Dawn Bostad
Waitress
Austin, TX
I originally came to see Laura for severe anxiety. I didn't want to leave the house, go do things, or talk to people anymore. The anxiety had been going on my whole life, but after a bicycle wreck, things had gotten really bad as I became more isolated. I was afraid of being rejected for who I was and I didn't even want to talk to the people that I knew. I felt that I could never be who I really was and I was afraid that people wouldn't want me around. I was so worried about fitting in that the anxiety ruled everything in my life: social situations, trying new things, career choices, everything. I couldn't be at home by myself without feeling nervous. I felt out of control of my emotions and I wouldn't be able to switch out of it. I would get anxious and start crying or stay home all day.
I tried acupuncture to help me with my anxiety. I felt relaxed and everything, but it didn't change my thought process or the things that I was telling myself. Yoga helped, I liked the physical part of it, but it didn't get to the real reason that I felt anxious, so it wasn't a good fit for me either. Counseling felt like too much talking about the same thing and I wasn't making the headway that I wanted to make.
I saw the sign outside of A New Day Hypnosis when I was having coffee next door and I decided to check it out online. I didn't think it would work because I hadn't known anyone who had done it. I had tried all these things and I didn't want to try anything else, especially if I didn't know if it was going to work. I talked to Laura on the phone and she said that she thought she could help me, so I felt like I would give it a try and see what happened.
I noticed immediately after my first session that I felt more relaxed. I wanted to go up to people and I was getting out more. I was engaging with other people and I felt a lot better. Something really just changed for me and I stopped being ruled by anxiety.
I have had some major life shifts, I'm happier and I have more energy now. I'm not scared of the day-to-day things anymore and I'm making changes in a healthy way. I am able to push myself because I have better control of my thoughts. Talking about stuff has helped, I'm figuring out what is really going on inside and that makes it easier for me to understand myself and my feelings.
I feel more in control now. I am starting to live my life the way that I want to live it and I feel more confident. I walk around with my head up and I feel okay with just being myself. The most important benefit for me has been less anxiety and getting closer to understanding my truth and living it. I am meeting more like-minded people and I'm finding that they like me for who I am and that has been huge for me.
I would recommend Laura's services because she is very compassionate and wise and she is good at getting to the point of things and finding out what is really going on. She is a strong woman, so she is a great role model. She's a great listener and she makes people feel comfortable.
My friends have noticed that I'm really confident and I'm able to be myself. I have tools and I know what I need to do. I trust my intuition and I'm not scared anymore, so I am taking risks. It helps me focus on what is really important to me. I am more in touch with what I really want to do, not what I think I am supposed to be doing.