Sensitivity to bright light, sounds and strange tastes and smells.
Shame/Guilt
Social anxiety/withdrawal
Starry vision
Tension headaches
Tension in head and neck
Tingling/numbness/cold hands and feet
Vision problems (seeing dark spots, eye fatigue, going cross-eyed)
and many more
Stacey Ellertson interview with Jim Folk - Part 1
Stacey Ellertson interview with Jim Folk - Part 2
Stacey Ellertson interview with Jim Folk - Part 3
Biography:
Stacey understands the despair and
challenges of severely debilitating anxiety. His struggle began
almost immediately when he spent the first year of life in the
hospital, and the next nine years in and out of hospital due
to multiple surgeries.
Because of these early life experiences, Stacey’s childhood,
adolescence, and early adulthood years were filled with fear,
loneliness, and a sense of loss of control and inferiority.
Consequently, he learned to live anxiously, expecting that
bad things would continually happen to him.
Stacey did his best to try and feel better, by trying harder
and harder to be better and better, however, the persistent thought
of, "It's never enough," continued to pervade in his
life.
To relieve the "gloom
and doom" he was feeling, Stacey began to sleep excessively,
because he found that his dream life was safer than his real
life. As a result, he often slept sixteen hours a day. Nicotine,
caffeine, and immersing himself into his work also became his
drugs of choice, all in an attempt to relieve the heaviness and
fear he was experiencing.
In 1991, Stacey experienced excruciating panic attacks, social
anxiety, and deep depression. It was during this time that
he seriously considered suicide.
That same year, Stacey sought counselling for his anxiety
and depression, which began his journey back to normal and
lasting health. Today, Stacey lives a life completely free
of debilitating panic attacks, anxiety, and depression.
Stacey has a Bachelor of Theology degree from Gardner College
in Camrose, Alberta; a Master of Arts degree in Christian Ministry
majoring in Marriage and Family Counselling; and a Master of
Arts degree in Leadership and Management with a major in Organizational
Leadership.
Because of Stacey's personal experience with anxiety and depression,
he is passionate about helping others. Stacey specializes in
offering support to adults and teenagers who are experiencing:
Debilitating anxiety, stress, and/or depression
Conflicts in the family, blended-family or marriage
Separation or divorce
Loss of meaning in life
Loss and grief
Life transitions
Who feel:
Loneliness
Fear, anger, or rage
Confusion or low self-confidence
And may find it difficult to:
Be in healthy relationships
Be satisfied and productive at work or school
Make good choices
Engage in appropriate parenting
Cope with life's stresses
Stay committed to a recovery program
Stacey is an Associate member of the Professional Association
of Canadian Christian Counsellors. He owns the Southwest Family
Life Centre in Swift Current, Saskatchewan.
Stacey and his wife, LeeAnne, reside in Swift Current, Saskatchewan
with their two daughters. They attend the East Side Church
of God.
I worked with Stacey for 18 months, and from the first
meeting I was so relieved to talk with someone who listened
and understood all the thoughts and symptoms I was experiencing.
Working with Stacey was an answer to my prayers. Stacey was
kind, compassionate and very professional in teaching me
about the reasons behind my anxiety symptoms, helping to
learn to contain my emotions, and make positive changes in
my thinking and actions.
Stacey incorporated a strong Christian faith perspective,
and used the Bible and teachings of Jesus as a basis for
his therapy. My experience of working with Stacey brought
me closer to the Lord, and what I believe His plan is for
my life. Thank you Stacey for your gifts of healing, ministry
and love. I am so happy to be symptom-free, and no longer
fearful of anxiety. These are the verses I will carry forward
with me:
Matthew 11: 28-30 "Come to
me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give
you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for
I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest
for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
Suzanne Murphy, USA
Three and a half years ago, I found myself in a situation
where I felt completely stuck!!! It was my mind, so how was
I ever supposed to escape it? My life haulted, and although
I was physically going through life, emotionally, I was not
there. I knew this was not right, so I sought out counseling.
I was temporarily feeling better, but still did not feel
like myself. I found anxietycentre.com on-line towards the
end of 2007 and signed up. The information was realistic!!
It sounded hopeful!! I became to feel like myself again.
Still, though, something was missing. I decided I wanted
to feel like myself again and not have horrible thoughts
about myself and life in general. I was sick and tired of
feeling sick and tired. In the summer of 2008, I decided
to try the counseling from anxietycentre.com. THIS WAS THE
BEST DECISION I'VE EVER MADE IN MY LIFE!!! Stacey Ellertson
is AMAZING!!! He is knowledgeable about anxiety and depression,
and everything he told me throughout our sessions was true!
There were days I'd still feel hopeless, but I would just
trust the process. Sure enough, the process worked!! I started
thinking differently and my life has turned around!!
Granted, I still have days where I may be down or anxious
about something, BUT THIS IS NORMAL!! What has changed is
that I no longer obsess over feeling this way, so those days
are few and I quickly bounce back!!
I am so grateful to Stacey and anxietycentre.om. Their program
and kind hearts could be improving and saving many lives!!
I pray many are able to find them, TRUST THEM, and get back
to living life to the fullest :-)
Nicole, USA
It has been a long time since we last chatted. I just
wanted to let you know that I'm feeling great again. My anxiety
condition came on fast and left me fast. It was a struggle,
but you gave me the counseling and tools that I needed to
get through the rough times. I learned anxiety is a very
scary and real thing, but can be beaten if you just realize,
to let it go, it doesn't have to be scary, just ride out
the scary moments like surfing a wave...it will pass and
I'll be ok!
Since our meetings, I've been helping others and passing
on the wonderful advice that you have shared with me. You
have been the world’s largest help to me. You helped me get
through my hard times when I thought there was nothing I could
do. I can't offer enough thanks to you! It's been a tough two
years but my condition has been beaten and I'm now back to
loving life’s precious moments.
Thanks so much.
Logan M., Canada
I decided to seek counselling through
the Anxiety Centre in May of 2008 and it was the best decision
I could have made. Stacey is a true professional who has "been
there". He is easy to talk to and listens for what the
real issues are. Then we work together to address them.
I feel as though Stacey and I are
true partners in my recovery. I honestly don't think I
would be feeling as well as I do without him. Thank you
Stacey, and the Anxiety Centre, for making my life a whole
lot happier, and me a whole lot healthier!
Cathy, Canada
Stacey has been wonderful over the past year while I struggled
with the lowest point of my life. He was always there to
remind me that I wasn't going crazy, that this was just anxiety
and depression, and he helped me find my way to much better
days. While I'm not 100% recovered yet, Stacey helped me
get to the point where I could return to work and return
to the outside world.
When I first started working with Stacey I was an absolute
wreck and was quickly become suicidal. Stacey reminded me
that he had been through this and had come out the other
side with a much brighter future, and that this path could
be mine also if I would practice patience and believe it
to be true. I am much happier and peaceful today than at
anytime during the past year and a half.
Thank-you, Julie, USA
For nearly a decade I struggled
with debilitating anxiety and panic attacks. For seven
and a half years, I coped by taking medication, but became
disillusioned with the prospect that I would have to take
meds for the remainder of my life. During that time I never
fully understood what was happening to my body. My psychiatrist
at the time told me I needed to accept that I would need
to accept this "illness" just
like someone with diabetes.
Needless to say, even with the meds, I just got by.
Anxietycentre.com and Stacey Ellertson came into my life,
and I discovered the truth about what I was experiencing.
Stacey, with his compassion and understanding, helped me
greatly. I am now three months into recovery, thanks to Stacey
and anxietycentre.com, and have no plans to look back.
Nick M, USA
By the time I encountered Stacey,
I was at my wits end. I had been to countless specialists
and read every book and there was no improvement. That gentle
and understanding voice at the end of the phone became my
hope.
Stacey has a great combination of deep
experience mixed with compassion while also not accepting
any excuses. I am almost recovered from what was easily the
worst period in my life.
N.C., Europe
Six months of counselling are coming to a close. Six months
of looking at my past, pausing in my present and gazing toward
my future - six long months of gut wrenching discovery and
light-bulb popping realizations. If I could, would I change
what lay in the dust behind me? You bet! Will I use that
dust to mold the future diarama ahead - Yes!
Decade after decade I was whatever "you" wanted
me to be. I set you up in the control tower and said, steer
my ship; direct my path; and, make my decisions - and, you
did. Now I say "Stop!" I breath deeply, I open
my eyes and I see all around me as the traffic in my life
grounds to a halt. I move into the control tower and I start
finding the pieces that are me - attitudes, values, belief
systems.
"Go", I say. In unison,
the wheels begin to turn once more. I am gathering data
like a software program might conduct a search when you
type in the right word. I am compiling and analysing and
storing so I can be truly me in the middle of all the decisions
I will make over the next decades of my life. My path may
be a little imperfect and the scenery may change along
the way but it will be me choosing which fork in the road
that I will take and what lies ahead will be my discovery
as I set my compass on true north - my wise old-woman's
heart.
