happily surprised at some new aspect of the practice arising from Nathalie’s kind probing and the safe, sharing atmosphere she helps create.
H, 2014
Nathalie has been instrumental in helping me to manage my anxiety. During our sessions she showed me really helpful methods to help me get my anxieties in check, methods which I am still using now, whilst also digging a little deeper to allow me to make peace with a few situations which were acting as anxiety triggers. I have read up a lot on anxiety and tried all sorts to manage it but these CBT sessions were what helped me get a real handle on it. Thank you, Nathalie!
Paul, 50
Nathalie has assisted me immensely to help me realise where my strengths and weaknesses are, and how in my personal and professional life, these issues were holding me back. I am now able to independently and confidently make the right choices because I have an improved self-awareness as a result of my therapy.
Adam, 45
Before I started therapy with Nathalie I was having some trouble with obsessive anxious fears and thoughts, mostly OCD with mental compulsions. I had tried CBT before on the NHS with a little success, but working with a specialist in OCD really made the difference in managing my issue.
Therapy was somewhat different than I had imagined. Previously I’d used Exposure and Response Prevention, and was expecting more of this, but instead we took a closer look at my mental processes and compulsions, rather than their content. The biggest game-changer was learning that my OCD was not a fault or a deficiency, but rather a consequence of having a specific set of good and useful traits and values. This allowed me to gain some distance from the disorder, and I almost immediately let go of a lot of guilt and anxiety.
Therapy was suprisingly quite lighthearted. Nathalie has a good sense of humour and this really helped me to feel comfortable and relaxed, and even to learn to laugh at my obsessions, which was actually very empowering. The hardest step was making the first contact, but even after our initial phone conversation I felt very reassured and calmed.
After therapy, my OCD has been a lot more manageable, and while I do have the occasional blip, it’s usually quite easy to brush it off and move past it, and focus on the good stuff in my life rather than irrational fears!
Sam, 27
I work in Mental Health, managing a non-clinical support Service. I work with people who have a range of health challenges. I saw Nathalie at the end of 2019 for some time and found her work very helpful. I have used the Journey Within Resources since the Outbreak of Covid 19 and have signposted a number of Clients to them. Nathalie has a great talent for orienting people within very complex experiences. I have felt an improved sense of clarity and purpose since seeing her last year. Her work teaches and supports without letting either the learning or therapy detract from one another. These videos are accessible, enjoyable and enlightening. I am as confident recommending them for use with clients, friends and family alike.
T A Mental health