To confront yourself is hard enough, let alone to confront yourself in the public eye – so do I share my personal journey with you? Following considerable deliberation I have decided to share it, hoping it ultimately inspires others that it is NEVER too late to get assistance and make change!

Get to know me a little…

I was very lucky to spend most my life growing up on a large farm near Stokes Bay on the picturesque Kangaroo Island. My childhood comprises such treasured memories of pristine beaches, raising orphaned wildlife, fresh air, tranquil environment and many adventures with family and friends – there certainly never was a shortage of things to amuse me, and I lived an extremely active and happy life.

My late-teen years however was a time of highs and lows, and mostly ebbed and flowed with the party lifestyle I had embraced. Evening tromps at the beach or farm was replaced with binge drinking and all nighters, and days at the beach or other leisurely activities were replaced by sleep-ins to make up for the nights before. I was also replacing the healthy homemade meals for any ‘quick fix’ from the shops. The continuous poor dietary and lifestyle choices were taking their toll on my body and mind, and eventually I spiralled into depression…

Did I just mention the taboo word ‘depression’? I certainly did, and it is because I feel sharing my experience will help educate, inspire and hopefully encourage others to seek assistance!!

Depression has such a dark stigma associated with it and due to this I felt I could not share it with anyone and must suppress what I was feeling and pretend it was not happening at all. Suppressing any feeling (like depression) reminds me of a pressure cooker – imagine that instead of opening the release valve (as is required), you close it off completely and the pressure just builds and builds and builds and builds… and without any release, BOOM, it explodes!!

Scarily, after some time of continuously suppressing the issue, I no longer recognised myself in the mirror and felt lost!

Confronting and accepting myself…

A few years later, whilst still battling with depression, I received an email relating to a hypnotherapy course. At this point in my life I had only seen stage hypnotist shows and tricks, and it was mere curiosity that led me to enrol. What I did not know was that I was about to undergo the ultimate personal transformation and heal myself in a way I never thought possible!

My perception of hypnotist shows and tricks were quickly eliminated, with the learning that hypnotherapy was actually an extremely powerful and natural tool for making change! The bonus of hypnotherapy – it’s through the power of your own mind!! Throughout this course I would not only help others improve and change their lives, I would confront myself and it changed the course of my life for the best! The things I experienced throughout the course are far too long to list! However, to enlarge on the earlier section of this article, I learned depression was my mind’s way of saying:

“Hey, you’re experiencing a feeling you don’t like and you’re not learning from it! You continue to suppress it rather than address it, so we’re going through this over and over and over again! I am utterly exhausted, your body is severely exhausted, let us rest! Just stop! STOP”!!!

Feelings are signals to us and can often warn you that something needs to be addressed. Would you ignore the oil light if it came on in your car – no? Neither would I, so why ignore our internal warning system. Hypnotherapy helped me to accept responsibility for myself completely and gave me significant tools and resources to maintain my own changes! This experience of such incredible changes and continuous growth made me adamant this is the path intended for me.

Since opening Indigo Phoenix Hypnotherapy in April 2012, I have had the honour of assisting numerous clients in successfully transforming, improving and changing their lives in ways they had not thought previously possible and giving them the tools and resources to be able to maintain their success after completion of our consultations.

Making the change…

Am I perfect? Certainly not! Even a hypnotherapist still requires assistances with health and other personal issues at times, and I absolutely rely on trusted qualified professionals when I need a ‘touch up’. It is important to realise that continuous growth often requires change and although it is not always easy, it definitely is worth it and it is NEVER too late to get assistance.

Whether it is from a new year’s resolution that was never followed through or a ‘tomorrow’ promise where tomorrow was extended to the next day, then the day after, then the day after that, and (well you get the point)… now is the time to make the change.

I took the leap, made the change and am now living my dream! And if I can do it, you can do it – get out of your own way and make the change now.

See what past clients have to say here and check out my New Client Value Package.

Wishing you a healthy and fulfilling life journey,

Chantelle

IMPORTANT
If you feel you are experiencing depression, Indigo Phoenix Hypnotherapy recommends you promptly speak to a trusted and qualified health professional.