After the Therapy
While it would be impossible and unwieldy to offer, on this website, every feedback comment received over many years, it is still useful to include a range of comments from clients who have chosen to directly contact a therapist for reporting of outcomes OR have made specific comments about symptoms in their ESR questionnaire feedback.
If you have read about the ESR system, you may realize that positive reports can often contain no more information than, "symptom fixed" or any similar comment. Often, clients will take the time to tell us, after some time has elapsed, of their improvements. The testimonials below come with given names only to protect privacy (except where the client has insisted otherwise). The "title" of each has been inserted by us after reading of the material. |
__Asthma, Phobia
…It gives me much pleasure to write and tell you of the life changing success I have had following my three Af-x sessions. I can’t understand the way I feel at times my life is so changed, the fear and anxiety I always had in the pit of my stomach have been replaced by a calm self-assurance that I can do whatever is put before me with a feeling of ease and confidence. This new freedom has also cured me of the chronic asthma I have had for the past 5 years. I haven't had any medication for the past 7 months and I have returned to my Real Estate work full time. It's a new life. My main reason for going to see you was to overcome my fear of driving over high-suspended bridges. I am now usually over them before I even realize it. Your work is so wonderful, I only wish more people could share in the true happiness it brings to those who partake in this treatment. I really believe this therapy is for the betterment of mankind. No matter what your state of health you have at present, life can only be richer for the small amount of time spent in the therapy. I wish I could tell the world. Best wishes to you and for your work. Jeanette Condon, North Coast, NSW. (From a letter to Ian White)
General Wellbeing
I would like to thank you and offer my small review for your Af-x Psychotherapy.... My experience after Af-x and over the long term is extremely positive! Af-x is apparently not just a therapy or just another psychological painkiller; it has been to me a true psychological uplifting – almost like an emotional home renovation and a renewal of mind and spirit. The psychological rebirth through Af-x, I registered immediately. But more importantly, over time, the sense of spiritual confidence has grown more and more and developed into what I think is an almost different “self”. One way I could describe it is that it defines life as in having a definite pre-Af-x and a post-Af-x appreciation. Almost as though there has been a life-divider installed; the old side, problematic, and the new side, well, new and emotionally healthy and balanced. I cannot thank you enough for the opportunity to experience your Af-x work. One word:- great! (translated from the original Greek language) _Agapi K, Athens, Greece. (From direct email feedback) _
Depression
After years of being a depression sufferer, I feel like a huge weight is now off my shoulders. The result was sudden, then seemed to level out for a while, but this feeling of freedom has been growing gradually and subtly. Af-x helped me to regain my own sense of self and I now have a hugely optimistic outlook on life. I feel like a real person again, happy and productive. Thanks to Af-x. Annie H, Malmo, Sweden. (From an email sent to Ian White) _ Sports Performance, Past Trauma
I read an article about Af-x therapy and decided to travel to Australia (from Auckland, New Zealand) to see Ian White. After talking about this with my sports psychologist (who had heard of Ian's work), I made my appointments and flew to Sydney. I am an Olympic-level swimmer and have always been aware of an episode of sexual abuse by my original coach. I never really dwelled on this but I knew that my swimming performance could be better than it was and that "something" was stressing me and holding me back. I started to think that perhaps it was some sort of emotional "block" from what had happened to me that was preventing me from swimming my best. Ian's attitude was that perhaps we could never get to know exactly "why" our emotional reactions might prevent us from reaching our full potential, and after thinking this through, I found myself comfortable with that idea. (I had gone along with the idea that I was going to find out if it was the sexual abuse that was causing my problem). I was aware of some faint recollections and "touching on" the abuse issues during the sessions (nothing as the result of anything he said) but there were other more vague feelings of discomfort that seemed to be part of the process. I'm mentioning this now as I think back to my sessions but they did not necessarily loom large at the time of the therapy. I remember feeling as though the therapy was a bit of an anticlimax because I did not leave the sessions jumping and shouting and feeling like Superwoman. But, over a short period of time I was able to achieve significant improvements to my lap times. I can't really explain this but when I compare how I approached my swimming before and after Af-x I have really changed. Before, I was always a bit stressed out and anxious whenever I got near the pool (my coaches always said that was a good thing). But after seeing Ian, I have noticed that dropping away and it has now all but disappeared. I have no explanation for how this happened but do know that Af-x therapy has really helped me to be much more calm and relaxed and really able to focus on doing the best I can in the pool. Many thanks to Ian and Af-x. Charlene, Auckland, NZ (From direct letter feedback) Anxiety, Phobia
…As you know I am a general practitioner and in the past I have referred a number of my patients to you because I've seen the results of your work, even though at the time I was not altogether sure what your therapy was about. My impression was that it was some sort of counseling and meditation. I had developed a phobia about going away on driving holidays with my family and the weeks of holiday preparation had become weeks of slowly building anxiety levels. Things got to unbearable proportions and that's why I came to see you. I was a little taken aback at not even needing to describe these symptoms to you, but I found your sessions to be relaxing and informative, particularly about brain functioning at emotional level and its impacts on the body. My anxiety surrounding a pending 4-wheel drive holiday vanished almost immediately after those sessions, and has not returned prior to other later trips. As an adjunct, I have noticed that my much-improved anxiety state has impacted greatly on my golf game! Now that I have a much better understanding of your work and have experienced the results for myself, I am happy to continue to refer those of my patients to you who will benefit from your form of therapy… Dr John, Penrith, NSW. (From a letter to Ian White) _Migraines (Psychosomatic)
…I went to you because of an ongoing problem with migraines, chronic headaches and a general feeling of "heaviness" in my head, neck and shoulders. My focus had always been on these problems without thinking about the fairly high level of anxiety that I also experienced. As a lawyer, I "need my head" and need it to be in good condition, so have always been against medication, except when there was no other choice. After the therapy, I noticed that I seemed to be breezing through events that would have previously created a migraine. More to the point, with the headaches out of the way, I was able to notice that my anxiety level had reduced significantly, and with that, changes occurred to other aspects like anger levels, smoking (I stopped), and an obsessive need to "get things right." While I thought my issue was a physical one (the migraines) I am now convinced that it all hinged on that anxiety which is thankfully a thing of the past. Thank you for giving me my life and career back… Christine D, Paddington, QLD (From a letter to her practitioner) Depression
I was diagnosed with "chronic depression" and prescribed antidepressants by my doctor but I thought this was just a "quick fix" and I wanted to get to the bottom of why I was feeling like this. I didn't want to take the medication for the next three months and just see how things went like I was told to do. I was feeling pretty worthless and there didn't seem to be much point to my life anymore but I couldn't understand why I had only started to feel this way over the last few months. I also didn't like the way I was told that I was suffering from "depression" and that I'd suddenly developed this "disorder". That's why I did this therapy. I didn't really know what to expect but I went to the first session with an open mind and it pretty quickly made a lot of sense. I don't understand why the doctors don't work this way. After the last few months I'm now back to my old self, feeling positive and back to work. My family has really noticed this change and they are thrilled. I would recommend this therapy to anyone who is feeling "depressed'. Amina, Perth, WA (From direct email feedback) Depression
I was a "sufferer" in my own castle. By that, I mean that I was extremely depressed while pretending to not be so, as, in my own profession I treated people for the same problem. I never believed that relief from depression could be this easy and this "deep." Why isn't everyone in Sweden doing this therapy? As a professional health clinician, I am more effective, have a much different attitude to my patients, realizing that they have more "health" power for themselves than I had always thought. I am no longer irritated with my staff, and treat them like colleagues rather than servants, and for this reason, my practice has improved in many ways. Peter from Helsingborg, Sweden. (From an email sent to Ian White) _Relationship Issues, Confidence, Weight
…since my sessions with you I've somehow managed to re-establish a decent relationship with my mother. After years of continuous arguments and very long silences (she has always tried to dominate me and interfere in my life) we now seem to be able to get on. I don't think she's really changed much but I certainly have. Now I don't have all the feelings that used to leap up and take over whenever I had anything to do with her. She can't press all my buttons like she used to and because she doesn't get me lashing out at her anymore it has had a really positive effect. We seem to have reached comfortable middle ground. I'm also getting along much better with my ex-wife, she doesn't rile me up anymore either so I'm getting to spend a lot more time with my kids and this is excellent…... ……I've noticed other good things as well. For a start I'm really enjoying work a lot more and feeling much more confident in the quality of what I'm producing…… You saw how big I was a few months ago and something I'm really pleased about is the fact that I'm back into the gym and starting to get back into shape. I'm just feeling better about myself and starting to take control of my life again… Ron, Newcastle. (From a letter to his practitioner) _Stress
I am an executive (managing director) in a leading IT firm in Sydney. For some years I have been experiencing a gradual onset of the sorts of problems that one usually associates with "stress", and indeed, several visits to my doctor resulted in that diagnosis. After some procrastination, I attended a number of sessions with the clinical psychologist that my doctor had recommended, and to whom I had been referred. These sessions, whilst interesting, produced no discernible change over a fairly extended period (5 months). I soon tired of trying to talk out "my problems" because I was sure that no history of "trauma" exists in my life. So I stopped those visits. About a year later, a fellow management officer (from another firm) gave me a brochure on the work of Ian White and Af-x, saying that his life had greatly improved since seeing Ian. Because of my previous ambivalent experience, I delayed any further treatment, but eventually underwent the Af-x program. As the opposite to what I had experienced with the previous counselor, I found this work refreshing and making a great deal of common sense in a society that seems to be "stress-mad." Almost immediately following the sessions I found an ever-increasing improvement relating to my levels of stress, and noticed that almost all work events that would have created agitation for me before, I was able to handle with a degree of calm. This has never been the case, for as long as I have been working. I've noticed that my staff seems to be reacting to me in a much more productive way, and my previous "stress-related" symptoms (psoriasis, chronic stomach upsets, physical agitation) have all but disappeared. I have been pleased to recommend Ian to a number of my staff, and have noticed a greater degree of comfort in the way in which these staff members now interact with me and the other members of the organization. Not only do I believe that af-x has made a great positive difference to my own personal health levels, both physical and mental, but I am also seeing a decided improvement in the levels of efficiency and ease of operation of the business as a whole. I know that all corporations and businesses, big and small, would greatly benefit from doing as we've done. Antonio, Sydney (From IAA feedback) _ Migraines
I honestly didn't believe that my severe migraines, just like Mum had all her life, could possibly be caused by anything emotional. But after trying everything to get relief from these dreadful migraines I thought I'd give this therapy a go as a last resort. From what my practitioner explained to me in the first session I started to think that maybe I did get my migraines because of an emotional reason or as she put it "learning" and that's why I hadn't been able to get rid of them. I found the other two sessions very "deep" and an unusual experience but I'm ecstatic to say that apart from one very severe migraine the morning of my third session I haven't had one since. That was five months ago and you can't believe how good that is. Jasmina, Darwin NT (From IAA feedback) _Nicotine Addiction, Shyness (Social Phobia)
I'd been a heavy smoker since early teenage years and tried everything to kick the habit. Cold turkey was a struggle, talking about it with a counselor failed, and I tried the patches but nothing worked. I attended Af-x therapy as a last resort. It was a very different approach, which I found interesting but it seemed so simple I didn't believe it could work. Some days after treatment, I was still smoking, but noticed for the first time that my regular migraine headaches had gone. About the same time, I realized that my social phobia had also disappeared! I noticed that I was gradually becoming more and more calm. Finally, 2 months after therapy, I stopped smoking and haven't missed the habit at all. I didn't expect that I could achieve results like this. Elaine, Renmark, SA. (From IAA feedback) _General Malaise / Unhappiness
…I have no idea why I needed to do Af-x therapy but I did know that I had been unhappy and restless for years. For a long time I thought it was just the way I was but I got sick and tired of feeling down for no apparent reason. I just couldn't enjoy life. I'd been seeing a psychiatrist for a while but this didn't seem to be helping very much so I decided to go ahead with Af-x therapy. I got up the morning after my second session feeling very different. It was like something negative inside me had been set free and disappeared. I was feeling very calm and much more content. The next time I saw my psychiatrist I told him I didn't think I needed to keep seeing him. We talked about this for a while and he disagreed with me saying that once I was over my "happy" or "euphoric" state that I would need to see him again. Of course I was a bit worried that he might be right but I had a sense that I was going to be alright. I completed my third session and in the following weeks I seemed much happier, smiled more and felt more balanced inside. These feelings have not gone away despite what my psychiatrist said and he finally agreed to let me stop seeing him. I don't know what the problem was but thank you for helping me to get rid of it and allowing me to become a much happier and more contented person… James, Brisbane. (From a letter to his practitioner) |
_ Depression
Doing Af-x therapy was the best thing I've ever done. I've really experienced lasting and ongoing positive effects. My practitioner was very professional and made the entire process very easy and comfortable by explaining everything step by step as we went through it. The only way I can describe my experience from this is that my depression is gone and on an inner level I am now very happy. I've recommended this therapy and my practitioner to others who have been impressed with the positive changes in my life and I know they have also gotten over a lot of their problems as well. Carol, Adelaide, SA. (From direct letter feedback) _Anxiety
I have suffered from anxiety for many years and had tried everything from meditation to asking my doctor for medication. Every person I saw either did not really know what to do to help me or they expected that my anxiety would just disappear after I had seen them. None of the therapies, medications or supplements I tried worked completely because my anxiety would always keep coming back. I found this therapy very different. When I attended sessions with Ian he took the time to explain to me that every person experiences periods of anxiety and that some people actually have low levels of anxiety all the time without it necessarily having negative effects on their health or life. He explained that my anxiety was not something I should think of as a disease but a habit I'd learned to rely on for some reason. This realization was a relief because at last I'd found someone who didn't expect miraculous and immediate results! During the sessions Ian helped me to change the way I felt about my anxiety and the way he approached this automatically made me feel more relaxed and able to just let this happen. As I go about my life and work now I am much less anxious and can feel myself becoming more relaxed and happy. Peter (Chef) Kansas City, US. (From ex-client feedback) _
Panic Attacks, Anxiety
Af-x therapy was recommended to me by my GP. For several years I had suffered from infrequent periods of extreme anxiousness. My first occurrence was in the early 90's, which manifested itself in that I could not get a full breath in. It was a few years after that I experienced an anxiety attack at its worst. I had just finished morning tea at work and was feeling very relaxed and comfortable. No sooner had I started to work than I felt as if I was going to pass out. I lay down on a stack of Gyprock for a while hoping it would pass. The world appeared to be going past at a million miles an hour and I was so out of control. I basically left all of my tools out and just jumped in the ute and headed home. The feeling gradually subsided but its residual effects on my mind were devastating. Over the next couple of years I experienced the same thing approximately four times a year. A GP prescribed Xanax to me and it got to the stage where I would not leave the house without being medicated. Approximately two months prior to my Af-x therapy I had made a conscious decision to break free of the drug- taking cycle and beat this thing. My doctor then referred me to Ian White for Af-x therapy. At the beginning of my initial session I was under the impression that this was like all other types of therapies that required you to go into great detail about your history etc. It was very refreshing and confidence building to know that this method uses none of these traditional types of analysis. I must also confess that as a Christian I was somewhat concerned initially about the thought of someone "hypnotizing" me. It soon became very clear that this was about self-help, self re-learning of aspects of your own mind and internal communication processes. At no time did I ever feel out of control or threatened. Since my Af-x therapy I have not had one full-blown anxiety attack. I now understand what was causing my response to my environment and this in itself has been a revelation. I still get anxious at times like everybody else but I have been shown that these are just normal feelings and they do not have to progress to that next stage of uncontrollable panic. Initially I did not feel all that different and it was only after a few months of not having an attack did I realize that the benefits were actually there but not as obvious as I would have thought they were going to be. I guess I expected to walk out of there feeling invincible, instead I walked away from the sessions feeling like a normal human being! Darryl P, Grose Vale, NSW. (From signed feedback, with request to include details) _Self-worth, Self-Esteem
Ian White was conducting Af-x therapy in my town several months ago. I went to this therapy because of a problem with very low self-esteem. I didn't have much self-confidence and always let people walk all over me. I don't think I was depressed, I just felt very insecure and unhappy with myself. I can't really explain it any better than this and I was very pleased that I didn't have to try to during my sessions. The main thing I noticed after the therapy was that my skin started to clear up! but not much else. I am more confident than I can ever remember being before but I didn't even realise this was happening and it was my friends (and I'm getting more of them) who noticed the difference in me first. After that I have really started noticing the way I now feel about myself. This has happened gradually but I'm feeling very different about who I am and what I'm worth. I'm now finding it much easier to stand up to people, I'm more assertive and I'm deciding what I want to do with my life. I'm not as anxious as I used to be and I'm really happy with this new ME. Bruce, Beloit, Wisconsin, US. (From IAA email feedback) _
Stress, Weight, Eczema
About a year ago I was dealing with a lot of changes at work and I found it really hard trying to cope with it all. I think this was why I started to get severe chest pains whenever I was really stressed. During all this I gained weight and developed eczema on my hands. I also had real problems with my personal relationships and my self-esteem was at an all-time low. After my first session I felt really positive about the therapy and was keen to get through it. My second session was quite a shock to me because it felt like deeply buried emotions were stirring somewhere inside me. I kept to myself for the next day or two and felt quite emotional. My parents divorced when I was very young and I grew up without a father. I now think this must have affected me much more than I ever thought because I kept thinking about this and bursting into tears. This settled down a little before my last session and just after it I felt like a huge burden had evaporated from within. This felt amazing. Things have changed quite dramatically for me over the last few months. The chest pains have gone, I've started to lose weight and my eczema has cleared up. I'm feeling much more peaceful and complete inside and I'm finding it much easier to get along with my family and friends. I don't really know how this therapy works but it has sure worked for me and now I'm really feeling good about myself and things are great. Gabriella, Brisbane (From IAA feedback) _
Past Trauma, Depression
...You wouldn't let me tell you at the time but I struggled with many problems, especially depression, for many years. I went to psychologists, joined support groups and even started studying psychology. But all these years of talking about my problems and trying to analyse my past didn't make me feel any better and often just seemed to make things worse. When I first heard about your therapy I was really skeptical about it because it was only three sessions and I was told it didn't involve any talking or analysis. You weren't interested in hearing how depressed I'd been over the years or want to know about all the bad experiences and abuse I'd suffered when I was younger. In fact you didn't let me say much at all and although this felt strange it turned out to be a welcome relief not having to explain all my problems to you like I've done so many times before. After the therapy, I wondered what sort of a difference it could make because I didn't feel as though much had changed. To my surprise over the next few months I did start to notice that I was feeling better and now so much has changed. I'm feeling so much more positive and all the misery of the past doesn't seem to bother me anymore! I'm now actually feeling happy with who I am and feel very content and much more self-assured. I just can't believe the difference!… Robyn, Sydney. (From a letter to her practitioner) _
Stress, Relationship Issues
…Over several years I found myself getting more and more stressed and found it harder and harder to relax. I was worried about absolutely everything and started taking it all out on my kids and my husband. I snapped and yelled at everyone all the time but had no idea why I had become so irritable and tense. Things got so bad that my family didn't seem to want to be around me anymore and this just made me feel worse. I've just filled out my questionnaire and had to write to you to let you know just how wonderful everything is now. Thank you so much. I don't know what the problem was but what we did in those sessions has solved it. I'm now calm, relaxed and actually a lot more confident than I have ever been before. I don't overreact to things anymore and just deal with things as they come along. I just feel balanced and have my family back again. Thank you from all of us, we couldn't be happier!... Rosemary, Canberra. (From a letter to her practitioner) _Unresolved Grief, Emotional Imbalance
…I felt as though I would never get over my mother passing away, she had been there all my life and we had been such great friends, especially since Dad died. Watching her slowly slip away was the worst part but even after two years I wasn't able to move on with my life and I was in total despair. I'd tried counseling and grief therapy but these things didn't seem to help much no matter how many times I went. Anytime I tried to talk about Mum I would get terribly emotional and couldn't control the tears. Even when I wasn't thinking about her I just felt listless and unhappy. I was going to see a psychologist until I read some information on Af-x therapy and thought that it may be able to help me deal with my emotions. What a difference it has made. I think the sessions really helped me to go into myself and somehow work out whatever it was that wouldn't let Mum go. I still love her dearly and think about her every day but now it's with a smile instead of the sadness… Amanda, Sydney. (From a letter to Ian White) _Insomnia, Smoking
Some things changed quite quickly for me after my therapy. Soon after I found it relatively easy to get to sleep. Now I'm sleeping better than I have in years, no more insomnia and that's been a huge relief. I also realized that I was starting to eat more 'normally', without the guilt and I even found that I lost interest in cigarettes after 12 years of smoking. That was probably the biggest surprise! Other things seemed to take a while but as time goes by I am feeling much better about myself and I guess I am just a much happier and healthier person. Mariana, Melbourne (From ex-client feedback) _
Chronic Fatigue
Since the therapy I have experienced a big reduction in of the intensity and severity of my chronic fatigue. I've had this problem for the last eight years and tried all sorts of different treatments. I've really noticed an increase in my energy levels and now I don't have anywhere near the trouble I used to have getting out of bed. I still get tired sometimes but not like I used to. It almost seems like I'm discovering some sort of gradual new motivation for life from within. I can't explain this or what the therapy did but it is definitely a welcome change and I'm feeling much better and more active. Rachel (Executive), Hobart (From IAA feedback) _Perfectionism
…I had heard of Af-x therapy through a friend in whom I had noticed a considerable change, stress-wise. My problem, of which I was very aware, was that I was constantly on a quest for personal "improvement", always seeking perfection and trying to be "better" than everyone else. I had never attended therapy for this problem before because I am the sort of person who has found that talking about a problem at length often made it worse and I really hated the thought of exposing my flaws to anyone else. So the non-talking approach of af-x suited my personality. Mind you, I wasn't positive at first that Af-x could work!I was disappointed with myself during the sessions, as my mind constantly wandered – even remembering at one stage that I had forgotten my cheque book. After the third session I felt relaxed, but definitely not "changed". It was some time later – about 2 months – that I suddenly realized how wonderfully I had dealt with a situation and how I was inwardly congratulating myself. This was the first time EVER that I was giving myself credit for a job well done. After that came reconciliation with a sister, and generally, a feeling of not only liking myself, but that it was OK to like myself. That was new! People noticed that I had become more easy-going, and less critical of other people. So, I found that Af-x does indeed work. It has helped me to be kind to myself and I feel a much more content person… Ros R, Sydney. (From a letter to Ian White) |
_"Still round the corner there may wait - a new road or a secret gate"
J.R.R.Tolkein
J.R.R.Tolkein