Eastern Suburbs Counselling Services

Inspirational Client Stories

Eastern Suburbs Counselling Services guarantees clients a safe, nurturing and private environment in Bondi Junction NSW where we maintain confidentiality.

To explain how our work has improved people’s lives, we’re sharing some fictitious client stories that were drawn from the collective experience of our actual clients.  

We value confidentiality, so we are not providing any true stories; all the names here are made-up. If you identify with any of these stories, or feel that it’s referring to you, it is only coincidental since many of our past and present clients are in situations that are similar in nature. 

“I can be horrible to people, it’s not like me but I find myself viciously snapping and I don’t know where it comes from.”
- Zoe, 35

Six months into her relationship with Ben, after a string of failed relationships, Zoe said she was acting differently and even yelled at Ben for no reason.

She didn’t like what she did to Ben, considering that he’s a very kind man. Zoe came to us really nervous as she’s never been to counselling before, and then she told us that she had no idea what to say. Our counsellor said what she’s feeling is normal and encouraged her to ask questions.  

As soon as she had settled in, Zoe shared her story, past and present, as well as her approach to anger. Our assessment found that how she deals with anger is a result of her upbringing.

While attending counselling, Zoe gradually improved in many ways. She eventually moved in with Ben, and they frequently argued. But, she felt less threatened this time. They would always talk about their future and having babies, a topic which used to make Zoe uncomfortable. 

“Of course I’m thrilled to be a mother but I just feel so wound up most of the time I just can’t really enjoy my baby.”
- Sarah, 41

Sarah had always wanted to have a baby, but after her son’s birth, she said everything in her life turned into shambles. Making simple decisions like what to wear or cook for dinner became a struggle.

A friend gave her a counsellor’s card and it didn’t take her long to call. Sarah shared with her counsellor her overwhelming experience as a new mother and how she enjoyed her job and earning her own money after school. She also admitted that she’s not comfortable receiving money from her partner who now supports her. 

Sarah felt relieved that she had someone to tell all her feelings to. She eventually got rid of the negative emotions as months had gone by as she realised that having mixed feelings doesn’t equate with less love. 

Sarah started enjoying some alone time and she found it easy to ask her partner for help with their son. This strengthened their bond and Sarah’s partner likes the fact that she’s got him more involved in her life.

“The first time it happened I thought maybe I was having some kind of heart attack. I really believed I was going to die. The next time it was more a fear that I was going crazy.”
- Rory, 29

Rory moved to Sydney with his girlfriend for his job, Although health conscious by nature, Rory’s paycheck afforded him to binge on liquor and party drugs regularly. 

Rory had never tried counselling before but because of his panic attacks, he mustered the courage to ask a friend about a counsellor. He rang up for an appointment, agreed to a few sessions, and shared information on his family and medical history. 

Just making that call gave him a great sense of relief. During his session with the counsellor, he shared his experience with anxiety and what circumstances triggered it.

Rory was relieved when he was told that his experience is common. He also felt a surge of positive feelings when the counsellor suggested strategies to reduce further attacks, which gradually improved over time.

He came to acknowledge that frequently ignoring his feelings of nervousness, irritability, and stress took a toll on his health. 

As Rory continued with counselling, he discovered why he reacts the way he does and took it upon himself to develop new strategies in approaching various situations. He realised that his long work hours made him spend lesser time with his family. 

Rory is determined to reconnect with his family and not to go overboard with his work and partying. He knows that he still has a long way to go, but pleased with the progress he has made. Rory plans to go to counselling again in the future should the need for it arise.

“I think I might be depressed”
- MIke, 52

Mike first came to therapy depressed. Married for 29 years, he felt no more warmth left in his marriage. He and his wife have two grown-up sons who are now busy with their own lives. 

Mike’s career as an investment banker is the reason why he is financially secure. However, because of his mundane tasks, he felt no growth in his job. His wife, on the other hand, would hang out with her friends and engage in gardening and her other hobbies. MIke was often left alone at home during the evenings, preparing his own meal or eating whatever his wife had left for him. 

Feeling empty and depressed, MIke started to turn to the internet for help. He considered dating sites at first, but found himself checking out websites about relationships. So, he ended up calling us to enquire about counselling.

Mike booked a session and found a unique sense of comfort having someone to listen to him. He came to the realisation that he spent his life working and providing for his family that he didn’t notice how emotionally empty he was.

The counsellor opened Mike to a list of options to improve his situation, and Mike said he liked the idea of reconnecting with his wife.

The process was difficult at first as Mike’s wife ignored his efforts, but she gave in when he suggested a holiday somewhere they’ve never been to. 

They planned their trip together, which helped in reviving the connection that they’ve lost for so many years.

“We bicker constantly and most of the time I can’t remember what it was we were arguing about.”
- Jim, 40 & Maria, 38

Maria and Jim have been together for 17 years and married for 6 out of those years. They have two children. Arguing constantly led them to counselling. 

During their first session, Maria said Jim always wanted her to be available for him, but he couldn’t understand the challenges that she faced in raising their children.

Jim was defensive when it was his turn to speak, saying he knew how hard it was to be a mother but Maria often neglected him and always gave excuses to avoid spending time with him. 

As they dug deeper into the different factors of their relationship, it turned out that Jim was always busy with his friends and business commitments. Maria had always been resentful because he never supported her when their children were still babies. Jim said he tried helping with little things but they were not enough to make Maria happy. 

During their counselling session, Maria and Jim were asked to reflect on their family backgrounds, friends, previous relationships and their thoughts on marriage.

It turns out that Maria’s father was a homebody, so she expected Jim to be the same. Jim, on the other hand, said he had a mother who took care of everything at home.

Counselling helped Jim and Maria see and understand how the arrival of children can drastically change everything in a couples relationship. They realised that they needed to look at their relationship from a different perspective and approach it as a family instead of a couple.

Book an appointment and find out how counselling can change your life for the better.