DON'T TAKE MY WORD FOR IT.

Thrive is entirely designed to teach you the thinking skills to do it for yourself, as quickly as possible, so you'll get ‘out the door’ and on with life quickly.

What have my clients had to say about doing Thrive with me?

SIMON

Simon says The Thrive Programme has changed his life. Suffering a high stress breakdown and years of depression and low self esteem, Simon has all the tools now.

SHARON

Completely overcoming a 30 year fear of being sick, mum Sharon describes how doing the programme online has transformed her life and future.

TOM

Danny Fairbass from Korda and The Thinking Tackle Podcasts have helped reach a wide variety of individuals inspired by the world of fishing and thriving.

SUE

No lore insomnia for Sue.Fiona was great, I loved the sessions with her - always patient and supportive. "My self esteem is high and I am enjoying life again."

EMILY

Emily overcomes her emetophobia after lots of other therapies. Her fear gone and positive for the future!

MOM JESSICA!

Completely overcoming a 30 year fear of being sick, US-based mom Jessica describes how doing the programme online has transformed her life.

MILLIE

Millie's 6 week Thrive emetophobia video - "I can 100% say I am not emetophobic anymore." 🙅‍♀️🙅‍♀️ Well done Millie!

POINT

Point zooming in from Thailand learns to Thrive. He explains clearly just what the programme is like to go through!

CLEMMIE

Clemmie overcomes her emetophobia to pursue her studies in medicine, and also builds her self-esteem and self belief!

LAURA ONE YEAR ON!

Remember Laura? She completely overcame her emetophobia. A year on has great advice for everyone to keep on thriving!

MILLIE

Millie's 6 week Thrive emetophobia video - "I can 100% say I am not emetophobic anymore." 🙅‍♀️🙅‍♀️ Well done Millie!

MICHELLE

Mum Michelle found her emetophobia getting in the way of enjoying her family. So she got over it with Thrive.

JOE

Joe's 5 week programme update from self loathing to self loving. Self esteem and social anxiety addressed.

MILLIE

Millie's video shows just how far and how quickly it is possible to change your thinking. Emetophobia overcome.

ALISTAIR

Alistair's new self confidence is evident in his new attitude to life. No more anti-depressant medication needed.

EMILIE

Emilie overcame her health anxiety and low mood. The choice of antidepressants or Thrive, she chose Thrive.

LAURA

Laura from USA did the Programme with me on Skype, and overcame emetophobia, IBS, and medication.

NOON

Meet Noon. Hear how her new skills have helped her overcome chronic life struggles and be happy.

MEGAN

Megan from Canada explains really clearly what it's like to do thrive. She overcame her fear of being sick.

BEN

Ben defeats a 10 year battle with clinical depression and completely changes his outlook on life.

PAUL

Hear Paul explain how pressing reset on his thinking has helped his confidence and self esteem.

MATT

Watch Matt. Hear how he overcame social anxiety and how it has benefitted his life.

ERIN

Erin beats her emetophobia having tried many therapies and anti-anxiety tablets previously.

REBECCA

Rebecca couldn't go on transport or eat out. Now she is really thriving her life after emetophobia.

"Like many people, I had a strong critical inner voice for many years. This grew more intense and intrusive in recent times, despite a successful career, a strong family and strong friendships and I had several bouts of severe anxiety." Click here for a testimonial about overcoming anxiety and depression."
DAVID BURLAND, CEO.

"After completing the programme I cannot only say my fear of someone being ill has greatly decreased but my positive perception of myself as a mom has greatly increased!"
CARA, USA

"She [Fiona] opened my eyes and helped me understand parts of the books I was not fully grasping on my own and also gave me ways to look at my life in ways no one else ever has."
JENNY, 26

"I found it interesting and eye opening. Fiona made me smile a lot. She does not really take any prisoners! She is humorous and challenging but in a very good way."
PAUL, 42

WRITTEN TESTIMONIALS

(CLICK NAMES TO EXPAND)

Olivia, 26.

What brought you to Thrive?

I was feeling low and a family member suggested I try Thrive because it had worked so well for her

So how did you get on with doing Thrive?

Really well, I found myself feeling better very quickly – a matter of weeks. Fiona was amazing!

What did you get out of going through the Programme?

A lot – I became more confident, less stressed at work and learnt how to handle difficult situations which other people have also noticed in me such as friends/colleagues

Was there a core thing within the course that stood out for you?

Learning how to stop myself from feeling low, I specifically found learning about internal/external attitudes very interesting. I stopped blaming my feelings on other things

Did you enjoy the experience? Did the consultant help?

I found it really enjoyable. Fiona was so helpful, there is a lot to learn but she went through it all so clearly and the methods are so effective. She made me feel completely comfortable, the atmosphere was laid-back and friendly

What surprised you?

I was surprised at the massive difference using the methods makes. It completely changes your life and I didn’t realise that Thrive would do that

Does The Thrive Programme work?

Absolutely!

How would you say your life has changed going through the course?

It’s changed in many ways but especially at work where I am handling things far better than I used to before. I feel a lot happier and am excited for the future and am so grateful that I had Fiona to help me learn how to take control of my life

What's next?

Here's me skiing! Work is better and life is exciting for me.

Cara, 34

What brought you to Thrive?

My [then] 14 month old had just recovered from his second bought of a stomach bug in two months. As a new mom I had never felt so many mixed emotions that I questioned if my son would be better off with someone who could take care of him and not be afraid when he didn’t feel well. Being a mom brings on anxiety in itself but being afraid to care for someone you love with all of your heart can expose the worst depression. I found Thrive while combing the internet in the middle of the night feeling anxious and alone.

So how did you get on with doing Thrive?

My husband and I agreed that we would spend the money to work through the book with a consultant. I do not always retain words well so I knew I wanted to experience this journey with someone who could talk me through it. I Google searched Thrive consultants and there was something about Fiona that stuck out to me in the list of consultants. Instantly I knew she was the “one”. I contacted Fiona and within a couple of days of receiving my book in the mail we had our first Skype appointment.

What did you get out of going through the Programme?

This is simple. I am not a bad mom. I opened the first page to this book about to completely give up on motherhood. I believed my son was better off being with a complete stranger because at least they were able to care for him when he was ill. Thrive taught me that my fear was crippling my way I viewed my ability to care for my child but it did not have to anymore. With each chapter I started viewing my anxiety and fear as something I could alter along with altering my perception of myself as a mother. After completing the programme I cannot only say my fear of someone being ill has greatly decreased but my positive perception of myself as a mom has greatly increased!

Was there a core thing within the course that stood out for you?

The one thing that stood out to me is the fear emetophobes have is solely our way of thinking. I always thought my fear was something I was born with and could never change. But Thrive introduces the idea that all things in life can be altered if your set you mind to it, grab your thinking and stay positive. Initially I hoped Thrive would help me to not be so scared of someone being ill but Thrive taught me so much more. Thrive taught me that every aspect of my life can be looked at differently and how I view each individual situation, good or bad, is completely in the way I think.

Did you enjoy the experience? Did the consultant help?

The experience was trying and rewarding each day. There were moments I did not feel like the programme was working and then all of a sudden the sentence I needed to hear was written next. My consultant was amazing. I would recommend Fiona Brown to anyone! She was patient, she accepted my setbacks and helped me through them, and she focused on my individual journey instead of the general journey of all emetophobes. She opened my eyes and helped me understand parts of the books I was not fully grasping on my own and also gave me ways to look at my life in ways no one else ever has.

What surprised you?

I instantly knew the book was relatable to my life when I read the front page testimonies and there was a woman who wrote about how Thrive helped her. She was my age, her child was the same age as my son and everything she wrote about feeling inadequate as a mother was exactly how I was feeling at that very moment. Throughout the book I was surprised that the characteristics that most emetophobes have were everything, anyone who knows me well, would use to describe me. I never realized my need for control, my black and white vision and my strive towards perfectionism all was related to my fear.

Does The Thrive Programme work?

Absolutely! The Thrive Programme works if you work at it and understand that overcoming your fear is always a ongoing process. Do not expect to work read through the book and be cured. There are moments I flip back through the pages to remind myself of the lessons. I will not say that I was cured of all my anxiety and fears but I now live life each day to the fullest instead of worrying about the things I cannot control tomorrow. Thrive allowed me to live life again.

How would you say your life has changed going through the course?

Thrive helped me live each day. I learned to not look beyond tomorrow and be thankful for I had the strength to endure today. I used to worry every second of every day that my son would be ill. If my phone rang I was afraid it was daycare saying he was not feeling well. If he coughed in the middle of the night I was afraid he was going to be ill. If he did not eat his entire supper mean he was ill. Now, I live each day without worrying today will be the day he is ill again. Thrive gave me that.
What's next?

To live life day by day. Each day that I go to bed thankful for that day and finding the positive aspects of that day is a day I feel accomplished and one step closer to being cured.

Jacq, 34.

What brought you to Thrive? Looking for a program to help me overcome emetophobia and my general fears So how did you get on with doing Thrive? Really enjoyed both the process of completing the workbook and participating in Skype meetings with Fiona. It was fun and interesting to learn more about myself and I felt connected to Fiona nearly immediately. What did you get out of going through the Programme? I absolutely recognized areas of my life where I could make significant advances outside of my fear. What was incredible was that I actually found that by addressing these areas I got even more benefits, aside from reducing my fear related anxiety. Was there a core thing within the course that stood out for you? Recognizing my limiting beliefs and challenging them was monumental for me. Seeing how I framed things/circumstances/people/feelings and how i could re-frame them was extremely powerful. Funny enough, while going through the course, I did not see a need to process my positives daily, as that wasn't an "area" per se where I had as much growth and change to make - however AFTER I have completed the course I find myself doing this 4-6 days a week using an online app and it is an important and beneficial part of my day - that I look forward to! Did you enjoy the experience? Did the consultant help? Definitely. It was shocking to recognize and come to terms with some not so lovely things about myself - but aside from that I very much enjoyed developing myself. I always want to be better and that is what I loved about Thrive. It addresses many areas of my character. Fiona was amazing. I looked forward to meeting with her every time. I missed our calls when it wrapped. She connected the dots and made the experience much more personal and relevant for me because I felt like she knew who I was and what I was trying to achieve. She was wonderful. What surprised you? That it is not the fear of anything specific as it is the fear of how I manage myself when something happens... which is something I can always be working towards improving. Does The Thrive Programme work? Yes

How would you say your life has changed going through the course? I am so much more aware of how I handle things and I can recognize when my head or my thinking is interfering with my "thriving" - I still have work to do and weeks will go by where I am thriving everyday and then I might hit a blip and recognize it - address it - and move on. Very freeing. What's next? I did a skydive for charity! I needed to challenge myself and a friend was raising money for the local kids community hall so I found myself agreeing to join her. It was amazing. It wasn't easy getting in that plane! but as you can see I did it any way. And you know I would not have done that 6 months ago! Thanks Fi x

Helena, 36.

What brought you to Thrive? A personal recommendation from a friend who also had a tendency towards anxiety. I was anxious, very OCD (although not diagnosed) and very worried about what others thought of me. I was constantly over stressed. So how did you get on with doing Thrive? I really enjoyed it. Throughout my sessions, my personal circumstances changed a lot – some for the infinite better and some for the worse unfortunately and I stayed on a relatively even keel throughout, even if there were some tears on the way… What did you get out of going through the Programme? The course itself was very useful and actually having someone to talk to who doesn’t just say “you are an anxious person, snap out of it” really helps. Particularly someone who has had their own issues in the past – you don’t feel judged but you are given tools and exercises to help yourself… Was there a core thing within the course that stood out for you? Focusing on the positive – particularly keeping a list of ten positive things all the time. I still have mine (although some are out of date) – and also to take a lot of enjoyment out of some of the little things in life – e.g. going for a walk on a beach… Did you enjoy the experience? Did the consultant help? I really did. It helped me feel powerful that I was helping myself even by going on the course in the first place. Fiona was a great listener and helped me get some things into perspective, something I’ve not been very good at in the past… What surprised you? I had a baby shortly after I finished the course and I think Thrive helped me not fall into the trap of excessive anxiety over a newborn. I think I “coped” well! Similarly with a family illness diagnosis. These are “big things” that could have caused a lot of angst but didn’t. Not to say these weren’t hard, but they didn’t “throw me into a quagmire of despair” as they could have done! Does The Thrive Programme work? Yes – but it’s not a magic cure – you actually have to do some work and the exercises, and you may need to refresh yourself every now and again before you fall back into bad habits. How would you say your life has changed going through the course? Perspective, perspective, perspective… What's next? I need to read the book again to refresh as it’s been a year but I am far less negative than I used to be!

Paul, 46.

What brought you to Thrive? I was in a rut not happy in my personal relationship and work was mundane and un-challenging. I felt constantly exhausted suffering from insomnia and had low self-esteem. So how did you get on with doing Thrive? I found the program well set out with the manual that accompanied it easy to read and I thought that the hour long sessions and six sessions was about right for me to have the knowledge and tools to go out and practise the exercises What did you get out of going through the Programme? An understanding that I alone could change the way I looked at situations and decide how I was going to direct my thoughts, beliefs to make me react in the most positive way to challenges if the situation could have been negative, to appreciate if the situation looks good and to recognise and remember why it is and take that forward, note it, park it. Was there a core thing within the course that stood out for you? Recognizing how reliant I was on external controls rather than having the confidence to look internally and having the inner belief to change my thought processes. Did you enjoy the experience? Did the consultant help? Yes I did I found the whole exercise worthwhile and I’d like to think I struck up a good rapport with Fiona my consultant What surprised you? How quickly she got me in that I was a total stranger and she seemed to identify without too much prompting from myself how low my self esteem was and encouraging me through the exercises to reduce the external controls and increase the internal ones Does The Thrive Programme work? For me two major events have happened since I met with Fiona. A break up of an unhappy relationship and terminating a job where again I was for the most part unhappy. The fact that I am here approaching 48 years old seemingly feeling stronger in body and mind, actually feel like I am walking taller, smiling more, engaging more and open to so many new possibilities as to where my life may lead I think is a good enough endorsement. I’m not sure the Paul Turner of say early to mid 40s would have reacted quite so positively How would you say your life has changed going through the course? Self belief, self worth, lighter, fresher, more energised, more welcoming to new adventures, happier within myself, recognising myself, embracing aspects from the past that I have previously been ashamed, embarrassed about and acknowledging they are a part of me. Knowing what works for me and what doesn’t is really important now. Can sometimes relapse but have to tools now to get through the downs and doubts and know I will come through What's next? I'm on a personal sabbatical now after 30 years in a job. I've a fresh perspective on life and looking forward to the challenges this new phase will bring. I want to make sure that I keep my Thrive up and polishing my skills but most of all I just want to get on with life and enjoy it.

Emilie, 26.

What brought you to Thrive? I was extremely low, had been handed antidepressants from my doctor and was severely anxious about my health worrying constantly about every different feeling so a mixture of emetophobia (as I learned!), anxiety and depression. A friend, who had not been feeling tip-top, recommended the programme as it helped her. After years of pushing it back and fighting it I decided to stop letting it push me down and start to live my life as a normal 25 year old! So how did you get on with doing Thrive? Thrive was easy to understand. At first I expected something much more difficult, so I think it took me a while to realise that actually, ‘no, this is simple.’ It is something that requires effort, time, belief and dedication but these efforts are so worth it. I learnt a lot about myself and how humans think along the way. My consultant Fiona was a gem; she always kept me on the right track, tackled it with some humour and made it all very relatable. What did you get out of going through the Programme? Strength! As cliché as that sounds I am now able to feel powerful enough to combat any battles I may have once had. If sometimes I don’t feel great, I am ok with that - I accept that life throws curve balls. Thrive taught me how to deal with them. In a nutshell, Thrive has helped me to adopt life skills that I will use every day! Was there a core thing within the course that stood out for you? There are several aspects that stood out for me. 1- my consultant - he was just the best! 2 - That the power of which direction you go is in your own head and it really is simply rectified if you catch it quick. Did you enjoy the experience? Did the consultant help? All in all yes I enjoyed the experience. At times it did feel daunting and at points putting in effort was difficult but it was an extremely eye opening experience. My consultant did a superb job. Fiona helped me to take the fear out of my panic by constantly giving me perspective and genuine support. Fiona also helped me to ‘calm’ by taking a light hearted/humoured approach on several occasions, this made a big difference for me personally. What surprised you? Some of the exercises surprised me - the one where you realise the power of your thought. This was very eye-opening. Another thing was the fact that all of the skills and beliefs needed to overcome certain issues are actually very simple to understand and I found I had lots of ‘penny drop’ moments. What surprised me the most was the fact that I am where I am today and my ‘fear’ is no longer a ‘fear’. Does The Thrive Programme work? YES, for sure, although it does take practice. If I notice I’m not feeling the greatest, I remind myself of some of the key elements I learnt and it helps me to get on the right path again. How would you say your life has changed going through the course? I feel excited to achieve, I feel motivated and I look forward to the things I was holding back on. If there is a tough task ahead I feel willing to take it on, whereas before I would pre-empt it all going wrong. What's next? I will continue to thrive! We’re saving for a house, I’m looking for a new job challenge, and I am getting on with my hobby and learning more than ever about photography by starting a blog!

Josie, 38.

What brought you to Thrive? Help with my emetophobia So how did you get on with doing Thrive? I found it the most helpful training (not therapy!) I’d had, it understands what and how emet affects you with the most useful tools to help you overcome it. What did you get out of going through the Programme? Mainly that it’s taught me I create my own anxiety and confirmed a belief I’d actually suspected before that it’s nothing to do with sick itself but about your overreaction to your own emotions. Whilst I’d kind of known this I hadn’t appreciated that I had the power to change this by challenging unhelpful thinking, improving my self esteem and reducing social anxiety. I had thought I needed something external to help cure me and Thrive has taught me the cure kind of lies within me. Was there a core thing within the course that stood out for you? What I said above! I also had no real idea how damaging my catastrophic thinking was in terms of keeping perspective or how my quest for perfection a lot of the time was affecting me negatively. I always thought it was one of my good qualities! Did you enjoy the experience? Did the consultant help? Fiona helped clarify things, helped keep me on track and kept things simple. Because the unhelpful thinking styles start off so ingrained and it takes time to form new habits, I found talking to Fiona really helped me not over analyse and complicate what is actually quite simple (although not easy!) What surprised you? How simple the tools are to learn how to thrive but that simple doesn’t mean easy! I’m used to intellectualising things and the realisation that I’d created this phobia myself not in relation to a past ‘trigger’ was initially hard to get my head around. I somehow thought it had to be more complicated, harder to overcome. Does The Thrive Programme work? Yes. For me personally I now know I am in control. I do sometimes 'lose it' and I still feel I have to work at what I’ve learned but everything I need is in this programme so it doesn't take much to get back on it. I do feel that Thrive offers all the tools and sound advice to help anybody overcome emet or any other issue however. It’s just about working consistently at forming new habits and keeping those spectacles clear. Sometimes in life we want a quick fix and Thrive isn’t that. How would you say your life has changed going through the course? I finally feel that I’m in control of what happens to me in the sense that I choose how to react. I feel more confident that I can live the life I want and I don’t have to let anything hold me back really. What's next? New stage of life returning to work after having children, so looking forward to taking my new life skills with me!

CARA, 34. What brought you to Thrive? My [then] 14 month old had just recovered from his second bought of a stomach bug in two months. As a new mom I had never felt so many mixed emotions that I questioned if my son would be better off with someone who could take care of him and not be afraid when he didn’t feel well. Being a mom brings on anxiety in itself but being afraid to care for someone you love with all of your heart can expose the worst depression. I found Thrive while combing the internet in the middle of the night feeling anxious and alone. So how did you get on with doing Thrive? My husband and I agreed that we would spend the money to work through the book with a consultant. I do not always retain words well so I knew I wanted to experience this journey with someone who could talk me through it. I Google searched Thrive consultants and there was something about Fiona that stuck out to me in the list of consultants. Instantly I knew she was the “one”. I contacted Fiona and within a couple of days of receiving my book in the mail we had our first Skype appointment. What did you get out of going through the Programme? This is simple. I am not a bad mom. I opened the first page to this book about to completely give up on motherhood. I believed my son was better off being with a complete stranger because at least they were able to care for him when he was ill. Thrive taught me that my fear was crippling my way I viewed my ability to care for my child but it did not have to anymore. With each chapter I started viewing my anxiety and fear as something I could alter along with altering my perception of myself as a mother. After completing the programme I cannot only say my fear of someone being ill has greatly decreased but my positive perception of myself as a mom has greatly increased! Was there a core thing within the course that stood out for you? The one thing that stood out to me is the fear emetophobes have is solely our way of thinking. I always thought my fear was something I was born with and could never change. But Thrive introduces the idea that all things in life can be altered if your set you mind to it, grab your thinking and stay positive. Initially I hoped Thrive would help me to not be so scared of someone being ill but Thrive taught me so much more. Thrive taught me that every aspect of my life can be looked at differently and how I view each individual situation, good or bad, is completely in the way I think. Did you enjoy the experience? Did the consultant help? The experience was trying and rewarding each day. There were moments I did not feel like the programme was working and then all of a sudden the sentence I needed to hear was written next. My consultant was amazing. I would recommend Fiona Brown to anyone! She was patient, she accepted my setbacks and helped me through them, and she focused on my individual journey instead of the general journey of all emetophobes. She opened my eyes and helped me understand parts of the books I was not fully grasping on my own and also gave me ways to look at my life in ways no one else ever has. What surprised you? I instantly knew the book was relatable to my life when I read the front page testimonies and there was a woman who wrote about how Thrive helped her. She was my age, her child was the same age as my son and everything she wrote about feeling inadequate as a mother was exactly how I was feeling at that very moment. Throughout the book I was surprised that the characteristics that most emetophobes have were everything, anyone who knows me well, would use to describe me. I never realized my need for control, my black and white vision and my strive towards perfectionism all was related to my fear. Does The Thrive Programme work? Absolutely! The Thrive Programme works if you work at it and understand that overcoming your fear is always a ongoing process. Do not expect to work read through the book and be cured. There are moments I flip back through the pages to remind myself of the lessons. I will not say that I was cured of all my anxiety and fears but I now live life each day to the fullest instead of worrying about the things I cannot control tomorrow. Thrive allowed me to live life again. How would you say your life has changed going through the course? Thrive helped me live each day. I learned to not look beyond tomorrow and be thankful for I had the strength to endure today. I used to worry every second of every day that my son would be ill. If my phone rang I was afraid it was daycare saying he was not feeling well. If he coughed in the middle of the night I was afraid he was going to be ill. If he did not eat his entire supper mean he was ill. Now, I live each day without worrying today will be the day he is ill again. Thrive gave me that. What's next? To live life day by day. Each day that I go to bed thankful for that day and finding the positive aspects of that day is a day I feel accomplished and one step closer to being cured.

LAURA, 22. What brought you to Thrive? When I was 18 I made the decision to end my life and stepped out in front of a lorry. I was in an incredibly low place, I didn’t think I had anyone to turn to, I was struggling massively with my sexuality, and the idea of a future, actually I didn’t want one. It was 3 years after this I started Thrive. It looked very different to anything I’d seen before. It looked incredibly positive straight away. So how did you get on with doing Thrive? Obviously after seeing a lot of counsellors, psychologists, etc., you become quite reserved about different types of help and it’s quite difficult to go in open minded. But I went in anyway and it’s just a completely different approach that Thrive has to making you feel better – it’s just so refreshing. It’s so reassuring. Straight away we assessed why I’d gone there, assessed that I had not got the help I needed, and we focused on the ‘now’. What did you get out of going through the Programme? We worked on social anxiety and self esteem. My self esteem was rock bottom, you probably wouldn’t be able to detect it, it was that low. It’s so simple. It’s almost really frustrating that you don’t see it beforehand. There are core things that just completely change your life. Being able to solve things yourself, and being internally driven, to know that if I have a problem, it’s okay and I’m going to fix it myself, and then the happiness and pleasure you get from knowing you’ve solved that by yourself and you didn’t need someone to hold your hand over the whole thing. That’s massive. What surprised you? Knowing you don’t have to reflect on your years of sorrow for the rest of your life – that’s irrelevant. I never ever believed that. I had a constant belief that because I’d been through a lot of adversity when I was younger, and because I’d been through a lot of life changing things that they had to affect me for my whole future. They don’t. I can genuinely say I am the most confident, the most comfortable, and the most content I have been in my life. Does The Thrive Programme work? It seems like a massive statement ‘Change your life’, and it is massive. But it’s done so simply. It’s done by changing your beliefs and changing your thinking patterns, and changing the way you think about yourself. Thrive opens up your eyes to make you realise what sort of person you can be. You have so many tools and resources that are brought to you through Thrive that you use to create a better life, and it’s you that does it. I can quite happily say that Thrive has changed my life but essentially it’s you that does it. Thrive is the programme that sees you through, guides you, and you individually are the person that changes your life. What's next? I’m now in the process of training to be a firefighter, I work as a personal trainer now, I play football every week, I go to the gym every day, I have a circle of amazing friends, a good solid part of my family as well. Life for me at 22, considering at 18 I tried to end it, couldn’t get much better. I am completely grateful to Rob and Thrive for giving me the opportunity and the tools to learn to do that.

STRUAN, 41 What was going on in your life that meant you decided to do Thrive? Just life, I think, the usual hassles of running a small business, kids, family, farm, wife everything! Struggling to cope with it all, just the worries in your head the fears in your head that you weren’t able to do it or your going to struggle to do it just all the small issues that happens day to day. What was it like to do the Programme with a consultant? I was looking forward to it I trusted my friend who recommended the programme and I thought immediately that I like this guy, I trust this guy, he obviously knows his stuff. You were honest and open about your own experiences. I just felt from the start that this is going to help me improve my way of thinking. Did you enjoy the experience then? Yes I thoroughly enjoyed it Did you realise you could fix yourself? Yes from speaking to my consultant and reading the book. It was well written and from the first chapter it was clear and I thought this just makes sense. It makes you understand how your head works and how your head plays tricks: to "you’re not capable”, "you can’t do this”, "you’re going to struggle", yeah, it just flipped the whole way of thinking on the head and enjoyed the sessions. Was there a core thing within the course that stood out for you? Yeah I think just understanding how your brain works and these triggers you create in your head very quickly you learn to stop them and say well that’s not the case, I can do this, I am capable, I am hard working, with a bit of effort I can do this. I learnt many things but controlling my triggers and saying no that’s wrong I can sort it I know what I am doing, that was probably the overall learning. I have a powerful skill now to handles issues going forward. What would you say to someone thinking about doing the course? I’d say it’s the best thing you’ll do, the best money you can spend, and you have to be prepared to put the effort in to read the book and do the work. I can’t recommend it highly enough. I recommend a lot of folk on now and I will always do that. I’m just at my second time reading through the book, I feel like I have something there to go back to if I slip back but I’ve not slipped back much because I’ve got these tools in my head now. How would you say your life has changed going through the course? I enjoy most of my days now, the fear that came into my head at six o’clock in the morning about all the jobs I had to do, that’s gone. It was like a big cloud lifted over my head, a cloud of worry and I was never sure what the worry was but I just realised it was all these stupid unhelpful thoughts in your head making you think you weren’t able to do stuff when you actually can. What's next? Keep going through the book going through the examples, and making sure I embed these new good habits. It’s just a great thing, I wish I had it when I was a teenager going through school and university, it’s the best thing I’ve done, the best money I’ve spent.

MANDY, 43. You attended one of our Thrive taster events. What made you think the programme was right for you? A long history of depression, stress and anxiety. I'd also gone through various types of therapy which just didn’t work for me; together with being pretty heavily medicated for depression I needed help. I was invited to a Thrive presentation where I heard how other people overcame similar issues by working through The Thrive Programme and I saw how positive and passionate they were about it. Everything I heard and saw at the presentation just made me think that this was exactly what I had been looking for and it has lived up to that and more. What did you get out of going through the Programme? A new life. My life has changed completely. I am no longer on medication for depression and I feel better than I think I have ever felt as an adult. Not only am I much happier, stronger and more resilient but it has had a really positive effect on my family too. I have a new purpose in life, I had lost all motivation and belief in myself and my self-worth, and now I know exactly what I want to do with my life and I am working towards it every day. I also think I’m a pretty awesome person now, I used to think I was pretty awful… Was there a core thing within the course that stood out for you? Changing my limiting beliefs was at the core of it for me. Once I realised that a lot of what I believed was a load of rubbish and started to change those beliefs everything else followed. It was like coming out of the dark and into the light for the first time in my adult life. Did you enjoy the experience? I loved it! It was all so very positive. What surprised you? Feeling excited about things. I had come to believe that excitement was something that you only feel as a child when you believe in all things magical. I'm just a big kid now. Oh and I swear more. Haha. Does The Thrive Programme work? HELL YEAH! As long as you put in the work and effort. Thrive doesn’t get done to you or happen to you, you learn the skills you need to Thrive. This enables you to change your limiting beliefs, raise your self-esteem and reduce your social anxiety. All in all you feel so empowered, strong and resilient and generally don’t give a monkeys what the world thinks of you because you realise that self-worth and self-esteem come from within. It is a very liberating process and experience. What's next? I am pushing myself physically to reach some important personal goals. I want to make sure I am the healthiest version of myself physically; when you’re mentally pretty rotten this tends to show up in your physical health. I have taken part in some pretty awesome training and events this year - the highlight so far was achieving Tough Mudder status! I’m already signed up to do it next year with my eldest son as he has been inspired by the new me….

KATIE, 28. What brought you to Thrive? I was at a point in my life where I had had enough with myself and life and had felt like this for a long time. I was sick and tired of feeling the way I was feeling. I had been searching for a long time for answers that I couldn’t find. I felt incredibly helpless and didn’t know how to find peace with myself and be happy. My sister started the programme initially and told me about it, she said that if it went well for her, she would pass me on the details of a Thrive consultant. I didn’t want to wait for that point though, I could already notice a difference in her and I wanted a piece of that too! So how did you get on with doing Thrive? My journey with the Thrive programme truly was life changing!! Thrive is such an easy to understand, simple, relatable, enjoyable, programme... Or as I like to call it…life manual. It really helped me to understand myself as a person, what made me tick, being able to recognise how I approached situations and how I could stop feeling the way I was feeling and how I could change that easily myself. The fact that it was me that was going to make those changes, was incredibly liberating and empowering. What did you get out of going through the Programme? Everything! I owe so much to Thrive, Rob and my consultant, but overall I got a sense of achievement from myself. I had done this, I had put the effort and work into this and I was so proud of myself. A feeling of being calm, collected and composed and at ease and peace with myself just felt amazing. I gained so much self-awareness from the programme and everything I have learnt I just want to share with the world. When you know something works and you know how it can help people to help themselves you just want to shout it from the rooftops. Thrive is literally for anyone and everyone, there is nthat couldn’t benefit from this! o-one Was there a core thing within the course that stood out for you? The fact that it was ME making the changes. That was empowering. Being able to change your life yourself with help and guidance, that is so rewarding. The fact I didn’t have to go and talk about my problems every week. The fact that it wasn’t about what happened yesterday or 2 years ago, it was about the now. It was about how I could make changes from the NOW. Did you enjoy the experience? Yes, learning about myself and gaining the insights, tools and techniques was great. I took myself out of my comfort zone many many times. But I was done with staying in the same place and was ready to make change. Every week I learnt more and more and it really felt like the programme was personally written for me. I could relate to everything in it. The way Rob has written the book, makes it really enjoyable to study. It never felt like a drag or a chore, I was in complete awe of the experience. What surprised you? How quickly I started to notice a difference in myself and how much change I have made. Understanding about what drove my desire for control was fascinating. How so many people in society are so driven by external factors. Does The Thrive Programme work? YES – Definitely. If you are ready to change YOUR life then yes! If you are willing to put effort and work into making positive change, then ABSOLUTELY! How would you say your life has changed going through the course? Thrive has helped me to change my life in so many ways. To view myself and the world around me in a completely different light. To understand how I work, to understand myself. To learn how to love and appreciate me. What's next? Lots of exciting things and the start of a new chapter of my life.. I am aiming and planning to move into the big city - London! I want to focus on training and keeping fit with crossfit which is a passion of mine...and of course, spending time with my beautiful family and friends. Next stop booking a trip to NYC which has been a goal of mine for a long time and now I'm going to make that happen!