Testimonials

Tracey: "This was my ticket out of bed for a better life"

Tracey has progressed from reliance on a motor scooter, to completing a charity fire walk to raise money for her favourite dog charity. She kindly answered some questions about her experience of working with me. Here are some of her answers, in her own words.

Tell me a little about what life was like before you began working with Alison?
"Frankly life was very limited back then. I could hardly do anything at all. I was mostly confined to my bedroom unable to walk about the house or have the energy to do much at all. Everything was too much effort."

What's going well?
"Lots of things are so much better - especially being able to walk again. I've sold my mobility scooter as I no longer need it which is huge. I'm trying to build wasted muscle after not being able to use my body much in 7 years. I can think properly again as the brain fog has lifted and I have energy to live again which is just fabulous."

What stands out to you the most about working with Alison?
"Alison gave me a clear path to follow when my mind was in such chaos. She stated what I needed to do next which was great. She also gave me a gentle nudge now and again to get me back on track. She's also been very patient in letting me work at my own pace. Things come up in life and I've been quiet for long periods and not felt pressured."

What is one thing (or more!) that you think Alison does really well in her coaching?
"Alison plainly sees through my excuses. She knew what I was avoiding when I didn't see it. I didn't feel uncomfortable telling her things as it was always my choice what I wanted to say. She did suggest things I hadn't thought of and I see some of my relationships with others differently now. She's encouraged me to set boundaries but never been harsh or dominant, just guided me to see things a bit clearer. We've also done some Compassionate Inquiry when I couldn't understand what my body was trying to tell me."

Before working with Alison I was… Now, I am…
"Before working with Alison I was a total mess and had lost my independence…. Now, I am ….more confident and have my independence back once more. I believe in myself and don't need to rely on other people."

I couldn't have imagined…
"…my old self would return from where I was, but here I am ready for my next chapter in life. I'm still working on what my life purpose is as I've left my old job behind but I have a few things to try and see what happens. It's exciting but also quite hard to start over in my 50s!"

Measuring progress
The Chrysalis Effect uses the Revised Symptom Impact Questionnaire (SIQR) to track recovery. It asks about things like pain, energy, sleep, mood and everyday tasks. It is a recognised research tool, and a change of 14% is generally considered clinically meaningful.
Since Tracey joined The Chrysalis Effect, her SIQR score has improved by 87%. This reflects her work on the programme and our coaching together. Most of all, it reflects her own courage and commitment.

Thank you to Tracey for giving her permission to share these thoughts.

Lucy: "I am very grateful to Alison for helping me to open my wings and getting me to where I am today"

"I had been working through the Chrysalis Effect program on my own for a number of months, but was finding it difficult to navigate my recovery journey and to know what to focus on and when, and had reached a bit of a plateau. I decided to work with a coach as I thought this may make the process seem a little less daunting, and give me the extra support I needed to address the more difficult elements of my wheel.

I found Alison, and could immediately see similarities in our journeys, and after a discovery call I found her to be a great match for me.  Alison has been a fantastic guide and inspiration, holding my hand while I have learnt to connect to my emotions and allow them space, which is something I very much struggled to do on my own.  Alison has a very soothing presence, and has made me feel very safe throughout our sessions, but she is equally not afraid to gently challenge me when I slip back into old ways of thinking or doing that are not helpful.  I now feel stronger and more able to make the right decisions based on what I want or need, not what I or (others) think I ‘should’ be doing. 

It has been a huge help, particularly when I am overwhelmed, to have Alison ask ‘what is the most important thing right now that we can look at, and how can we set some goals around this to make it feel more manageable?’.  I have now learnt to ask myself this question regularly, and thanks to Alison I also know the importance of setting accountability to make sure goals are achieved, and to celebrate them, no matter how small they may seem.

Alison has made so much effort to really get to know me as a person so that she can be the best coach possible, and has always gone above and beyond with little personal touches.  Slowly but surely, with Alison’s help, as I have addressed the 8 elements of the wheel, I have felt my energy improve and my anxiety decrease.  I am also now able to prioritise my self care, and to recognise if I have let this slip, and I now see this not as a failure, but an opportunity for learning. 

I am very grateful to Alison for helping me to open my wings and getting me to where I am today :)"

Thank you to Lucy for giving her permission to share these thoughts.

Carolyn: "Without doubt Alison has helped save my life. "

I met Alison on the TCE programme back in summer 2023 when I was very poorly with ME. I’d just been discharged from hospital having experienced an ME crash so severe that I was unable to walk and unable to perform basic tasks. My bed was downstairs and I had carers visiting my home twice a day to wash and care for me. I was enveloped with debilitating overwhelm, bone dead fatigue, hideous body nerve pain and terrible anxiety. 

I soon realised that no medication or doctor could help me and that I needed to drastically change my life to enable any type of healing to happen. 

I began working with Alison in October 2023. I chose to work with Alison for a number of reasons: she had first hand personal experience of suffering with a chronic exhaustive condition, she had followed the TCE programme, she is a trained TCE practitioner, she has fully recovered and is now living her best life!  This provided me with hope! 

From our initial discovery call I decided to work with Alison for 12 months on her ‘walk with me programme’. I felt reassured that Alison could help me. 

I have found Alison to be incredibly supportive, trustworthy, skilled, knowledgeable and she always operates with integrity. 

Month by month during our 121s and subsequent follow ups she has been reliable, dependable and wonderfully nurturing. She is pragmatic, positive, fair and firm; nudging me along when needed - offering me advice and alternative ways of approaching challenges . Without doubt Alison has helped save my life. 

Alison had been a lifeline to me - providing grounded advice, encouragement and support in my hours of need. ME is an extremely isolating illness and Alison helped me feel less lonely, less on my own!

I’ve now been working with Alison for around 10 months. My life is getting back on track. My body is healing. I’m feeling so much better, I’m out and about again, planning my new future and I’m about to go on holiday on Monday! I could never have imagined this progress 12 months ago! 

I would recommend and strongly advocate working with Alison. It’s a true partnership, and without doubt, Alison has contributed massively to the huge improvements in my health and well being …which is our number one possession and must be protected above all else. 

Carolyn, July 2024

Kate: “You wouldn’t recognise me!"

One of the joys of the internet is that I can work with you wherever you are, whether that is from bed in the UK or, like Kate, on the other side of the world. Thank you Kate for giving permission to share these Facebook posts.