Hello Mr. Folk,

I wanted to thank you for your wonderful ministry to anxiety sufferers. God used your website to bring me out of a pit of misery. I have had anxiety most of my life and a few traumatic events as an adult brought the anxiety to a new level. I thought it was a physiological problem so I began seeking medical help. Testing found nothing, but I continued to feel terrible so I sought help from natural doctors.

My body continued to react poorly to natural remedies and any medications. I was put on Lorazepam one year ago and I was on it for 5 weeks. Being on that and withdrawing from it was one of the more horrifying experiences of my life. I spent many days crying out to God asking Him to take me home or heal me.

One Sunday morning, I "happened" to run across your website. I read through the list of anxiety symptoms and also listened to your story. Wow, it sounded so close to mine. I kept thinking, "is this really stemming from my thinking…there just has to be something wrong with my body." Well, I continued to worsen and was to the point where I could not drive and could not be left alone because I was so anxious. I was an adult, and me and my children needed a babysitter! I was mostly only sleeping one hour a night.

Through a series of events, God brought me to the end of myself and I could not deny that I needed help with my anxiety and that the anxiety was the cause of my symptoms and not the other way around. I became a member of your website and started reading all of the information. It was like it was written just for me. I also ordered one of the relaxation CD's which was so helpful. I also asked to be referred to a counselor.

I will never forget my first appointment with her. Sue Waugh finally gave me hope and help. She spent the first several appointments giving me lifestyle changes to make in order to help my body relax, and also ways to help me change my thought patterns. It was so great having someone be so honest with me and to push me to make changes even when it was hard.

The hard work paid off and I began seeing changes. We then moved into dealing with situations in my past and present and how I was dealing with them. She opened my eyes to how controlling I have been all of my life and also why, and that everything (including myself) does not have to be perfect. It was so freeing! I just so appreciate her being my cheerleader and also teacher. When I would get discouraged, she would keep me on track.

I now drive, laugh, smile, sleep, play with my family, take time for myself, know that God is in control, (not me, thank goodness!) and many other good changes! I am living life like never before!

My family and I thank you for the help of your website and for referring me to Sue. My husband tells me almost everyday he is amazed at the changes. I have referred several people to your website. I pray they contact you to take a step towards freedom!

We cannot thank you enough!

Sincerely,

Kayleen C., USA

Hi Jim

I just wanted to congratulate you on your wonderful organization. Four years ago I recovered from chronic, crippling anxiety with the help of one your counsellors, Sue Waugh. I am happy to say I have been feeling great for four years now and I know I will continue to do so.  

I have had life's ups and downs in the past four years but I feel so empowered by what I learnt from you that anxiety just doesn't surface. I feel like I focus on the right thoughts that come naturally now. 

I also have to say your teachings have helped my young son, too. For various reasons a few years ago, I started to recognize my son was becoming anxious. Being 11 years old, he panicked about what he was feeling and was convinced he had some sort of health issues. I immediately recognized what the problem was and implemented your teachings. I worked on his thinking, explained to him what was happening to his body, told him to let the symptoms just come and go, meditated with him daily, and within a month, he was back to being my normal young son. He really did learn a great deal from the experience. Two years on, he is perfectly fine. Whilst it was nothing serious, I felt I taught him some life skills due to you guys. So a big thank you to you.

I hope you and your family and team are well. Please pass on my warmest regards to Sue.

God Bless

Regards
Maria J., Australia

Dear Jim,

I just want to let you and others know how great a counsellor Sue is. I finished my counselling sessions with Sue 6 months ago, after spending a year working with her, and I am doing great! The last 6 months have also been the busiest time of my life with the most change (a new job, welcoming a new child, and a new house) and I have handled it all great!  

Looking back, I never knew that I was living my life with anxiety. It was only when I pushed myself over the top and developed anxiety/stress symptoms, and then stumbled onto this website and started working with Sue, that I knew that I had suffered with anxiety all my life. When I starting talking with Sue I was at a low point. Sue very quickly determined the negative behaviors that were causing me stress and anxiety. These were all behaviors that I had learned from my childhood, my parents, and my life experiences.

Once I dealt with the past and was able to notice these negative behaviors, the hard work really began. Sue provided me with many new tools and insights to help change these behaviors.  Sue was very patient and encouraged me during this process.

With Sue being located in Australia and myself in Canada, I found it very convenient to have sessions over the phone (using SKYPE) as Sue was available on Sundays or in the evenings in North America.

Thank you Jim for this great website, and thank you Sue for helping me deal with the behaviors that were causing me anxiety.

Mike, Canada

Twelve months ago anxiety was ruling my life. Three failed attempts at counselling and endless doctors that wanted to medicate me, I thought I had to live with this condition forever.

Then, a random Google search changed my life. I stumbled upon the Anxiety Centre and whilst I proceeded with caution, it was my last hope.  Wow, I wish I had discovered you 10 years earlier!

I started counselling with Sue Waugh in November last year. Her approach was different to everyone else I had seen and knowing she had gone through what I had, made me feel like she understood and didn't think I was crazy. She was so supportive and very quickly I noticed improvements. Now 11 months later I no longer see Sue but I am a new person!

For the first time I am living my life without fear and looking forward to a world of opportunity that I can now confidently embrace.

Sue has changed my life and I can't thank her and the Anxiety Centre enough.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

K.K., Australia

I had started experiencing anxiety symptoms the last couple of years off and on, and at one point was experiencing severe burning nerve pain in various parts of my body and was waiting to see a neurologist to rule out Multiple Sclerosis or other physical conditions. Somehow I felt that all the physical symptoms I had been undergoing were all stress and anxiety related and I kept searching the internet for information.

I came across your site, and read through all of the information available and felt confirmation that I had to get serious and deal with my thinking habits and inherited/learned personality traits that were contributing to my ill health. I worked with Sue Tavener Waugh and it was very enlightening to connect with some of the childhood experiences and relationships that were at the root of some of my negative beliefs about myself, as well as to work through why I had developed such a pattern of stress reaction and worry during my life.

Over time, my physical symptoms subsided and I now do not experience any significant levels of anxiety and have the tools to relax myself and put life events into perspective so that I am not creating unnecessary stressful thoughts and reactions. It is a journey well worth taking and I would recommend Sue highly.

I have also referred your website to several other people dealing with anxiety. Thank you so much for all of the information and services you provide.

God Bless

S.T., USA

Dear Sue

I have such great appreciation for our weekly counselling sessions. Without these I would not have been able to overcome my panic attacks, dizziness and so many other symptoms. I had tried a couple of psychologists and they were of no help. Your patience with my symptoms and listening to what I had to say weekly were the things that have gotten me on the road to recovery.. Then providing with my homework to support our session and move forward with healing..

I do not know what led me to the anxietycentre.com website – probably God. . I believe I was searching for help for my panic attacks, my life and came upon the wonderful website. The discussion forum has been a godsend. I have used it extensively to help with my healing along with the counselling.

I have been able to heal weekly and rather quickly due to your great advice and listening ear. I can’t thank you enough for your help, pointing me to tools like books, tasks and the anietycentre.com to help with my recovery. I was crippled with anxiety for many years and Extensively this last year.

I am healing daily after I became a member of your website and started our counselling.

Thanks again,. May God continue to bless you, all the others at anxietycentre.com, and the work that you do. It has truly changed my life.

With great respect and wishes,

D.B., USA

Dear Jim,

I just want to comment on how great Sue is as a counselor. She has become a friend that I can ask any question to. She was so encouraging and helped me in ways I hadn't expected when I signed up. She has brought me through to being a stronger, more confident person.

Your web site is also fabulous. It has so much information, states the issues so clearly and all is very simple to understand.

Thank you so much for having this web site and these counselors available.

Eleanor, Canada

I love this website and my coach, Susan W. I have struggled with panic attacks all my life. I have tried everything to stop them. I've tried medication that helped for a little while, but then the anxiety came back. I have been in three mental hospitals for anxiety. I have also seen several therapists. Nothing has stopped my anxiety until now.

I highly recommend the coaching on this website. Its worth every penny and all you have to do is be willing to do the work.

The tools taught through coaching will help keep your anxiety away. Its the best thing that has ever happened to me.

Thank You, Anxietycentre.

C.C., USA

I want you to know I appreciate your help and I will never forget you and what you did for me. I am free and I am healthy.

This past year has not been without its challenges. In fact, it had more stressful events than most years. Many of them we major life events. But I have to tell you, despite the challenges, I have had no anxiety. I have no fear. I take care of myself. I have healthy boundaries. I grow everyday. I am not afraid of my emotions or expressing them. I find my life is richer everyday and my relationships are more genuine. I accept all challenges as new adventures and opportunities for me to grow. I know how to grieve my losses and I enter into the process willingly. I know who I am.

I don't know where I would be without you. Everyday I am grateful for being able to mature with you helping me.

April S., USA

Counselling over the phone has been great. It doesn't matter where the therapist is - you can still get help.

S.T., Australia

Dear Sue,

First off, let me say Thank You, Thank You , Thank You. I know it is only by the grace of God that I found the Anxietycentre website. I read the information and started implementing the self help work on my own. After a few weeks it was clear to me that I needed more help to uncover the underlying factors that attributed to my anxiety. It was hard to admit and accept but I knew that I was impeding my own recovery.

Having spoken to a therapist locally with no results but the continued offer of medication, I was reluctant and unsure what, if any help counseling would be. I called in and was set up with my initial appointment with Sue. Sue was exactly the personality that I needed. It was a relief to know that she knew exactly what I was experiencing and reassuring to know that she and all the other counselors at Anxiety Center had experienced and conquered anxiety. If anyone had the answers, it had to be her.

It has been several months. I look back now and don’t even recognize the person I was. I have grown more in the last several months than I could ever imagine. My road was not easy. It was challenging, hard, and sometimes even scary. For anyone reading this, if you really want to be done with an anxiety disorder, completely, then please look into counseling here. If you commit to the work, it will be the best investment you ever made. You will be free.

Sue… there will always be a special place in my heart for you. I am forever grateful for the opportunity to learn and grow with your help.

A.S., USA

Looking back, I believe I have suffered with anxiety all my life. Over the last 25 years, as an adult, I have had my share of ups and downs, all which have contributed to my of varying degrees of anxiety.

Late in 2007, I experienced a full-blown anxiety attack. I was sitting watching a movie with my husband and my eight-year-old daughter when it hit me, out of the blue. Panic, vomiting, churning stomach, sweating, and the feeling I was going insane. I was terrified. Although I knew what was happening, I didn't know what had triggered it, and that is what scared me the most. It felt like I had no control over these feelings!

Two days later I saw my doctor. I was prescribed very mild anti-depressant medication, which I have never taken. I got on the computer and searched the web so I could learn about anxiety and what caused it. Words cannot describe my feelings when I found your web site. I spent nights reading the information, this was the beginning of my healing process. I didn't feel alone.

I needed professional guidance. Deep down I knew I couldn't unravel all my negative thought patterns I had taught myself over the years. Medicating myself was definitely out of the question (I knew it was only going to be a short term fix). I needed to address the cause, not the symptoms.

For nearly 12 months I have been meeting with Sue weekly. As part of my healing process, I have opened up and shared very personal information with Sue. It has been very hard for me to bring those feelings and (sometimes very scary) thoughts to the surface and acknowledge, accept, or reject them. Sue's guidance, patience, and understanding has allowed me to grow and move forward at a pace I feel comfortable with.

During our sessions, Sue provided me with tools to begin my healing. Tools to recognize my self worth, tools to acknowledge my contribution to my family as a mother and wife. But most importantly, tools to help give meaning to my life on a daily basis.

I feel a different person today than I was 12 months ago. I am on the road to recovery. My persistent anxiety symptoms have diminished.

This may sound strange from an anxiety sufferer, but my aim is not to eliminate anxiety, my hope is to feel a level of anxiety that is appropriate to the situation. And I expect that will happen as my 'tool box' continues to be filled with the right information and tools to help me build a stronger and more resilient me.

For me personally, having the sessions over the phone, in my own environment is great.

Thank you

D.L., Australia

Hi Marilyn,

I don't know if you remember me. I have Sue as my counsellor and when I started personal counselling you were my counsellor for a while and Sue was listening in, training I presume. After a while Sue then became my counsellor.

I am writing to let you know that Sue is absolutely fantastic. I have gone from being an absolute wreck who at my lowest thought quite seriously about suicide. I just couldn't find a way out of the mess I found myself in. I thought I'd be an anxious mess for the rest of my life.

I really clicked with Sue. With her patience and guidance she has pulled me through a very difficult part of my life. I have been taught skills that I know will remain with me for the rest of my life. I'm almost a year into my therapy and I'm doing so well.

My mum was diagnosed with ALS 18 months ago and has deteriorated and continues to do so. So many of my friends told me that I wouldn't recover until my mum passes away. That made me even more anxious. I felt I had little hope. I'm happy to say that yes my mum is still around but I'm almost my normal self. Sue has pulled me through this despite my life’s challenges. I'm now able to spend quality time with my mum. I don't feel sick to the stomach when I see mum or rather her condition. I have been able to get past mums illness and realise that she is still my wonderful mum that I love dearly.

Sue has helped me develop coping skills. She is the voice of reason. I can't thank her enough for all her help. I just wanted to let you know what a wonderful counsellor you have as part of your staff. I now can smile.

Thank you to the Anxiety Centre and especially to Sue.
God Bless

M. J., Australia