Testimonies

Feedback Comments from Sadie Cissell Service Clients / Supervisees :

Painting Created By Michelle, a Group member of the London Into The Light 10 Week Course 2014: "This painting represents our deserved happiness as a group of strong beautiful women battling our way to a life of love, light and peace. "

"Sadie has Supported, Listened and made my life so much clearer - Thank you"

"Our Relationship is now heading in a more positive direction !"

"My Child really enjoys, looks forward to seeing Sadie, he trusts her and I can't believe how he is sleeping at night now without his nightmares! "

"Sadie is very Good. Insightful, warm and encouraging . Sadie managed to get the balance just right. I now feel the work we've done together gave me a great set of tools to help me focus on personal healing and development. Thank you."

" Excellent. Sadie is approachable and friendly but was also prepared to challenge me which is needed to work through things but also, for me, meant that I respected her more. She was knowledgeable and experienced and intuitive and sensitive. She responded to me and tailored our work personally so that it was most effective."

"Sadie helped me re focus what was important in my life after attempting suicide, she has high-lighted how much I have to live for and now I really enjoying being a man again rather than just something trying to survive!"

"Thank you Sadie for coming to my school every week ,supporting me and I have had so fun with you "

"After many years of fighting an eating disorder, Sadie allowed me the space to make sense in why I had an unhealthy relationship with food. I now feel freer "

"I am in my eighties and never been in counselling before, I have enjoyed my time with Sadie and felt comforted by her gentle support - thank you"

Feedback Comments by Into The Light Group/ Individual - Men and Women Members - Facilitated by Sadie Cissell:

Into The Light Cake Created By a Group member of the London Into The Light 10 Week Course

“I 've just finished the course in December and found it very useful. It was the first time I'd been to a group so was a bit worried but found everyone very supportive, empathetic and easy to share experiences with. I also found the coursework very good and will be going over it again and doing more reading from the books mentioned in it”

“Really did find it a very positive experience having never thought I'd want to be part of a survivors group”.

"The work I covered exceeded expectations both in terms of the education and support."

" I was not sure at first but now realise it's all a step by step journey that must always start somewhere."

"Sadie is Excellent, Very Warm , Encouraging and always respectful."

“This psycho-educational course is more valuable then therapy - I'd highly recommend it to anyone with an abuse history. Sharing the learning's in a Group is a helpful way to accelerate healing - Thank you Into The Light.”

“Into The Light 10 Week Course has given me a real acknowledgement and understanding of my growth and have learnt to acknowledge myself more - Thank you”

“I am glad I have done this course it has really helped in my process of healing - Thank you Sadie”

“The structure of the course was a particularly helpful way for me to draw all my previous experience of dealing with these issues together - highlighting where progress has been made and what still needs work. I feel I can really progress from here.”

“I have got a lot from the course but most enriching is our relationship”.

“I just wanted to say that I finished the ten week course on Thursday and I found it hugely beneficial. I also wanted to say that Sadie is an amazing woman, and I could not have done my journey without her”

“You have been a real tower of strength for me over the past 10 weeks and my life is richer with you in it. As I said yesterday, there was a point of trying to deceive you but not in a cruel way it's because I was scared. I have complete trust and faith in you, I have got a lot from the course but most enriching is our relationship”.

“I feel this course gave me a great set of tools to help me focus on personal healing and development. Thank you. I would highly recommend this course to others”.

"Into The Light ........... Things can't surprise us if we look at them in the light!"

"Sadie was lovely, compassionate, caring and supportive and helped me understand how a relationship should be" " I found the course as a whole supportive and inspiring , it helped me focus each week with coping strategies with extra resources helpful"

"It felt like Sadie wasn't just doing a job Monday night course but her promptness and personal touch helped me to feel like a person and not just 'people' "

"Sadie helped me re focus what was important in my life after attempting suicide, she has high-lighted how much I have to live for and now I really enjoying being a man again rather than just something trying to survive! "" GREAT COURSE AND EXCELLENT FACILITATOR, A HUGE PERSONAL THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING ME WHEN OTHERS HAVE FAILED ME DURING A CRITICAL PERIOD."

"it was helpful to have……Accountability – safe place to discuss and confront personal conflict and low self esteem also the Quality of input by facilitator and content of the course. A safe place to be real and honest and enable personal change.………………………………………..... "

Years have past

Pages of my life written

My face has changed

My family grown

That little girl inside my head

Has shown her face

Come out from the dark

Taken of that mysterious mask

Shared her story, Bared her soul

That little girl doesn't have to hide any more

The shame and guilt has lifted

'I haven't done anything wrong'

No more secrets and lies

That little girl doesn't appear frightened so much any more

That little girl has told me it's OK

She can be apart of my memories ,Not trapped any-more

She has taken my hand and said I can let go

I can see a future free of him . And those that let him be...

Recognise my differences and celebrate them

I was aloud to share my story

Never was I judged

I trusted

I was shown that I'm OK

Shown I can live without his shame and contempt

I feel free because I have been shown

That I'm OK I'm not weird

You have helped free me from my internal prison

Let me see I'm worthwhile . It's never to late....

From the bottom of my heart

And from that little girl

You have given me the hope I so desperately needed

Taken me on a journey deep and buried . A journey I was so ready for Years of silence and pain

You have set me free. Thank you............. Written and Created by Into The Light Individual .

Feedback Comments by Supervisees - Supervised by Sadie Cissell:

"Thank you Sadie, you have always gone the extra mile to support me and just got 'me' which has allowed me to grow and I have gained so much, I will miss you"

"Sadie you have been professional, warm, holding my work empathically and challenging me at the right times, I have admired your naturally warm approach and have gained so much from you"

" It has been an honour to work with you , thank you Sadie "

"Thank you for supporting me when I did not know what to do and you allowed a safe process with clear plans and boundaries allowing me to continue with confidence"

‘Just say no’ Poem

Oh look, it’s another rape poem. But you know what that means? Another rape victim.

Here she goes, talking about how girls should just say no, because no is always an option… right?

Well sit tight because you are most definitely not right. You are in fact wrong.

This is me trying to belong and get along without the fear of him being near. That is why I’m writing another rape poem.

There will be no content of fighting and biting because in this rape poem it is that my rapist did not care enough to spare me the chance of a glance of what he would do to me, so please, allow me…

No, I did not bend down to my rapist on my knees and please his sexual needs because I was scared and wanted to be spared my life.

No, I was not drugged by a bunch of thugs in the club.

No, I was not dragged from the valley of innocence by a group of ten strange men.

YES, I was asleep.

YES, I had consumed alcohol.

NO, I was not a mess so my rapist cannot detest that I was the one asking for it, because he was gasping for it so much so he did not give me the chance to scream NO.

When I saw that beam of light it gave me a fright and so I awoke, and I was broke inside because I felt him inside of me those 2 seconds before I chose that my friend would hear her name called for help and he would yelp ‘I didn’t do anything’. But we both knew the truth within our minds.

Wasn’t he kind, to allow me and my friend outside, with her by my side feeling her trying not to cry, for she knew that I did not have the chance to just say no.

The only option I had was to just go, after he put on a show of what a girl looks like when she is unable to just say no. ANON