CLIENTS' CONTRIBUTIONS

“In meditation it is possible to dive deeper into the mind, to a place where there is no disturbance and there is absolute solitude. It is at this point in the profound stillness that the sound of the mind can be heard” A.E.I Falconar (1926 - Present)

The Reach Approach - Contributions

“To seek visions, to dream dreams, is essential and it is also essential to try new ways of living, to make room for serious experimentation, to respect the effort even when it fails. “
Adrienne Rich (1929 - present)

We Sow, We Reap

Know this truth, have no doubt
Whatever we put in we get out
Whatever we sow we will reap
Know this truth the universe will keep

Action equals reaction, we take, we should give
Remember the principle by which we live
Take heed of this maxim that’s sure and true:
Whatever you do comes right back to you

If we sow negativity we reap discouragement
If we sow neglect we reap disconnectedness
If we sow anger we reap hate
If we sow oppression we reap retaliation

If we sow anxiety we reap fear
If we sow deceit we reap distrust
If we sow mistrust we reap disbelief
If we sow disenchantment we reap disillusionment

But…

If we sow hope we reap optimism
If we sow encouragement we reap confidence
If we sow happiness, we reap joy
If we sow potential we reap possibilities

If we sow acceptance we reap contentment
If we sow positive affirmations we reap self worth
If we sow affection we reap warmth
If we sow acknowledgement we reap appreciation

If we sow dedication we reap commitment
If we sow empathy we reap understanding
If we sow tolerance we reap patience
If we sow tenderness we reap compassion

If we sow peace we reap harmony
If we sow kindness we reap generosity
If we sow goodness we reap virtue
If we sow love we ultimately reap truth

Anon, March 2010

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful and committed citizens can change the world…. It’s the only thing that ever has.
Margaret Mead (1901 - 1978)

There Is No December Here

God has kept me beautiful for a reason.

But I feel so anxious!! I’m trying to console myself with ‘Feel the Fear and do It Anyway’. This conflicts with my truth ‘I’m crap with courage’ torn like a ripped sheet, asking how do I mend it securely without the seam showing?

If the seam is visible maybe it represents growth and maturity?

Can I show my seam to the world without appearing weakened and vulnerable? I know if a seam is further traumatized it is never able to fully recover without cutting it out and starting again. The difficulty may be that the garment no longer fits its occupier as it is now shrunken and reduced!!

Maybe it’s worth the risk, as I will never know if I would make it unless I try.

I return to anxiety! And again console myself with there is no December here; this is my position; I remain scared, even petrified; yet I lean on the faith that all is well with me. My eyes fill up…

Paulette Haughton

“Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage”.
Anais Nin (1903 – 1977)

I've just started my journey with Reach and am overwhelmed by not only the amount of information but also the diversity of it. I feel like I am being 'seen' for the first time, especially by myself. In my work as a GP I'm focusing on helping to fix people's physical ailments having never really given any importance to the role of the mind. I've been fixated on the physical condition and it's as I am now approaching retirement that I've realised this is not enough for me. I'm not sure where my journey will end but I know I'm excited at the prospect of looking into the depths of me. There is some fear but I feel I'm in good hands. I've been using a number of the CDs and handouts and find them amazingly relevant and insightful. The beauty of my journey so far is I feel held and heard and that feeling of safety is helping my confidence grow. I would recommend anyone who's not sure of where they are going, to look in this direction. There is so much on offer.

Dr. Liz Clarke

"Fortune favours the brave."
Virgil (70 BC - 19 BC)

Personal Prayer

Today I give thanks for my amazing body.

I give thanks for my health and I enjoy the journey to becoming healthy.

I give thanks for my eyes that allow me to see the beauty that is around me.

I give thanks for my voice that allows me to earn and serve others.

I give thanks for my limbs that allow me to enjoy exercise, dance, hug, express, and enjoy my wonderful life.

I give thanks for my food and enjoy the freshness, colour and goodness of nature's garden.

I give thanks for my body for having energy and vitality to allow me to get enjoyment out of my life.

I give thanks to my home that makes me feel safe and secure and surrounded by colour, cleanliness, creativity and beauty.

I give thanks to my garden - full of vibrance, life and colour, showing me peace and silence and rest.

I give thanks to my beautiful husband for loving, caring and looking after me.

I give thanks to the wonderful life we have together - fun, laughter, kindness, friendship, happiness, joy, understanding and depth.

I give thanks to my family for being wonderful and supportive.

I give thanks to my friends for bringing happiness and joy into my life.

I give thanks to myself for bringing happiness and joy to the world.

I choose to live a life of health.

I choose to live a life of peace

I choose to live a life of beauty

I choose to live a life of energy and vitality

I choose to live a life of service

I choose to live a life of movement. dance, happiness and joy.

I choose to live a life of freshness and goodness

I choose to live a life of colour and beauty

I choose to live a life of peace and silence

I choose to live a life of fun, laughter, kindness and love

Marneta Veigas

“To keep a lamp burning we have to keep putting oil on it”

Mother Teresa (1910 - 1997)

10 point plan to achieve a better relationship VIP plan

Communication and Honesty
Make a pledge to be open and honest and to say things with kindness – if not wait until you can!
Compromise
Thinking about the other person and performing selfless acts. Also surrendering the need to be right.
Spontaneity
Taking the risk of looking silly. Being able to laugh at oneself. Cultivating a spirit of adventure.
Respect and Friendship
Make time to do things together – foster a culture of mutual respect. To say good things about each other every day. (This is important to help the relationship stay young!). Trust in each other’s abilities.
Quality Time
Set a time to do something every week! Come up with a set of non-negotiables e.g. badminton, table tennis, walking, bowling, sauna & steam, gym theatre, salsa, board games and watching DVDs as a family.
Responsibility
Change begins with me! So take the initiative to change - miracles are made. The only thing to fear is an unfulfilled life!
Accommodation
Be tolerant – pledge to talk about things when the dust settles to ensure things don’t fester beneath the surface. Don’t play the blame game – that way you can break negative cycles when discussing challenging issues. Be kind about the other’s shortcomings.
Fun & Laughter
Find ways to keep your relationship light and fun – Always keep laughter in your hearts.
Support & Encouragement
Encouraging each other wherever deficiencies exist, or there is a lack of motivation such as : with health & diet. Support each other in times of need – both empathy and sympathy are needed.
Love & Commitment
Be more loving, tactile and harmonious with each other. Commitment means a degree of sacrifice for the other person. Love does not count what it does!

Made by the VIPs

AKA Valerie Stanley-Brooks and Patrick Brooks

Hope this helps you - it has helped us strenghen our relationship and continues to do so.

“Action may not always bring happiness, but there is no happiness without action”

Benjamin Disraeli (1804 - 1881)

The Breath Is Life's Teacher

Observe me, says the Breath, and learn to live effortlessly in the present moment.
Feel me, says the Breath, and feel the Ebb and Flow of Life.
Allow me, says the Breath, and I’ll sustain and nourish you, filling you with energy and cleansing you of tension and fatigue.

Move with me, says the Breath, and I’ll invite your soul to dance.
Make sounds with me and I shall teach your soul to sing.
Follow me, says the Breath, and I’ll lead you out to the farthest reaches of the Universe, and inward to the deepest parts of your inner world.

Notice, says the Breath, that I am as valuable to you coming or going… that every part of my cycle is as necessary as another… that after I’m released, I return again and again… that even after a long pause – moments when nothing seems to happen – eventually I am there.

Each time I come, says the Breath, I am a gift from Life. And yet you release me without regret… without suffering… without fear.
Notice how you take me in, invites the Breath. Is it with joy… with gratitude…? Do you take me in fully… invite me into all the inner spaces of your home? …Or carefully into just inside the door?
What places in you am I not allowed to nourish?

And notice, says the Breath, how you release me. Do you hold me prisoner in closed up places in the body? Is my release resisted… do you let me go reluctantly, or easily?

And are my waves of Breath, of Life, as gentle as a quiet sea, softly smoothing sandy stretches of yourself….? Or anxious, urgent, choppy waves…?
Or the crashing tumult of a stormy sea…?

And can you feel me as the link between your inner and outer worlds… feel me as Life’s exchange between the Universe and You?
The Universe breathes me into You… You send me back to the Universe. I am the flow of life between every single part and the Whole.

Your attitude to me, says the Breath, is your attitude to Life.
Welcome me… embrace me fully. Let me nourish you completely, then set me free.
Move with me, dance with me, sing with me, sigh with me… Love me. Trust me. Don’t try to control me.

I am the Breath.
Life is the Musician.
You are the flute.
And music – creativity – depends on all of us. You are not the Creator… nor the Creation.
We are all a part of the process of Creativity… You, Life, and me: the Breath.

Donna Martin

"To a mind that is still the whole universe surrenders."

Chuang Tzu (369 - 286 BC)

Dear Easton

I am writing to express my appreciation of your CD ‘the Path of Least Resistance’.

I am 54 years old and I lead a particularly energetic existence. I regularly swim, cycle and dance modern jive. Over recent years I have experienced considerable distress and anxiety due to my neighbours playing thumping baseline music disturbing my sleep and disrupting my lifestyle. Whenever I can I like to sleep in the afternoons and your CD helps me to relax and it has never failed to send me to sleep when I have needed to sleep. Your voice is particularly warm and comforting.

I would like to celebrate all elements of the entire process of this CD but I have never consciously heard it all the way through because I’m usually asleep shortly after it starts! I have many CD’s but this one I have played more than any other.

The Path of Least Resistance is the most useful CD that I have ever heard.

Easton, know that you have my gratitude and my love. If ever I can do anything to help you then I would like to do so. (You have always been so supportive of me).

Keep well my friend

Love from Paul Davenport

“The man who, having abandoned all desires, goes onward without attachments, free from selfishness and vanity attains peace.”

Bhagavad Gita (5th-2nd Century BC)

Where do I start??

I am writing this today, a different woman. I first heard of Reach through someone who had been going for a number of years to see Judith. I didn’t believe that even with Reach's help that I could get better, as I’d had depression and major anxiety for about a year before hand. I’d had enough of feeling how I did, and knew that this wasn’t the person I once was. A lot had gone on in my life but these feelings had come from the unknown and I didn’t like feeling how I did and thought I had no way of getting out of it.

I stopped going out and became a recluse, hiding from my friends, giving up my hobbies and becoming estranged from my family and myself. I didn’t know who I was anymore. After calling and calling Judith nervously, wondering what Reach was about, I received a voicemail message back saying I was welcome to go along, and after arranging a time and day, my first session was here.

I’ve never looked back! I can honestly say that without Judith’s help, patience, advice and care I probably wouldn’t be the person I am today. I wouldn’t have been able to find myself again! And after many hurdles and set backs I am still here and better than ever! Week by week I felt and realised I was getting better and better and those horrible, anxiety-ridden, life wrecking feelings were subsiding.

I got through self-harming, a bad break up with my ex-partner and coming out as being gay and so many other issues that had piled themselves onto me which had made me feel like this in the first place. Without the work I am doing, perseverance, dedication and enjoyment I wouldn’t feel how I do! HAPPY! I’m my own woman now. I’m still on the path of learning to love myself, though this has MAJORLY improved.

I’m no longer full of sadness and anxiety, I look forward to everyday of my life and I have found so many new things and joys about myself that I cherish! I am a completely different woman who has gone from hating herself and hiding from the world to enjoying my own company and being as flamboyant as I am!! :)

I’d like to thank Judith from the bottom of my heart for ALWAYS listening, no matter what; for always being a phone call away and for her complete honesty, love and warmth.

xxxxxxx

Lou Halsey

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then is not an act but a habit.”

Aristotle (384BC – 322BC)

My journey with Reach has been like a beautiful romance that has lived up to everything it promised. The idea of falling in love with oneself seemed alien to me - new age nonsense to be frank. I now find myself eating humble pie. I have learned over the last year that to love oneself is not only possible but is absolutely necessary. I now feel I have some of the tools to sustain this romance. Who knows, I might even go on to find some one to share this with. For now I’m just enjoying the ride. Thank you, Easton – for keeping your word.

Steve B from Nottingham

“Let the beauty of what you love be what you do.”

Rumi (1207 – 1273)

Standing In The Slipstream of Success

I am standing in the slipstream of success...

Everything I need will come and find me....

I need not worry or panic...

It's flowing in and around me...

Everything I need is in front of me...

I learn from all my experiences and move forward...

My life is wonderful just as it is...

Every day in every way I'm getting stronger and stronger...

Everything I need comes to my door...

My heart is full...

My mind is full...

I want for nothing...

I'm standing in the slipstream of success...

Anon

"Our greatest experiences are to be found in our quietest moments."

Nietzsche (1844 - 1900)

I still can’t quite believe how much my life has changed. Once I got my head around the idea of ‘doing the work’, having procrastinated for months, I haven’t looked back. At times it feels like I’m flying! Thank you Jo for your tireless patience and invaluable wisdom. There’s still some way to go I know but the most beautiful thing is that I also know I will get there. I’m not afraid anymore. There are so many beautiful catch phrases I’ve picked up and made my own like: ‘you’re not defined by your mistakes, it’s how you respond to them that counts’, ‘application is the key’, and ‘courage sets you free’. If you’re thinking of taking this journey, then don’t hesitate. Although it can be challenging, it’s the best thing I’ve ever done.

Lynette Jacobs

“Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues but the parent of all others.”

Cicero (106BC – 43BC)

As some one who spends a lot of time on the net, I just wanted to say I love the site, love all the freebies and I particularly love the way that your philosophy hangs together. This idea of integration and holism is new to me. I certainly want to explore it further. The more I read, the less I feel I know, which is strangely reassuring as I’m comforted by the insights. Keep up the good work. I’ll stay in touch

Jennifer Owens, Penrith

“A person’s true wealth is the good he or she does in the world.”

Mohammed (570 – 632)

To anyone’s who’s interested, my journey with Reach has been one that has asked very difficult questions of me. The turning point for me was reading ‘Who Are You When No One’s Looking?’ I realized from reading that worksheet that I didn’t know who I was and my unexplained anxiety and panic actually for a time got worse. It was at this point that things slowly started to improve.

I felt heard and understood, this was new and so comforting. As the months have gone by I keep finding new bits of me which is lovely. So if this makes sense to anyone out there, then I can honestly recommend this path to you.

Tanya

“Genius is eternal patience.”

Michael Angelo (1475 – 1564)

When I learnt about the 3Ps (Patience, Practice and Perseverance) I realised that this was what had been missing. I felt like I’d been banging my head against a brick wall, spending far too much time complaining and criticizing. When I was given this handout I quietly resented the implication that I might lack any of these qualities. However, it’s become obvious to me that I didn’t really understand what they even meant and so had little chance of applying them to my life. I’m finding the journey with Reach insightful and I’m learning so much about me. There have been times I’ve wondered ‘why am I doing this?’ but I’m so glad I’ve persevered because twelve months on from starting my journey I feel really alive. I’m taking risks I’ve never taken before. I believe in myself in a way I didn’t know was possible and I’m learning that if you practice with patience you become kinder and life is kinder to you. I will continue to practice. The patience may take a little longer to come!

Dominic, Edinburgh

“Where there is hatred, let me sow love. Where there is injury, pardon. Where there is doubt, faith.”

St Francis of Assisi (1181 – 1226)

I have tried over the last ten years to find my solutions in so many places, and could never find anything that fitted. I turned up at Reach’s door desperate but not really believing an answer existed for me. Thank God for the kindness and warmth I was shown in that first meeting. I was lost and scared. But right from that initial contact a little spark of hope was ignited and though I am far from fixed, I do now believe it will happen. I can see that I am starting to get my life back and that is truly amazing. I am actually learning to like myself and feel valued which helps. The worksheets also help, the more I read the clearer things become. Now I’ve found something that has given me belief in myself I will not throw away this chance.

Anne Bolton

“We must walk consciously only part way toward our goal and then leap in the dark to our success.”

Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862)

It has been such hard work looking at the issues that brought me to therapy. My anger frightened me and I hated how it changed my state of mind and spoilt my relationships. I was a mess. I had no self respect, leading a half-life where there was nothing wholesome, nothing nurturing. I love the holistic aspect of the work I do with Easton. I’m learning to feed my mind properly and also to treat by body with respect. I’m learning that each impacts deeply on the other. It’s been a revelation to me - literally like breathing in fresh air again when I had been breathing toxic gas. Thank you will never be a big enough word ….. but for now it’s all I’ve got!! THANK YOU.

David Croft

“Respect yourself and others will respect you.”

Confucius (551BC-479BC)

A poem by Ayesha

People say I have black, white, Chinese, Asian features

Like they’re all a different breed of creatures

I would have thought we share one common human race

But looking at society!... that's not the case

Every sub-race is appointed their place

Areas, schools, jobs, you'll see a particular shade of face

But what happens when these shades create a new type of blend?

Should the child choose, ignore or pretend?

Should there become a sub-sub-race with a different culture and trend?

Or shall she pick both sides to defend?

So she'll pick a team, like the one she feels inside

Head up high, wears her new identity with pride!

But what’s this??... Breed? Mongrel? coming from the ones she thought were on her side?

Self loathing, confusion, hidden. Feels that in no one she can confide

Memories are evoked of the first days of school

Being asked where she comes from!... Kids can be so cruel

She continues to hear... "why don't you go back home?"

Like in this place she wasn't welcome to roam

But don't let me start about who's welcome where

The history of brutality have people forgotten? Do they care?

So much wisdom, knowledge and power, brought down and left with faith and prayer

Now they’re the ones in debt!? Tell me!... how is this fair?

She carries it everyday deep within

With half and half she feels no one can win

This internalisation of the old, long fight

The battle between being BLACK and WHITE

Ayesha

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We are born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us, it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

Nelson Mandela (1918 - present)

“Since starting my work with my counsellor from Reach I can honestly say I feel like a different person. When I started the work I was in a very dark place, I was self harming and constantly punishing myself for anything bad that happened in my life whether it was my fault or not. Through my work with Judith I began to see that things weren’t always my fault and I didn’t need to punish myself. I began to see what other’s saw in me, the loving caring, trustworthy person I was and when ever I found myself entering the dark places again I was able to bring myself back out by using the techniques I was taught during my sessions with Judith.

I would like to thank Judith for helping me and making me believe in myself, I really don’t know where I would be without her help.”

Becky

“When you are inspired by some great purpose, some extraordinary project, all your thoughts break their bonds; your mind transcends limitation, your consciousness expands in every direction, and you find yourself in a new, great and wonderful world. Dormant forces, faculties and talents become alive and you discover yourself to be a greater person by far than you ever dreamed yourself to be.”

Patanjali (1st-3rd century BC)

My journey with Reach woke me up after being anaesthetized by life; I had little expectation and I believed that my life was okay, however if my heart were to speak it would have felt something totally different.

After each session all aspects of me would experience a sense of pure love radiating from the heart. I was soon to understand after only 6 sessions that I was on my way to rediscover and to fall madly and deeply in love with myself. This was quite a revelation. When I first came to Reach I was told that I had been held together by Evo Stick, not even Superglue. After 9 sessions I truly believe that I am held together with love. My heart not only believes in me but honours me, which is totally transforming.

My sessions have become very much food that my heart has fed on very happily. This in turn has created clarity and sharpness in my life - it has certainly nourished me and has made me complete.

Reach has been my portal of hope and I give thanks to my inspirational and loving teach/sufi for leading and guiding me to the innermost part of my spirit.

Namaste

The Six Mistakes of Man

The illusion that personal gain is made up of crushing others
The tendency to worry about things that cannot be changed or corrected
Insisting that a thing is impossible because we believe we cannot accomplish it
Refusing to set aside trivial preferences
Neglecting development and refinement of the mind and not acquiring the habit of reading and study
Attempting to compel others to believe and live as we do

Marcus Tullius Cicero. (106 BC - 43 BC)

I came to Reach in 2002 following a period of depression after having my first child. Pregnant with my second I was keen not to experience it again and via a friend’s recommendation I was privileged enough to meet Jo Kilburn and walk upon an unimaginable journey to this present day. Jo showed me enormous kindness and friendship and my gratitude is immeasurable. I feel blessed to have discovered Reach, shared its knowledge and be able to offer it to others.

Reach has changed my life. I know how over used that phrase is, but it is the simple truth. It has enabled me to see things so much more clearly, exist so much more fully and enjoy life in ways I never thought possible. It has given me an enormous bag of tools such that whatever life presents, I am equipped. It has taught me that mistakes are all part of it, to be kind and gentle with myself, forgiveness and acceptance. There is not one relationship I have with others that has not been greatly enhanced because of the years spent with Jo.

Aside from this, Reach has given me the biggest gift ever – and that was to be able to enjoy my children. To live in the moment and treasure their journey. To believe that I will parent them well. To know that I am free from my own personal experiences and they will know they are truly loved. To value what is truly important. I have no fear and I am free

My eldest daughter discovered me doing affirmations in front of a mirror this year. I offered a brief explanation and she seemed happy. Later I heard her explain to her little sister that in the bathroom was a magic mirror and that if you looked straight into it and spoke it made amazing things happen. Reach is my magic mirror.

Amanda S

“The predominant thought or the mental attitude is the magnet, and the law is that like attracts like, consequently, the mental attitude will invariably attract such conditions as correspond to its nature.”

Charles Haanel (1866-1949)

It's hard to know exactly where to begin when trying to capture in words the magic of the journey I have undertaken because of Easton Hamilton, so I shall begin at the beginning.

The first time I met Easton I had travelled 3 hours on the train from Aberystwyth where I was at university. I had just turned 21 and two of my best friends had both begun therapy with Easton because of difficulties in their lives. Faced with similar difficulties – cripplingly low self esteem, severe bouts of depression and a fairly sizeable drug problem – they had both told me that Easton had basically blown their minds (that's how we talked, we were young people!) and could be of tremendous help to me. Seeing the change in them, and their budding enthusiasm for the process of personal growth and development, I was more than happy to make the six hour round trip to gain access to that kind of help.

Over the ensuing ten years (almost to the day, in fact, as I write this) my life has changed immeasurably. Everything I have ever managed to achieve in my adult life owes a debt in some way to seeds that have been sown through the unique relationship I have been lucky enough to form with Easton. He has displayed incredible wisdom, kindness, boundless patience, empathy, humour, incredible faith in me, and an unbelievable honesty which has inspired me to try and do the same for others, and perhaps most importantly, for myself. He has helped me deal with all that life has thrown at me – from health difficulties to complicated personal relationships, and helped me face these situations with my head held high. I have been drug and alcohol free for 8 years now, and this is directly attributable to the work we have done together.

One of the many high points in our relationship came when my mother and I went to see Easton for a few sessions together. We had both undertaken our own therapeutic journeys but frequently ran into problems with each other. We had both suffered some fairly major trauma during my childhood, and we often argued bitterly, despite our best efforts and intentions. Our relationship has been completely transformed by the process that Easton facilitated, and is now incredibly mutually supportive and beneficial. I think it's fair to say that most people would have thought that it would have been impossible for us to achieve the kind of friendship we have now, and of all the many blessings I have received through my work with Reach, this is perhaps the one I am most grateful for.

I feel incredibly fortunate to have begun this journey at the very beginning of my adult life, although it is not over for me as I feel I’m still blossoming. Ten years down the line from that first meeting my journey is very well established. It is proving to be better than I could ever have hoped it would be, and that certainly wouldn't have been the case without the incredible work of Reach.

Paul, Birmingham

“Every thought of yours is a real thing – a force, and thoughts become things!”

Prentice Mulford (1834-1891)

I look back to how I felt and the person I projected at the start of this journey and I can barely recognise myself. Although those memories are very vivid, I feel a hundred miles away from who I was then.

I always new the real me was asleep somewhere inside of me, but I had no idea how to reach me! Through ‘Reach’ and my wonderful counsellor I found the courage to reach out to myself, to steer myself through what were some of the worst times of my life, the most difficult emotions I have ever experienced.

At times I felt as if I had been turned inside out. I felt physically sick, my body ached. I felt raw. All of the fears I had tried to run away from (and in doing so, had twisted me into someone I did not even recognise) were exposed. I was exhausted for a considerable amount of my journey but I always felt that I was supported and cradled by Judith and Easton. I felt that between them I was re-parented with the love, encouragement, guidance and security I now know I desire. A million ‘thank yous’ does not sufficiently express my gratitude.

I began this journey as the biggest skeptic you could ever imagine. I end it restored – with self- awareness I could not have imagined. I began feeling that my blockages lay in one area and found out that they lay in another. I found out how to take care of me, as a whole person – mind, body and spirit. I will continue to use this knowledge throughout my life. I know I am now equipped to meet the challenges of life head-on.

For the first time in a very long time I feel alive inside. I feel free, cleansed and confident in my own abilities. I want to live forever, as thoughts of my future now give me a warm glow.

I would sincerely encourage anyone who is suffering, whatever the cause, to take the plunge! Believe change is possible and trust that you will be safe. I remember feeling (before Reach) that if I opened up I would fall into a never-ending black hole and be drowned by my own self. Well, this did not happen and I am so happy I took the plunge and trusted someone else. This is definitely the BEST thing I have done in my life and for myself.

Jay

“See the things that you want as already yours. Know that they will come to you at need. Then let them come. Don’t fret and worry about them. Don’t think about your lack of them. Think of them as yours, as belonging to you, as already in your possession.”

Robert Collier (1885-1950)

PERSONAL PRAYER

I am peace, I am Love, I am abundant and I am success.

I am blessed with good health, creativity, humility and a great sense of humour.

I have found my purpose and it gives me great pleasure to be of service to others.

I give my best in all that I do and I overcome adversities with grace, humility, calmness and a sense of knowing that all will be ok.

From my place of stillness I easily re-connect with the divinity in me and as always I am eternally grateful to God who loves me endlessly, the universe which sustains me and to myself as I now appreciate the importance of being patient.

Deniese Wilson

“All men’s miseries derive from not being able to sit quiet in a room alone.”

Blaise Pascal 1623 - 1662

As the daughter of a violent alcoholic I had grown up to be what I can only describe as ‘half a person’. Crippled with depression and anxiety, I could not shake off my past. My memories of the abuse suffered by myself and my siblings and the horrific attacks on my Mother were always with me. I developed a drink problem at a young age (probably about 14), which I used to block everything out. This would continue fro the next 20 years, a growing drink problem, a huge self-destruct button and a tendency to ruin anything good in my life.

At the age of 34, a single Mother with 2 children, I hit rock bottom. I had met the love of my life and was going to lose him as I was pushing him away with drunken outbursts and arguments. I had hit such a low that my doctor had prescribed valium. I knew there must be another way. A colleague who had received counselling through Reach gave me the number for one of the counsellors –Judith. Knowing this might be my last chance to change my life, I started counselling. I thought it would just last 6 weeks or so, little did I know the journey I was about to undertake.

12 months on, my life has changed beyond all recognition. While at times my journey has been painful, the joy I have found and the peace in my life is nothing short of a miracle. I no longer drink, I have become a good Mother to my children and am about to marry the love of my life.

My journey is not over yet. I still have a little way to go but I know that with Reach I have the courage and support to get there. Without the help I have received I would probably be dead by now. My pain felt so huge that at times suicide was an option. At best I would be an alcoholic being a bad Mother and passing my pain onto another generation. I am dealing with my past and looking forward to my future.

Counselling with Reach has saved my life, please let it save yours.

Anon

“That a man can change himself ….. and master his own destiny is the conclusion of every mind who is wide awake to the power of right thought.”

Christian D. Larson (1866-1954)

The experience I had with Reach was no less than liberating. My guide was Elaine Jackson who is an inspirational woman and who has given me the tools I needed to be able to cope with all the things that life throws my way.

Throughout the process she was never judgmental, just encouraging and understanding and is the primary reason why I now feel complete, the total package and the real deal, just so, me!

Thank you for reading and it is your time to step into the light and shine.

Lou

“All that we are is a result of what we have thought.”

Buddha (563-483 B.C.)

Personal Prayer

I am healthy and well, beautiful and radiant. My aura is shining and the light of the divine consciousness shines through always.

My life is blessed with positive relationships with family and friends. I have a beautiful soul- mate, husband, friend and confidante. I have a divine relationship with my husband and our relationship allows us both to grow so much. I meet with my mother and father on equal terms. I have constructive, relaxed and positive relationships with my brothers and sisters. I have loving, respectful relationships with my children, nieces and nephews, which allows them to grow fully in my presence. My relationships with family and friends are stable and positive even in times of trauma and flux.

I am radiant. My skin is clear. My hair is shiny and healthy. I am toned, flexible, strong, soft and beautiful.

I have enabled beautiful children to be born as perfect incarnations of love and light within our lives. These children are healthy, well loved and wanted.

I am healthy and happy living and working with honesty and integrity. My life is filled with growing things, food in the garden, the children, the business and work that I do. I am living in a beautiful house, clear of clutter. It is warm and cosy, filled with love and laughter.

My family and I are physically, psychologically, spiritually, emotionally and financially balanced and healthy. We see wealth as a flowing system within our lives, all of which are full of abundance. I earn an honest living. There is always plenty. Enough to cover all my needs and provides for joy, space, relaxation, rest and silent time.

I trust and have faith in the process of life. I surrender and am devoted to my path in the universe. I feel grateful, blessed and happy. My life is filled with joy, love and laughter.

I am healthy and well, beautiful and radiant. My aura is shining and the light of the divine consciousness shines through always.

All things are possible through God.

Anon

“If it is a new thought to you that gratitude brings your whole mind into closer harmony with the creative energies of the universe consider it well, and you will see that it is true.”

Wallace Wattles (1860-1911)

Dearest Easton

Thank you for nurturing the power within me and supporting this part of the journey. Although it has been incredibly hard at times I have always felt safe and gently guided. I now feel as though light has flooded into my life filling and illuminating the dark corners that I didn’t even know existed.

Love, light and radiance (with dimmer switch included!)

Monica

“Many people who order their lives rightly in all other ways are kept in poverty by their lack of gratitude.”

Wallace Wattles (1860-1911)

Dear Narinder,

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you and Reach’s holistic philosophy that has been a life changing experience for me.

I came to Reach at the age of 40. My life had been full of pain, anger, abuse, deceit and hate; I did not know who I was or where my life was heading.

I was so full of explosive anger and that anger would affect the closest people to me. Then the guilt and anger would fester inside me for what I had said and done and I would then punish myself. I would feel ugly, unloved, unwanted, alone, slowly sinking into a dark, deep hole. I had no one to talk to. Family and friends would come to me with their problems, but I had no one to talk to about mine. People assumed that I was ok because I had always put on this pretence that I was.

I was the survivor, not the victim of the horrible abuse my brother and sister and I had received from our Step Father. Everyone assumed I was ok because I was not into drugs, I had no drink problems like them, but I was not. I needed to be there for them and their problems, which still today affect them, because I knew what they were feeling - the disgust, the self hate, the guilt, it was overpowering at times, and I had to be the strong one so they had someone to fall on and to pick them up when they hit rock bottom. But who was there for me? I could not phone them up when I was hurting or being beaten by my partner. I had to do it alone. I built up a big, thick brick wall around me which I kept myself in - lost, alone, a poor little child in an adult’s body, trying to live a normal life, raising a daughter to have everything I never had - normality, love, affection, religion, security, stability, a Father, an education.

I am happy to say I have achieved all these things with my daughter through determination and hard work.

Since I was a child I would never cry and I still can’t cry. I had to be this strong defiant child who would not give my Step Father the satisfaction of seeing me cry when he beat and sexually abused me. Even at a really young age I had this will in me to be strong and yes, it has helped me a lot, but it has also stopped me letting people get too close.

I thought I was a survivor but because I did not love myself enough, as I grew up, I went into relationships where my partner started beating me and again I would be defiant and not cry and try and fight back. I went through this in my teens, my twenties and the beatings stopped when I met my husband in my thirties. However, because I was used to the beatings etc, it took a long time to realise that not all men hit women and that a man can love you unconditionally, as my husband showed me by standing by me when I would shout, hit out at him, be sad and depressed. He would forgive me and tell me he loved me. Our relationship was not perfect but we stuck it out and with the help of Reach we are still together.

Since coming to Reach my life has changed completely and no, it was not easy facing the truth. However, the trust between me and Narinder developed very quickly. To have someone to sit down and talk to about what I have been through and what I was still going through and not be judged and not be made to feel ashamed, was life changing. Slowly, week by week I started to let go of the shame and guilt of being abused, realising that it was not my fault, and that I needed to learn to love myself and love my inner child and to let go of the past and look to my future.

And what a future I have got now. I am happily married after 12 years of being with my daughter’s Father, because I could now love myself and was now able to let my partner in. They say life begins at 40 and yes it does for me! My 40’s have been the best years of my life. I am only 42 now but WOW these last two years have been wonderful, life changing, uplifting, magical, and yes hard at times. I know I will have to carry on with working on myself by eating well, drinking the water, affirmations, mirror work and taking care of my inner child. I will because Reach has given me the tools to work with and it’s now down to me to carry on with the work on myself and I am a witness that the holistic work Reach offers to their clients really works. Look at me!

My sessions have now finished with you, Narinder and it was quite sad for me as I have grown very close to you. You know everything about me, you have never judged me, you have listened to me and were there for me and I will never forget you or Reach for all the wonderful work you have done for me. My life is happy and complete and I look to the future with happiness and not dread.

Debbie

“Imagination is everything! It is the preview of life’s coming attractions.”

Albert Einstein (1879-1955)

Following the breakdown of a ten year relationship, I was lucky enough to be recommended and referred to Elaine at Reach. I visited her within two weeks of my breakup and I was in a complete mess. She agreed to work with me.

The following week we set out the boundaries and the Reach Approach was fully explained to me. We agreed to meet on a weekly basis and I soon learned through my sessions, that there are many other ways of dealing with my emotions and limitations. I have learned to accept my past, deal with my insecurities and recognise that the many things that have happened can be dismantled, accepted and looked at in a new light. The past cannot be changed but it can be seen and viewed very differently.

I now realise that I am responsible for my own actions and others are responsible for theirs. I also recognise that I have a responsibility to love and nurture myself and the Reach Approach has definitely made all the difference. I can honestly say that without Elaine’s help and intervention I could not have moved on so quickly, if at all.

I have continued to see Elaine on a regular basis, now fortnightly, as I find it invaluable to all aspects of my life and growth.

I can only thank Elaine for all her assistance, support, consistency and ongoing encouragement and I am so aware that, ‘when the pupil is ready, the teacher will come’. I thank the universe and Reach for my teacher.

Ruth D

“Whatever the mind can conceive it can achieve.”

W. Clement Stone (1902-2002)

Dear Easton

I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart for your kindness to me. I have been totally overwhelmed and have had trouble collecting my thoughts in order to thank you.

When I sent you the small donation I felt it would only partly cover the cost of the CDs you had sent me and I really wanted to show my appreciation. When you not only returned the draft, but sent me two more CDs as well, I was flabbergasted.

Even though we have never met, I would like very much to be able to pattern my life after you. You are a humble and unique human being and I feel so blessed that our paths have crossed.

You could not have sent me anything that I would treasure more than I do the CDs. You will be pleased to hear that they could not have arrived at a better time. Early that very morning, February 28th, I had received the news that my very much loved elder brother Bill had passed away. It was a sad time. There was a snow storm in the province where he was and it was impossible to get to him, either by car or plane. I was feeling shattered and anxious. As soon as the CDs arrived I went to my room and played them both. I have played them several times each day since then and they have helped me to cope, calmed me and my blood pressure has remained stable.

The first one I played was ‘The Power of Thank You’. It was so right for that moment. As soon as I heard your voice, I felt safe. I was no longer alone and was able to calm myself. My anxiety became much more manageable and my sadness easier to bear and I began to give thanks for his life.

I would also like to thank you for the literature you sent for me. I am finding the readings interesting and informative. I know that as time goes by and I am able to study them at length and put them into practice I will benefit greatly from them, just as I have from your wonderful CDs.

There are times when we would not be able to cope with life without the help of family and friends, especially those ‘invisible’ friends who do the most incredible kindnesses.

I sincerely hope that at some time I will be able in some way to make a positive difference in some one’s life, the way you have in mine. My thanks again.

In friendship and with much love,

Lydia, Canada

“The spiritual substance from which comes all visible wealth is never depleted. It is right with you all the time and responds to your faith in it and your demands on it.”

Charles Fillmore (1854-1948)

I genuinely don’t know any lonelier place in life than one of being in a place of anxiety and panic. Not anxiety of an everyday occurrence but one of sheer terror when you don’t know if the next moment is going to be your last, one that causes you to shake, scream, hide, run, cry all at the same time. One that overshadows every waking thought, one that runs through your broken sleep to the point where exhaustion upon exhaustion drains your broken body and fills your mind with such sadness, such despair that you lack hope in every area of your life.

The more inward you become, as a result of the terror, the more you analyse every symptom physical and emotional, to the point of withdrawal from those around you. This in turn becomes a way of life. Those that want to help can offer you no way back, how could they, they don’t know how you got there in the first place and neither do you.

What if there was a map, what if someone said to you, ‘I know the place you’re in all too well for I have been there, and something in their tone of voice makes you lift your head and take note, instinctively you recognize something in that someone’s voice that’s unspoken, that is reaching out to you.

So, instinctively you reach out one last time with every last bit of energy you can muster and little by little unconditional love and support ebb and flow in your direction and slowly lead you out of that place of loneliness, fear and exhaustion. This I believe is the essence of Reach, for I have been where you are and I am being gently led down this road out of the darkest place in my life.

If you are in that place I have spoken of, then I say to you, Reach with every last bit of energy you have. Reach because here there lies a map, where you will be taken by the hand and led to a more peaceful place and if you fall, as you may again, you will be gently picked up until you are led out of that place.

With all my heart I say to whoever reads this, I understand in my own way how you feel. Let this be the day you lift up your head, ‘there is a way out of this pain. Just begin to Reach’.

Stuart Morris

“The good news is that the moment you decide that what you know is more important than what you have been taught to believe, you will have shifted gears in your quest for abundance. Success comes from within not from without.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)

Personal Prayer

I am the Divine Presence

Filled with wisdom, grace, love, joy, serenity, compassion and insight

I am beautiful and healthy

Thinking thoughts filled with kindness, peace and love

I am filled with abundant, creative energy that manifests

In beautiful loving acts

That in turn creates abundance on every level for myself

And every life force that I have the privilege to touch

I support the Divine and ultimately humanity

I am so honoured

Omisona Fasina

“Let us remember, so far as we can, that every unpleasant thought is a bad thing put in the body.”

Prentice Mulford (1834-1891)

At the age of 29 I felt a bit lost in myself, didn’t know who I was or where I belonged. I certainly didn’t believe in myself or have any self-confidence. All I knew was that my past was still very much part of my life and I didn’t have any control over my life or where I was heading.

The day I met with Jo, a counsellor from Reach, was the day my life started to change…..I started to change. She supported me through hard times and helped me see the potential in me. She never judged me and I felt for the first time in my life that I could really be me without the ‘pretence’. I could be happy, sad, annoyed or excited and that was okay. Over the past 18 months I have come a long way. I got through…’I passed’.

The biggest challenges of my life were not to get through college or pass my driving test. It was to believe in me, trust in me and accept who I am, even the warts.

Well Jo, hope you are well, as for myself, I am still going strong, thanks for all your support. I will never forget it.

Best wishes always

Anon

“What you continue to resist will persist.”

Carl Jung (1875-1961)

Dear Easton,

Thank you so much for sending the CDs. I’ve been listening to them since I returned from New York on Friday and they are superb. I listened to ‘Beyond Limitations’ 5 this afternoon. I already feel they are making a difference. I really like the relaxing hypnosis effect and the visualisations and steady, unhurried way you speak on each CD. I am going to incorporate them into my daily programme, along with my affirmations, meditations and work on my diet. They will be a valuable part of my therapy. Thank you so much.

Helen

"My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness"

The Dalai Lama (1935 - present)

Personal Prayer

I am an expression of the Divine Self. The Divine Mind guides me. I am abundance. I am love, peace and harmony. Knowledge, wisdom and understanding reside with me – they are my teachers. Wisdom instructs me to ‘Know thy Self’.

My mission is to create abundance in human lives – that they may discover their Spirit selves – their power, their awesomeness, their ability to destroy mountains of fear, doubt and despair. I walk through valleys filled with laughter and orchards with exciting dreams. Those who know me are blessed and I, in turn, am blessed by knowing them.

Simon Hewitt

“Whether you think you can or think you can’t, either way you are right!”

Henry Ford (1863-1947)

I have always known of a beautiful place filled with all that I have ever wanted. Destined for it I packed my rucksack with all the things I knew. Years passed yet my goal eluded me. I discovered I was rooted by fear and weighed down by the past.

Although my journey is not yet over I now have a rucksack filled with enlightenment, inner peace and strength. Reach has been my support and navigator, my destination is my full potential.

Liz Bowskill

“Everyone visualises whether he knows it or not. Visualising is the great secret of success. We all possess more power and greater possibilities than we realise, and visualising is one of the greatest of these powers.”

Genevieve Behrend (1881-1960)

I first came to Reach and started seeing Easton in 2001. My life to date had been emotionally turbulent to say the least. I had sporadic periods of happiness through childhood, adolescence and into adulthood, but in the latter years had been spiraling into depression and had also been taking anti-depressants on and off.

The catalyst to my seeking help came after 3 years of being in an abusive relationship and then having a miscarriage. I was feeling extremely low and unable to cope with my day-to-day existence and felt I was going to have a breakdown of some sort.

When I visited Easton Hamilton for the first time he explained to me Reach’s philosophy. His approach was very holistic and I liked the fact he was treating me as an individual and looking at all aspects of my life from diet and nutrition to my life history as well as helping me to cope with any challenges with which I’m presented.

During the last 6 months I have actually been doing some work on myself that I should have been doing for the last three and a half years! I could somehow never manage to knuckle down to it. I only realised I finally had to do something about my life and personality after another failed relationship.

Having now had the experience of listening to tapes, following nutritional advice, doing my mirror work and writing and reciting my personal prayer 3 times a day, as well as lots of positive thinking I now feel so much better. I cope better with day to day life, even when things don’t appear to be going well! I haven’t taken anti-depressants for about 18 months and don’t think I ever will again.

Reach and Easton have given me the awareness, insight and enlightenment to see things differently and to think differently. There have been many times when if it hadn’t been for seeing Easton I know I wouldn’t be here to day. I owe my sanity and progression as a person to him.

He has been an inspiration in so many ways to me, through his knowledge, continual support without judging me and consistent personality, even through his own adversity and traumas.

I will always be grateful to Easton for helping and giving me the confidence and self-esteem to move forward in my life and more importantly make the changes needed for a successful and happy life and in return trying to help others!!

Thank you.

Jan Lazaridis

“Nothing can prevent your picture from coming into concrete form except the same power which gave it

birth – yourself.”

Genevieve Behrend (1881-1960)

Personal Prayer

In my heart, I have let go of the past,

I have forgiven myself for my mistakes,

And forgiven others for theirs.

I sit on the seat of self-respect,

Surrounded by beauty and serenity.

I depend on no-one for my well-being.

I am free of the need for others, I am self-sufficient.

Happiness and joy radiate from the innermost part of my being.

I need no external approval,

Because I know I am wonderful as I am,

A shining jewel, a miracle of recovery,

Beloved by God.

I am a powerhouse of peace.

I take every event just as it comes,

With love and detachment,

Stable as a Buddha, carefree as well as a well-loved child.

Laughter permeates my thoughts like a clear brook,

Pealing its joyful babble into my heart.

It has washed away the worries of my life.

Any block to progress has been removed:

Progress is constant, fast, permanent in its effects.

I notice that my inner child has been healed.

Giving enriches me.

I know how special and good I am:

I have integrated this truth about me into my life.

I do not cause anyone pain or sorrow.

I know how to respect and how to understand everyone.

I relate to everyone with love.

All my relationships are harmonious.

I feel no anger.

I am wise beyond my wildest dreams.

My life is exactly as I wish it to be:

Happy, peaceful, creative, prosperous, fulfilling, positive, helpful to others, useful.

Every moment is filled with precious and clear purpose.

I am beloved.

I live every moment in a spirit of forgiveness and gratitude.

Jocelyne Ansorge

“You create your own universe as you go along.”

Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

I contacted Reach (recommended by a friend) initially to get help with bereavement. I discovered that my responses to this bereavement highlighted wider personal difficulties that have affected my life since childhood. Although I was aware of these factors, I was having difficulty in moving forward emotionally and in my response to life in general. I wanted to commit myself to a broader programme of self-discovery and personal development. Although in a sense fearful of what I might discover I started on fortnightly sessions with my counsellor who was supportive, empathic, knowledgeable and non-judgmental. The sessions were flexible to meet my needs in a holistic way – but they were also challenging and difficult at times. They were clearly structured to support me on the journey I had undertaken. I was assured of safety and confidentiality.

Supporting tapes, readings and other strategies were suggested and these encouraged me to build in changes to the ways I viewed and conducted my life. I am I hope stronger, calmer, more confident and positive as a consequence. I feel a greater sense of balance and have more resources to help me ‘reach’ my potential. Thank you for your sensitivity and support.

Anon

“A person who sets his or her mind on the dark side of life, who lives over and over the misfortunes and disappointments of the past, prays for similar misfortunes and disappointments in the future. If you will see nothing but ill luck in the future, you are praying for such ill luck and will surely get it.”

Prentice Mulford (1834-1891)

Personal Prayer: When everything around me seems to go wrong

I am focused and clear in all that I do

I enjoy each day and the new challenges it brings

I am relaxed, happy and enjoy each day, both at work and at home

I am well respected and appreciated in all that I do

I enjoy a good work/life balance

The universe looks after me and helps me deal with all challenges

I have no fear of the present or the future

I am surrounded by beautiful things and wonderful people

My life is wonderful and infinitely rewarding

Gillian Wells

“I am whole, perfect, strong, powerful, loving, harmonious, and happy ….. this affirmation incorporates every single thing any human could want and will bring harmonious conditions to all things. The reason for this is the affirmation is in strict accordance with the truth and when truth appears every form of error or discord must necessarily disappear.”

Charles Haanel (1866-1949)

Easton Hamilton and the work of Reach aided me through the most challenging time of my life. It helped me regain my power, my faith in myself and reminded me to be the best I can be. Thank you for being my friend, my guide, my heaven-sent angel, Easton. From the beginning there was something about you that made me trust you completely. I am forever in your debt.

Lucinda Drayton. Bliss. Singer, Song Writer

“Man ultimately becomes what he thinks of himself.”

Dr Martin Luther King Jr (1926-1968)

Personal Prayer

Mother/Father God of this universe and beyond, give me the discipline to recognise my greatness and to learn from my weaknesses. Re-connect me with the ocean and unconditional love, knowledge, wisdom and truth that exist within me. Remind me that difference only exists in the mind and my neighbour is my brother/sister, I will learn to love them as I do myself. I appreciate my life experiences; I am grateful for my teachers who have been forgiving with my failings but equally patient and responsible for my growth. I thank you for helping me on my journey to endeavour to achieve my innermost wish – a desire to become whole.

V. Stanley

“Life can only be understood looking backwards but it must be lived looking forwards.”

Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (1844-1900)

Personal Prayer

I am a person at peace with myself, everything I touch turns to gold.

I am cool and calm in all situations. I am the best I can be in all that I do, even in the face of adversity.

My relationships are loving, satisfying and fulfilling. I bring out the best in others and they do in me.

In return the universe brings to me everything I need. Everything I need comes and finds me. It is by being still and trusting in the process of life that I become fulfilled and happy. Having learnt from my mistakes I no longer give my power away.

Jan Lazaridis

“The most efficient and effective way to overcome problems or adversity is by non-contention or yielding, which is not submission or capitulation, but exercising control by taking the way of least resistance.”

Lao Tzu (6th Century B.C.)

I arrived on your doorstep (in 2002) still half frozen from the brain haemorrhage and in a terrible quandary about my life and coping with Jim’s death. I remember that pain felt like the only thing that truly registered. You stepped in to that place with me and held my hand and helped me unravel it all and were able to help me understand and forgive myself. You’ve also helped me to unpick my marriage gently, a gift to us all – especially my boys.

I don’t know what I would have done without you, Easton – or how much I shall miss your warmth and good counsel. Take care sweet man and good luck in all your endeavours. The world needs you.

Carol Hughes

“When the personal life is cultivated, the family will be regulated; when the family is regulated, the state will be in order; and when the state is in order there will be peace throughout the world! All must regard cultivation of their personal life as the root or foundation of peace and order.”

Confucius (551-479 B.C.)

I marvel at how far my journey has taken me since it first began. I have often heard the saying “when a student is ready a teacher will be found”. I found my teacher long before I knew it.

My first contact with Easton from Reach was a strange one. A co-worker and I were having a conversation about how nice it is to find peaceful places but she did not mention a place, instead she mentioned a person. I had to meet him. She gave me his telephone number and my stalking of Easton began! I left at least 3 or 4 messages before he got back to me. He said he had no spaces but when one became available he would call. Being the most impatient person in the world I called him a couple of times to remind him I was still waiting. I guess not wanting to have to change his number because of my obsessive calls, he managed to squeeze me in!!

The moment I met him I thought “Good God, she is right, he is the most peaceful, kind, humble and loving man I have ever met and he had this amazing gift for making you feel comfortable, even special, in his presence.

I guess everyday people discover many treasures and treasured moments; meeting Easton is my treasure and most treasured moment.

I was in a dysfunctional marriage and could not see any way out; eventually when I did get the courage to leave, Easton became my greatest support, helping me to see things with clarity and love. I have managed to survive a hellish divorce. I’m worse off financially but the happiest I have been in years.

My laughter now comes from within my inner being and I enjoy laughing, it is not forced or just on the surface as most of us do when we are hurting. My anger is subsiding, I am finding that I have fewer friends but I care little about that. I am still learning; my greatest triumph will be to become more patient and to be more loving, but I’m truly on my way.

Deniese Wilson

“Take the first step in faith. You don’t have to see the whole staircase. Just take the first step!”

Dr Martin Luther King Jr (1926-1968)

I came to Reach as a near-anorexic, totally stressed woman with very little self-confidence and no hope of things getting any better, following a number of traumatic years.

I emerged 2 years later after seeing Jo, as a self-professed strong, confident woman with a love of life and a firm knowledge that life can be as good as I create it to be.

The ethos behind Reach that makes it different from other organizations I have come across is that it is 100% genuine – it isn’t about making profits but about making positive changes happen for people who need them.

I have recommended Reach’s services to several people and will continue to do so!

Anon

“Human beings are born soft and flexible; when they die they are hard and stiff …..… Plants arise soft and delicate; when they die they are withered and dry. Thus, the hard and stiff are disciples of death; the soft and flexible are disciples of life. Thus an inflexible army is not victorious; an un-bending tree will eventually break. The stiff and rigid will crumble and fall; the soft and flexible will rise.”

Lao Tzu (6th Century B.C.)

I came to Reach reeling from the trauma of recent life events, which had left me feeling confused, afraid and lost.

From the beginning Easton made me feel there was hope for me, that I would be able to recover and find clarity and fulfillment in my life. His sensitivity, strength, certainty, knowledge and humour carried me through dealing with the issues that were pressing and immediate.

Through this process I realised that to be truly free from my own self-limiting habits and ways of being I needed to be free from the negative aspects of my past. So I chose to walk the path of in-depth self-examination and it was at times very painful as I unearthed my low self-esteem, eating disorder, alcohol dependence and many more subtle yet self-sabotaging patterns. And at times it was a joyful experience because if this journey can be described as any one thing – it is liberating. I discovered an internal world I had been ignoring all my life.

The holistic approach Easton introduced me to is all-embracing, leaves no stone unturned. I came to understand that if I chose to walk the path of honesty and integrity there was nothing I could not achieve. Today I still know this to be true. The journey with Reach turned my life around. I know I still need to make the effort to sustain my changes but when I do this, it feels as though I am perpetually basking in the rays of a benevolent and gentle sun.

Cathy Kelly

“A person should only accept a doctrine if his own experience verifies it.”

Buddha (563-483 B.C.)

I have been with Reach for a few years now. The process began with an intense period of reflection about who I was, what I wanted to do, where I wanted to go. I pondered my problems, dug deep into my own resources, confronted my demons and learned to live with myself.

I also learned to look after myself in many ways, so that from day to day I live life to the full and enjoy it. I feel healthier, fitter and more alive than I have ever been, which means that I am better able to help myself and others. I work hard and I play hard. I also build in plenty of time for relaxation and reflection. There are challenges and disappointments along the way, but I honestly feel that I am doing my best, and that is a good feeling.

None of this would have been possible without the companionship of a wise and steadfast counsellor, who has stayed the course with me through thick and thin. And so I continue on this exciting voyage of discovery.

Mary Thomas

“Everyone should treat all beings as one would want to be treated. True religion is ethical action. To hurt another is to in fact hurt oneself.”

Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948)

Dear Easton

It is with great gratitude, appreciation and love that I write this letter of thanks to you and all at Reach.

You have offered me so much on my journey of healing and growth towards being the best that I can be that I hardly know where to begin. One thought that sits with me is that the single best thing that I have ever done for myself, was making the decision to contact you and embark on my truly special journey of lifting myself out of the mess that my life had become and learning, with your help, care, guidance and support, to begin creating a better future for myself.

When I first walked through your doors I could never have believed that I was capable of, or deserved, to be the person that I am today, never mind living the contented, fulfilled life I am living. My life was truly at rock bottom – undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer, going through a very nasty, painful divorce and struggling to bring up young children, whilst feeling that I was failing miserably because I had nothing left to offer. I survived day to day only existing with the help of anti-depressants and was going down a completely self destructive path of distraction, denial, inadequacy and unhappiness.

Looking back, the single most important gift you offered to me was your complete acceptance, care and respect. This is not something I had ever experienced (which accounts for the mess I was in!) but really needed if I was going to start looking at myself properly and liking what I saw. This environment of complete care and acceptance allowed me the space to figure out who I really was, without the fear of being judged or not liked, and in doing this all things became possible.

Alongside this you offered me so many ways to help me sit back in the driver’s seat of my life. “Shame work” and “Dark Room Work” were such powerful tools to uproot and rid myself of the demons that have been controlling me for years. These are amongst the many diamonds you offer at Reach. Talking alone would not have been enough for me to access these deeper, hidden, controlling elements of my life which once exposed began to lose their power. Although I can’t say that this was easy, it was a life-changing experience.

I’m also grateful for the abundance of research and knowledge you offered me to help me see how damaging my lifestyle was and how to go about changing this so that I could begin to create a better life for myself.

Easton, I could go on forever, and I don’t feel this even touches the many ways that Reach has helped me to make my life what it is today. At last, I know what it is to enjoy life, to take control, and to create wonderful opportunities for myself and the future looks so bright and full of potential.

Thank you, once again, from the bottom of my heart, for the unwavering support you have offered me, and many others like me, in our journeys of turning our lives around. This is so much more than a job to you all, and that’s what makes the difference.

Love and appreciation always.

Anon

Reach’s holistic philosophy has been a life-changing experience for me. I approached my counsellor with what can only be described as a ‘huge gap’ in my life, which at times felt very unnerving and empty. My work with Jo has not only filled this gap but it has also given me a huge sense of personal empowerment. I know that I can trust and rely on myself to continue my journey in life and this is truly the most precious gift anyone can receive!

At times the journey has not been easy but the outcome is well worth the effort and patience. Jo’s belief in me, and her patience, gentle strength and non-judgmental approach were essential throughout the counselling. Her confidence in Reach’s approach and the clear structure of the work carried out was reassuring and inspiring!

The written materials and CDs have also been invaluable to continue the work outside of the counselling sessions and I will always hold on to them as a reminder, on those occasions when I may need them. In all I cannot really put into words how grateful I am, both to my counsellor Jo and also to the person who recommended Reach to me in the first place! It has changed my life in so many positive ways.

Thank you!

Lucy

“Non-violence isn’t just refraining from injuring others, but positively enhancing their well-being; in fact, loving them. Truth is best served by love. If a person’s actions are motivated by love, their actions will be conducive to the highest good.”

Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948)

“The attainment of wealth and honour through the violation of one’s character is no attainment at all.”

Confucius (551-479 B.C.)

Contributions Page Introduction

Reach began its unique way of working in 1990. Since that time we have touched literally thousands of people’s lives through our individual work, work with couples, families, groups and countless workshops. We have produced in that time 100s of written resources and over 30 audio and visual recordings and these have travelled across the world, largely driven by personal recommendation. They have also brought immeasurable change to many. On these pages is a snap-shot of what people have thought, felt and gained from their therapeutic contact with us via the various media we offer.

Also included on this page are some inspirational thoughts and writings from those clients, borne of their personal journeys with Reach. These contributions will be added to periodically.

We hope you too will be inspired…….

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