Our names are Bonita and Claire Ackerman du Preez and together we represent Equine Edge Rider Confidence. Bonita is a qualified Registered Mental Health Therapist, Hypnotherapist, Hypnotist, TimeLine, Rewind, NLP, FLASH EMDR, Brainspotting, Kinetic Shift, EMDR and IEMT practitioner and we offer therapy, training and coaching in trauma recovery, confidence and resilience either online or from our o
ffice in Bedford, Bedfordshire. Claire is the owner of two horses and is a top amateur dressage rider, having been selected for the Eastern Region England Teams at the British Dressage Home International on occasions and is now training at Grand Prix level with her Hanoverian warmblood. We specialise in helping equestrians of any discipline recover from trauma, whether it be after a horse-related accident or injury help, or PTSD from your past to help you make changes to your personal and professional life, giving you the power to deal with mental, emotional and psychological issues. If you are committed to change and prepared to make the effort, we are the right person to help you overcome trauma-related difficulties to reduce stress and anxiety. We have a friendly, deeply caring and direct approach to therapy, helping you become accountable for your new self. In addition, we have launched The Anxiety Recovery School for women, a safe haven for women to talk about anxiety, stress, personal and professional issues. Bonita is frequently ‘live’ in the group each week teaching tangible techniques and processes to help you learn to manage to control anxiety and stress. Please do download our FREE workbook - five top tips to tame your worry monster using the link below. Check your email from Bonita to download the link and to join the Facebook group. https://www.anxietyrecoveryschool.com/tame-your-worry-monster
Or join the group directly:
https://urlgeni.us/facebook/PawTheAnxietyRecoverySchool
Why our work is unique...
We use an Integrated Therapy System (ITS) developed by undertaking many successful hours of trauma recovery experience working one to one with individuals and children
Anxiety and stress management:
We all feel anxious or stressed at times. If you constantly feel burnt out, tired or unable to make decisions, you are likely to be suffering from anxiety, stress or both. Do you wake up feeling overwhelmed, tight chested, agitated or dread leaving home? Symptoms may differ from person to person, but anxiety is high because of the way we live. It’s your body’s automatic fight, flight or freeze response. Most of the time these anxieties and stresses may never happen, but it feels real for you. Some people may experience temporary anxiety at some point in their life. It could feel like nervousness or fear with is a perfectly normal reaction to a stressful situation. However, other people are ruled by a constant heightened feeling of constant anxiety which is completely overpowering. Can you answer yes to any of the following questions?
* Are you constantly tense, worried, on edge, irritable or have mood swings?
* Does your anxiety interfere with your work, school, or family responsibilities?
* Do you have difficulty concentrating on tasks or making decisions?
* Are you plagued by fears that you know are irrational, but can’t shake?
* Do you believe that something bad will happen if things aren’t done a certain way?
* Do you avoid everyday situations or activities because they cause you anxiety?
* Do you experience sudden, unexpected attacks or heart-pounding panic?
* Do you feel like danger and catastrophe are around every corner?
* Do you suffer from a lack of sleep or being kept awake at night with constant negative thoughts?
* Do you feel exhausted even though you have slept?
* Do you often feel restless or suffer with sweating or nausea?
* Do you suffer from muscular pain and aches (not relating to exercise)?
* Do you have panic attacks and you cannot understand why? The effects of anxiety on the body are profound and could have serious consequences on your health and wellbeing. These could include:
Weight gain even while “dieting”
Severe headaches or migraines
Breathing problems
Rapid heart rate or palpitations
Chest pain
Loss of appetite
Diarrhoea or constipation
Depression
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
Muscle aches and other pains
Extreme fatigue
Increase in blood pressure
Lowered immune system
Trauma & PTSD
What is trauma or PTSD? Trauma is a response to a deeply distressing or disturbing frightening event which overwhelms the body’s natural coping mechanism, causing feelings of helplessness, diminished sense of self and the inability to feel a full range of emotions. Trauma is a normal reaction to a horrible event; however, the effects can be so severe they interfere with a person’s natural ability to live a normal life. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder which can develop after being involved in, or witnessing, traumatic events. The condition was first recognised in war veterans and has been known as 'shell shock', but it's not only diagnosed in soldiers. Trauma therapy involves using various process and techniques working directly with the subconscious mind, the amygdala - a small part of the brain responsible for our feelings, emotions and reactions, the pre-frontal cortex and the hippocampus. It is directly linked to how we act and react. A traumatic event overloads the brain's normal stress management ability and our memory of the trauma becomes fragmented and filed in the wrong area of the brain. Trauma is person specific as we all think and feel differently. Catastrophic illness or injury
Childhood abuse (emotional or sexual)
War
Childhood neglect or abandonment
R**e
Domestic abuse
Natural disasters
Birth stress for both mother and infant
Invasive medical and dental procedures
Accidents such as car crashes and falls
Witnessing an act of violence
How can trauma affect you? When you experience a traumatic event, your body’s defence system – fight, flight or freeze creates a stress response, which can make you feel a variety of physical symptoms, behave differently and experience more intense emotions. When suffering trauma, the body produces a chemical reaction can lead to symptoms such as:
Raised blood pressure
Increased heart rate
Increased sweating
Reduced or loss of appetite
Depression
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Flashbacks
Unwanted feelings & thoughts
Sleeplessness
Hopelessness
Eating disorders
Nightmares
Anxiety, fears and feeling stressed
Memory loss
Headaches/migraines or muscle pain
Anger
Emotionally unstable
Uncharacteristic behaviour
Grief recovery
Grief is an overwhelming feeling of emotion that stops your body and mind functioning on a daily basis. The simplest task become unbearable. Grief affects our coping ability and overwhelms the bodies immune system increasing inflammation in the body creating health problems. The heartbreak of grief causes an increase in blood pressure and puts strain on your whole body. Grief causes the body and mind to disconnect and brings on immense feelings of loss. Overcoming grief is a step for step program that must include the body and mind reconnecting. Grief has 5 stages of recovery and an individual who is suffering from grief, must be taken through each stage carefully. Fears and Phobias
Is your phobia keeping you from doing the things you like to do? Do you recognise you have a fear or phobia, but you are uncertain of how to deal with it? Do you feel your fear is irrational, yet it’s difficult to keep control over it? Is the fear automatic and completely overwhelming or hugely over exaggerated? Understanding your fear or phobia is the first step to overcoming it. Fears and phobias could include:
Fear of getting back on a horse
Fear of flying
Fear of spiders, birds, snakes, dogs etc. Fear of needles
Fear of clowns
Fear of public speaking
Fear of heights
Exams stress or taking exams
Fear of vomiting
Fear of the sight of blood
Fear of open spaces or buildings
Fear of heights
Fear of the dentist or doctor
Fear of the dark
Fear of motorway driving
Fear of social situations
What are the benefits of working with us? We help to change thinking patterns when recovering from trauma which addresses anxiety so that you will feel and see change within yourself immediately. Our therapy will allow your subconscious mind to function on making the connections links it needs from the suggestions made during the session, experiencing deep relaxation. You will have instant control and confidence during and after each session. How long will it take? Effective treatment usually takes between 3 – 9 sessions but in some cases could continue for some time. Alongside hypnosis, we use a combination of several techniques to quickly dissipate your unwanted strongest negative feelings and emotions. Once these are under control, change happens rapidly. We work differently to other therapists, using our skill set and knowledge to move your mind and focus forward allowing the brain to repair and reconnect, setting goals for the future. We work together with you to create your new direction quickly. Sessions are one hour long and at times it may be necessary to ask to complete additional work and exercises at home to guarantee continued success
Sessions are priced at £95 per session, however packages of 7 sessions can be purchased at a discounted rate. Book a free DISCOVERY CALL here to find out how we can help you further. Find in depth detail on our sister website at www.future-edgetherapy.co.uk. Contact Bonita for a FREE 20 min no obligation chat to see if we can help you as we would love to help. WHY NOT MEET ME ON Youtube? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJPzm5DR4E4
For a more comprehensive explanation of each technique please visit
http://www.future-edgetherapy.co.
