What My Clients Say...
I thought you might be interested to read about the experiences of some of my clients.
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Everyone's experience of chronic fatigue is so unique to them that it isn't possible to resolve their symptoms by following a prescriptive "step 1, 2, 3" type approach.
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Through working together emotionally, intellectually and energetically we are able to unpick what is going on. This process enables my clients re-build their energy levels along with their self confidence and trust in their body.
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I often refer to it as developing a "toolkit of techniques". I feel it's really important to have the knowledge and ability to resolve your fatigue rather than rely on someone like me to continually "fix you". My role is to support you as you develop a toolkit that will stand you in good stead for the future.
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Rachel's story
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Rachel, a 53 year old with a successful, varied, and challenging career used to love her job. She worked for a good company, with a supportive manager and great team of co-workers. But the combination of a demanding role along with navigating Covid and mourning the loss of both her parents had led to chronic stress.
She’d tried managing it with counselling, and by taking an extended holiday. But, only a couple of days after the holiday, she felt as exhausted as ever.
“I have a tendency to keep pushing myself to the limit. Then one day, I broke down at work. I realised I was burnt out - mentally, physically, and emotionally exhausted – and made the decision to go off sick.”
By the time Rachel began working with Reconnecting You, she’d been on sick leave for two months. Her energy was low, and she couldn't decide whether to leave her job. This indecision, combined with low energy, had left her in a constant cycle of confusion.
“I had a long list of things I wanted to do, but very little energy to do them. I couldn’t understand why I was still so exhausted and why I wasn’t doing the things I enjoyed. I was also going around in circles about whether to leave my corporate career. One minute, I thought it would be ok going back to work after a little more rest. The next, I wanted the freedom to do something completely different with my life. I just wanted to make a decision and start looking forward.”
Rachel found Reconnecting You through a recommendation. She read through the website and case studies before arranging a call to find out more. Speaking with Suzanne left her feeling confident about working together.
Whilst the cost was initially higher than expected, she broke it down and realised it was a similar amount to the weekly counselling. With the extra training and weekly videos, it became even better value, and she signed up.
Rachel’s primary focus was to increase energy and find clarity about her career. Within the first two weeks, she’d resigned from her job.
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“The counselling I’d had was amazing but then Suzanne approached things from an energy point of view. It gave me a completely different perspective. I realised that the monthly check-ins at work and constant dilemma about whether to return were such a drain on my energy. It was a big weight off my shoulders and a huge step forward.”
Once Rachel left work, she found the programme gave structure and focus to her week. She scheduled in time to watch the videos and complete self-reflective exercises. Then the tailored weekly 1-1 coaching pulled everything together and gave her accountability.
Unlike her previous experience of counselling, Rachel says the coaching was more forward-looking. It helped reframe her thoughts and explore new perspectives. And it also gave her a non-judgemental person to speak with about her symptoms.
“One day, I struggled to get around the supermarket and had to sit in my car to rest for a bit before driving home. Suzanne would get me to think about whether there were signs my energy was starting to dip, and to stop rather than continue pushing. It almost felt as if I was being given permission to rest. She’s always looking for patterns too. For example, I was burnt out 20 years ago, and she asked what was happening then that's happening now."
During the programme, Rachel learned about the concept of Highly Sensitive People (HSP). It resonated deeply and helped her understand why certain work environments had been so draining. With this realisation, she began thinking about what she wanted for the future.
Over the weeks, Rachel worked on different aspects of her life, measuring progress along the way. It's given her a sense of achievement and a clear intention for her future. She now has tools to manage her energy and plans to pick the techniques which worked the best for her own toolkit.
During the programme, Rachel experienced a shift in both mindset and energy. The transformation was gradual, but her energy levels improved by an incredible 45%. She no longer has to think about her energy, it's just a natural process for her to balance things out.
She also has clarity about the future, which is to make a living as an artist. Around ten weeks into the programme, Rachel applied for a new full-time job. It initially sounded exciting, but she soon realised it was the comfort zone of having a job and not her true passion.
“I have a clear idea now about what I want my future to look and feel like. I crave financial freedom, and the freedom of being an artist. That’s what I’m working towards, and I’ve done detailed financial plans to help me get there.”
Rachel's 12 week programme has now ended, but she knows she's not alone in her journey. In her final session with Suzanne, she set 12-week goals. And she has further follow-up sessions scheduled, which will give her accountability. Meanwhile, she's finishing a 12-week painting course. It's the next of her stepping stones towards making a living as an artist.
“Suzanne is very positive – she’s amazing – and it’s refreshing speaking with her. She’s helped me reframe some of my thoughts and think through different scenarios. Having her as a sounding board has been invaluable. So much of the coaching was getting excited about how I want my life to be, and the stepping stones to get there. Working with her has been very helpful. If you’re struggling with energy, or want to make changes, I’d absolutely recommend getting in touch.”
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Heath's Story
49-year old Heath had been suffering with tiredness, headaches, and sinus problems for years. He went through medical tests to uncover the cause, all without success. But when he began experiencing pain in late 2020, it led to a diagnosis of fibromyalgia.
The GPs gave him little hope and said not much could be done. But Heath wasn’t prepared to accept that. As an engineer, he began looking at his symptoms like a diagnostic exercise, hoping to discover what was behind the problems.
He began searching for success stories from around the world. And, when he came across Reconnecting You, Heath says it was the first that made sense to him.
“I found Suzanne by chance on LinkedIn. She spoke about helping with ‘regaining energy, releasing trauma, and relaxing the body’. And I could see the results she’d achieved with other people. I knew that I didn’t want to put my body under any more stress by taking medication. And Suzanne seemed to be offering a more holistic approach. It sounded exactly what I needed, so I got in touch for a chat.”
Heath says he wasn’t expecting miracles from the programme. He simply wanted to know the likely impact on his energy, both good and bad. And he needed to know the financial and time commitment needed. He spoke to his wife, asking for her support, and signed up for the 12-week Your Energy – Your Way programme.
“You have to find hope from somewhere when you're living day-to-day thinking this is it for the rest of your life. Even if it was only going to help a little, it gave me hope. During our conversation, Suzanne gave me confidence in the programme. And she had confidence herself in the results she could achieve. It was a big part of why I decided to sign up.”
The programme started with self-care and looking at how things were for him right then. The next step was to begin looking at how he wanted his life to be in the coming months to years. Then he built in steppingstones. These gave him benchmarks so he could see how things were progressing.
“The sessions are unbelievably well-structured. As I neared the end and began seeing results, I realised how well thought out everything had been. I got to learn about myself and my personality traits, which helped me see why things were the way they were. It was very empowering.”
By setting goals, Heath says the programme gave him hope for the future. Each week, he received new videos and worksheets to go through in his own time. And these were followed with a zoom meeting to talk about anything that had come up.
“I enjoyed being able to watch the videos in my own time and when I felt up to it. Suzanne's voice was very calming. I did find working on the trauma side difficult, but that depends on what you’ve been through in your life. Suzanne always said I could leave something and come back later if it was too difficult. I still have all the videos and worksheets. So, even though I finished a few weeks ago, I can go back and redo a session if I’m finding things dipping. It’s brilliant.”
Heath experienced a rapid increase in his results after around 10 weeks. When he came to do the final scoring, the increases were double the expected level. And he says that was genuinely how he felt too.
“You release so many things during the programme. Your mood changes, and that alters your mindset and how you look at things. I tested out my results recently when celebrating a big birthday and overdid it. When I began feeling the pain again, I realised that most of it had disappeared. The great thing about the programme is that I now notice these things and can take a step back to look after myself.”
During the programme, Heath found it useful learning about little techniques which can help him day to day. He recently created an imaginary bubble around himself when someone was being negative. It was something he'd never have considered doing in the past. But, as he imagined the words bouncing off the bubble, he sat there with a smile on his face.
“The programme has been phenomenal. There’s not a single word which encompasses everything I feel about it. I’ve maintained the results even though the programme has finished. But it’s not like the work has ended. I can’t stop and let things go back to the way they were. It’s about building on everything now. I have the blueprint and can go into each area again on my own in more detail. My belief is that's what will give me long-term results.”
Heath stepped back from work a while ago because of his health. He says that a big part of the programme was accepting that he was ill. But his goal now is to get back in to volunteering on the committee of the local football club. He also wants to continue focusing on things that matter.
“I’m taking things a step at a time right now and not going too fast. When I do get back to work again, it will be something that I really want and enjoy. In the meantime, I’m so relieved to have energy without worrying about how things will affect me. I can now take the grandchildren to the park and know that I’m going to be ok afterwards. It's a simple thing but means everything.”
Having been through the 12-week programme, Heath firmly believes anybody can benefit.
“It’s hard to put into words how I was feeling and the point I'd got to before doing the programme. What have you got to lose? If you get even close to the results I’ve had, you’ll want to tell everyone that they need to do this. I absolutely believe 100% that it can help a lot of people in a lot of different ways. Suzanne is amazing and fantastic at what she does.”
Dan's story
Suzanne and I worked together for a number of months to supercharge my recovery strategy as I worked through The Chrysalis Effect programme.
Using the 8 Elements of Freedom, Suzanne and I were able to highlight areas of my life that needed some extra love and attention. We delved deeper into those areas to discover what was currently happening and what actions I needed to take to improve, grow and gain more confidence.
Suzanne is an attentive and skillful listener and was able to offer me insights I'd not considered before. Though the work was sometimes hard and challenging, I was able to make a number of changes that have positively affected my health
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Update: In May 2022, Dan ran his first triathlon.
Dan set his goal to do this a little over a year earlier, at a time when he didn't know if he would even be able to train and make it a reality,
Not only is Dan very proud of himself, but I am too!
Emma's Story
A year ago, last May and June (2020), as well as being physically unwell, I was mentally in a really bad place. My health was really getting me down, I wasn’t able to do much at all. I was at a low point and didn’t feel like life could continue the way it was.
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I found Suzanne Smith at Reconnecting You because I was going down the health kinesiology route. I’d had kinesiology before and really enjoyed it. Over the last few years, I’ve tried every therapy going, and like my husband said, if it only improves my health by 5%, it’s worth a try.
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When I contact Suzanne, I found out that she does a lot more than just kinesiology.
I got diagnosed in 2010 and I had got worse, year on year, no matter what I did. I’m a trained yoga teacher and I’d addressed a few areas so Suzanne was my last chance saloon whereas she should probably have been my first stop.
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Sometimes you have to follow a long path to get there! I was looking to improve my life just a little bit at that point. I didn’t know exactly what I was letting myself in for but it has been great and changed my life.
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The Health Profile Review was more positive than I thought it would be. What I liked from the beginning with all of this discovery with Suzanne is that it has been positive… Even the negatives. I realised that I wasn’t as bad as my brain was telling me, I wasn’t doing nothing every day - although I felt like I hadn’t been achieving anything and that life had come to a massive stop.
When I did the Health Review, I realised that I was doing things. Life wasn’t where it had been before, but I was in a stage of recovery already, stuck somewhere between level 3 and 4.
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I am feeling so positive now. It has been life-changing. My mental state is unbelievable compared to how it was. People talk about finding peace and you wonder if you’ll ever find it that peace. I think I have. I have found peace with a lot of my past as well as my health. I now realise how traumatic just being diagnosed had been which you don’t address because when you’re diagnosed you are told that there’s nothing you can do – you’ve got to go away and manage it and learn to live with it. That diagnosis in itself, having no support or answers is a big deal.
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I definitely could not imagine reaching this stage a year ago. Even when I realised exactly what the programme was, I thought that I would accept any progress. When you are so far into a diagnosis you are not expecting miracles but I feel like the process of working with Suzanne has been a little bit of one.
I’m now looking forward to the future for the first time in ten years. I’m no longer fearful or worrying, I’m no longer anxious or depressed. That’s all gone and I’m really looking forward to the future and I don’t think you can put a price on that.
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I feel so lucky that I’ve been through this process with Suzanne, especially with the whole background of the Covid thing with the added worry because I’ve got a very weak immune system with other things going on other than fibromyalgia.
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Now I hear Suzanne a lot in my head and it’s a good place to be. She gives me that sense of accountability. I’d never had coaching before, I’d had therapy. I’d done a lot of talking and been stuck but coaching puts a whole different spin on it. Coaching is a really positive approach and Suzanne is an amazing coach for me when I was following The Chrysalis Effect. Knowing that the support was needed one-to-one was brilliant and doing the two together was the perfect combination.
Working remotely over Zoom really helped too. If I’d physically had to travel, I’d have found it much more difficult and I’d have had to cancel.
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Naturally, because of what our illness does, we are very wary because we’ve had all sorts of promises made to us. What I say is – go in with an open mind and trust the process - you’ve got nothing to lose, the hard bits especially because at the end of it you’ll be going, “Wow!”
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My husband has always been really supportive and looked for these things like coaching with me. He’s noticed a difference in me and that I can have fun again.
Sometimes, before I started seeing Suzanne, he would say things as a joke and I would take things literally. I can now see the funny side. He was very encouraging.
The process has taken time and requires patience but it’s been life-changing and I can’t thank Suzanne enough. It’s not just coping with Fibromyalgia; it’s coping and dealing with life. It’s been absolutely fantastic and Suzanne is just wonderful.
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Rachael's Story
I have had Chronic Fatigue for about sixteen years. After my second daughter was born, I got severe post-natal illness which set my Chronic Fatigue off again. I found the Chrysalis Effect online and started doing the programme. I needed one-to-one support too. I’m one of those people who needs to see results or I will give up. That’s when I found Suzanne.
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I found Suzanne really approachable. She went above and beyond to help me with a phone call or email to say, “how are you getting on?” It’s those extra touches that show that she cares about her job. Suzanne helped me to recognise my triggers without telling me. She’s more like a problem-solver really. We did some Kinesiology and energy work. It seemed to get to the bottom of things.
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Since I’ve started seeing Suzanne at Reconnecting You, I’m feeling better physically and emotionally. My mindset has completely changed, especially how I view work. When I first went to see Suzanne, I had a big problem dealing with imposter syndrome. I was doing too much, when I could have delegated and it had a massive impact on me. Suzanne helped me to deal with that.
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If I hadn’t been to see Suzanne, I would always revert back to really bad fatigue with emotional stress. I would probably go off sick at work because I couldn’t handle my role or I would be stuck in a job that I didn’t want to be in anymore. Now I go to work at my new job to pay the bills until something else comes along because I’m going to follow a different life path. I’m a lot happier.
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Any lingering fatigue that I’ve got, I take full ownership of it, for not doing things I’m meant to be doing. Changing your mindset takes time when you’ve been a certain way for 40 years. Actually, saying all this makes me realise how far I have come. Having someone to work through it with, who understands, makes all the difference.
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Janette's Story
In September 2019, I had minor surgery. After that I developed fatigue. I had no energy and I knew that there was an underlying reason because it completely obliterated me.
I was at work when they first sent me home sick. People around me were taking my health and wellbeing seriously. By the middle of October, my GP had run blood tests and diagnosed me with chronic fatigue, triggered by MRSA. He referred me to the chronic fatigue team for Derbyshire but told me that I would have to wait for an appointment to come through.
Instead of waiting, I went to see Suzanne immediately because I knew that she was a fatigue specialist and that health kinesiology would help me to recover. From the therapy that Suzanne implemented, I was able to go back to work after eight months.
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I was incredibly lucky that I started seeing Suzanne straightaway. If I had waited for the four months it took to get an appointment, I would have been hugely depressed… And I think that it would have taken much longer to reach the point of recovery that I’ve got. I would not be back at work now and would have felt under pressure to give up my job. Seeing Suzanne has made a massive difference.
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Martine's Story
I’d always been a healthy woman who was able to run and do whatever I liked. My body always enabled me to do whatever I wanted. Then, suddenly, I had a virus and I never really recovered from it. I don’t know if it was THE virus or just a virus. I had lots of aches and pains in different parts of my body, mostly in my back, neck and my head. I was very fatigued; got incredible anxiety and depression and I was worn out.
My GP was very good but I wasn’t getting any answers. I went back to my doctor’s surgery one day and I saw a flyer for something called “The Chrysalis Effect”. I was already beginning to wonder whether I had some sort of post-viral chronic fatigue syndrome so I subscribed to a course. Through that, I got to know Suzanne. She rang me and we talked for half an hour before I decided to continue working with her on a one-to-one basis.
Suzanne was incredibly approachable, professional and always thoughtful about what had been said. She always asked interesting questions that made me search my own thought patterns and I thought she was very good at that. It was a two-way conversation, which I rather enjoyed because I’ve had the counsellors in the past and usually, they’re deadly quiet. I felt with Suzanne it was much more a two-way communication, not just me pouring out my soul.
If you’re thinking about working with Suzanne I would say, “Absolutely, go for it!” She’s very approachable and she’s got a good sense of humour. We had some laughs. The exercises that she gives you to do are fun and not too onerous. They gave you a structure and starting point for the next meeting so you can think about what you’ve learned. Suzanne is incredibly knowledgeable and she’s helped me enormously.
I now feel like I don’t need to see her on a regular basis because I turned a corner and I’m feeling much better. I feel like I can walk on my own two feet but it’s nice to know that she is there if in the future I want to pick up the phone and say, “Please, I’m having a bit of a crisis: can you help me with this?”
Pam's Story
Before I started working with Suzanne (last May) things were not great. I had been struggling on and off for quite some time. It felt like I had a long-Covid thing because I’d had Covid in March last year and, as a result, I was starting to panic a bit because my legs were aching constantly. I had stiffness in my calves to the point where some days I could hardly get up and down stairs because I was so stiff.
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I met Suzanne at a networking group. She did a presentation and I thought, “I could really do with going to see this lady”. I’d already been to the doctors and they couldn’t find anything… It was the same old story. How many times does that happen? I think it made me feel like I was a hypochondriac or imagining it. The reason I was panicking was that next year I’ve signed up to do the Inca Trail for Sheffield Children’s Hospitals. I genuinely thought, “I’m not going to be able to do it”.
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Even after the first session with Suzanne, I noticed a huge difference. A massive difference. I remember going on holiday to Scotland in our camper van and one day we walked eleven miles! I thought, “there’s no way I could have done that before I saw Suzanne”. I’d also been having problems with one of my ears for years as a result of an ear infection. The infection went away but I still had pain and I couldn’t even sleep on that ear. The doctor recommended decongestant but that didn’t work and the pain continued to affect my sleep. Occasionally, I still get headaches, but it is so much better now.
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When we were getting to the end of our sessions, I thought, “Suzanne’s just magical!” She had got to the crux of the matter so quickly. There was some stuff that she picked up on and I thought, “this is amazing”. With the Kinesiology, Suzanne would ask me a question with “yes or no” answers and my body would tell me the answer. She also sent me some essential lavender oil and an adventuring stone that I wore for 21 days through the post to use which was very helpful. Since then, I’ve found it a lot easier to come to terms with some of the issues that I have had in the past.
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I’m a lot more optimistic now. In the past I’ve taken a very negative view of things and now I think that I’ve got to let things go and trust in the process. If you’re sending negativity out, you’ll get that back. I’m not saying I can just sit back – I know that I’ve got to work hard but I’m happy to do that. If anyone is thinking about working with Suzanne I would say, “Definitely go for it”. I’ve referred her to quite a few people already actually.