Tesimonials
Before working with Ricky it was difficult to put into words the struggle I had in my life, I can only liken it to dancing in and out of my own view, never certain if I would find my way to me. Not knowing the essence of who I was, never grasping my own humanity. I had a song in my ear "Just do the steps that you’ve been shown until the dance becomes your very own,” I tried to do the steps and I put pressure and perfectionism to the steps, berating myself for any missed ones or when I stumbled and fell, the self-attack was palpable.
Now since seeing Ricky,
Ahhhh…now I see what I could not see, life is like the Tango, it’s the embrace, it isn’t in the steps, the tango is between one step and another. "There, when you do nothing, you can see whether you dance tango.”
Thank you Ricky for restoring the embrace and seeing my reflection when I was dancing out of my own view.
Prior to meeting with Dr Ricky, I had overwhelming body aches, anxiety attacks and thoughts of darkness and grief. I was afraid of many things and my daily life was becoming smaller and smaller. Through working with Dr Ricky, I was able to feel into my emotions, become less afraid of them, even reconcile old hurts and properly deal with feelings of fear, sadness, loss and grief. I would recommend Dr Ricky to anyone who wants to breathe more fully into their lives.
Before working with Ricky, I struggled with anxiety and needed to take anti-anxiety medication to manage my symptoms of anxiety. Symptoms such as palpitations, difficulty breathing and worries about the future were frightening. However, my work with Ricky, has significantly changed my relationship with my anxiety, and has equipped me with effective management skills. I have stopped taking my anti-anxiety medications as I no longer feel the need to take them. I am not as afraid of my anxiety as I used to be and have seen a significant reduction in my symptoms. It has been an incredibly powerful experience exploring the true emotions behind my anxiety.
Prior to working with Ricky I had been depressed, anxious, traumatised and underachieving for around 35 years. I had lived for 25 years with chronic inflammation and pain in my body. I had endured countless painful surgeries and procedures in an effort to alleviate the pain. I had sensory sensitivities. I felt alone, lonely and flawed. I drank too much and shamed myself constantly for doing so. I suffered from regular nightmares and disturbing visual intrusions during the day. I felt haunted. I couldn't shop at peak times because I couldn't tolerate being in crowds or have someone standing behind me. I hadn't danced in 30 years. I couldn't go to the beach or swim for fear of being seen or shamed. I felt like I had spent my adult life scuttling around in the dark trying to hide and at the same time feeling angry that I was not seen. I thought that a good life and fulfilling relationships were for other people.
Ironically, I was reluctant to start therapy because I thought that I was "OK". In reality, I was far from "OK" but I didn't believe that life could be different. From the first session with Ricky, things were different. With his gentle kindness, humour and intellect he taught me to trust myself and others again. My physical pain started to reduce following the very first session. Ricky compassionately showed me the ways that my own patterns of behaviour and relating to myself and others hurt me and contributed to my suffering. Through this experience, I started to love and care for myself more and more, and in doing so, my life became open to others who had capacity to do the same. I have not been depressed for the last 18 months, my anxiety has reduced significantly and my life has colour and vibrancy that I could not have imagined possible. I am now completely pain free, drink very much less, exercise regularly, sleep well, have opened my own business and have many enriching relationships. I don't know what the future holds for me but I am closer to reaching my full potential than I have ever been and I trust that I have capacity to cope with whatever comes my way. Thank you Ricky, for your commitment to your craft and the love that you embody in your work. I will forever have a special place for you in my heart and mind. And, for those of you who are still in doubt about whether therapy could be for you, or not, I would say - "Give it a go!" you have nothing to lose by trying a single session and perhaps a lot to gain.
Before working with Ricky I felt unsure about whether therapy would work for me. I had met with a few therapists previously but not had the results I had wanted. My experience of Ricky is that he is highly skilled, very professional, but also strikes a balance of this with being human, compassionate, kind and personable, which I found helped to create a trusting therapeutic relationship. My experience is that Ricky very much tailors the therapy to my unique needs. Ricky is highly respectful, ensuring that we are always focusing on what is important and helpful to me, checking that any understandings we have are shared, and he is excellent at ensuring that we are working towards shared goals, so that our work together can be effective. Ricky is very attuned as a therapist, and works hard to collaborate with me to pace the therapy to a level that helps me to get the most out of it. I would have no hesitation in recommending Ricky as a therapist. In addition, having therapy online has meant that it is easier to fit into my schedule, I can work from the comfort of my own home without a commute, and it has felt just as personable and effective as working face to face.
When I first came to see Ricky all I knew was that I needed help. In hindsight I was also as resistant to receiving the help I needed as I imagine it’s possible to be. I was fiercely independent and high functioning to some degree, but suffering greatly in silence. Full of shame and grief. I was so completely out of touch with my deeper feelings that most of the time I literally did not know how I felt. Ricky provided endless patience, kindness and good humour. His therapeutic skill, experience and talent in developing a healing connection with me has been transformative. My relationship with myself has been repaired and improved. I have learnt so much, I now feel confident identifying, expressing and managing my feelings. Therapy has truly given me the opportunity to live a more authentic and fulfilling life, for which I will be forever grateful.
Before working with Ricky, I was struggling with anxiety and my symptoms were affecting my daily life. I suffered from headaches, insomnia and problems with my bladder. I was feeling low and resigned to the idea that my life would never improve. However, working with Ricky helped me to understand that I was repressing a lot of grief and anger, which was being masked by my feelings of panic and dread. My sessions with Ricky enabled me to access the emotions I was trying to run from and learn to see my anxiety as a positive, as something that was trying to protect me. Now I have the tools I need to process my emotions and as a result, I am communicating effectively with the important people in my life, and allowing them to see the real me. The physical manifestations of my anxiety feel under control, and when they do flare up, I know not to fear them, but to listen to what my body is trying to tell me. I got married this summer and am looking forward to a full, happy life with my husband.