Michael's story
Michael found himself at his lowest point when he attempted to take his own life. He came to Ben to get the support he needed…
“I’d found myself at my lowest point last year. I was experiencing suicidal ideation and made an attempt to end my life.
“I was aware of Ben so I self-referred and it was a really good experience. My Case Manager worked with me to find out what I needed and she was very diligent. She helped me get the right support.
“I was given 8 sessions of counselling and I used that time to untangle the components that had led to me feeling suicidal. I then had two more sessions of counselling because there were still things to work through to aid my recovery.
“After finishing counselling, I’d cleared the backlog. Then I felt a bit directionless, like a blank slate, and I was overwhelmed by the possibilities, but in a good way. So it was recommended that I have some coaching which I hadn’t initially considered but I was willing to try.
“I had 8 sessions of life coaching. We spent the first few sessions working out what I actually wanted from coaching and then it helped me to understand myself, my goals, my strengths and challenges and how to approach them. It gave me a sense of perspective and the tools I needed to achieve my goals. The questions were useful and it helped me to set up my life to be conducive to long term happiness and wellbeing.
“Since coaching, I’ve grown massively as a person. I went from rock bottom to feeling like I’m doing things right now, not just for others, but for myself. I’m enamoured with the life that has emerged since last year.
“If it wasn’t for Ben, I’m not sure I’d be here today.
“I’m at a point where I appreciate what I have in my life. I feel optimistic, I have direction and control. I can feel things getting better and better by the day. I make choices more deliberately and I’m spending my energy in the right way. I can have difficult conversations with people now, knowing that working through it is better for everyone in the longer term.
“If you need support, it’s absolutely worth having the initial discussions to help figure out where you are and what you might need to get yourself going in the right direction. It’s made a massive difference to me and without it I may not be here today.”
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