Lynn is incredible. She has enabled me to see through the heavy, grey fog of depression and hear over that insiduous, nagging voice of my inner critic. She has given me a fresh perspective, a way to change my thoughts. It’s like the colours in my life are brighter, sharper and more vivid than before. I am brimming with optimism, ready to leap into the life I want and deserve. Lynn has showed me that this is possible. I don’t have to be a slave to my demons. I am in control. I am free.

As the mother of 3 teenage daughters I am very familiar with the usual teenage insecurities and general body confidence issues, however nothing was to prepare us for what happened when our youngest daughter (just 12) developed anorexia. She was a very sporty, seemingly happy-go-lucky child, with no obvious issues. Being so active when the illness took hold, her weight dropped dramatically and suddenly. She was admitted as an inpatient to a private eating disorder institution where she remained for the next 3 months. The conventional treatment provided by the clinic focused on weight gain, and whilst dealing with the physiological aspects of the illness, her pyschological needs were not addressed. She did not engage with the therapists but merely learned from other anorexics in the clinic , how to cheat the system and avoid the forced weight gain. Over the course of the 3 months she was there, my husband and I saw a marked deterioration in her mental state. We knew we had to find an alternative treatment for our child as this was not working for our daughter. A friend had heard of Lynn Crilly’s counselling work and gave us her details. My husband and I arranged a meeting with Lynn and decided to take our daughter out of the institution the following day. This was the beginning of our daughter’s road to recovery. I don’t know how she does it, but Lynn seems to really understand the anorexic mind and slowly over the course of a few months, she worked with our daughter, gaining her trust and encouraging her to leave the isolation and destruction of the anorexic mind set, and begin to live a normal life. The whole family were very much involved in the process. Our daughter returned to full – time school and gradually started to regain her self confidence – socialising with friends and having fun! After our daughter had been seeing Lynn for 6 months she was able to go down to 1 session per week, and now after 9 months continues to to have counselling with her once a month and has developed a very special relationship with her. The counselling sessions are fun and whilst they talk, they make jewellery or do puzzles and other creative activities. Lynn has never forced out child to eat a special diet or certain foods, our daughter chooses now to eat a very healthy balanced diet. recently she returnes to sport and everyday contiues to make progress. I cant thank Lynn enough for not only giving our daughter her life back, but giving the whole family our lives back.

Lynn has given me the strength to fight and not give up on feeling a sense of hope which I did not have before the day that my dear friend introduced me to Lynn. Lynn instantly calmed me with her warmth, such kindness and an understanding which touched my heart. Over time Lynn has helped me to see a glimpse of light, beyond my traumatic past. Lynn’s guidance and reassurance pushed me to make some changes which I never thought I could cope with in my recovery.

Lynn will forever be a best friend to me. She showed me how to feel inspired by life in my creativity outside of the confinement of my eating disorder and how to find ways of managing self-destructive thoughts better.

Lynn’s belief in you encourages you to believe in yourself through a love which I will always hold onto… so tight. I discovered a part of Bella who I thought I’d never find from within.

I first met Lynn Crilly early in 2012 after a kind friend suggest she could help me. I have suffered anxiety, panic attacks and general low self esteem for over 11 years. I had spent untold amounts of money on so called professionals and wonder drugs. I arrived at her home and sat in a cozy back room. This amazing Mum, Wife and Friend embraced me as if I were one of her own. In my first appointment Lynn address my main problem within minutes. Herapproach is one of compassion, understanding and her knowledge of her own family challenges. Lynn understands the needs of the individual and does not sit there taking notes, she listens and makes me feel like for that hour I have her undivided care and support. I wish there were more people like Lynn who had the common sense approach as so many people would benefit. I can’t thank her enough and she will always have a special place in my heart she is truly one of a kind.

After reading Lynn’s book ‘Hope’ I was lucky enough to find out that she lived near me and was able to take my daughter on for counselling. After just 2 sessions I was feeling more hopefuland there were already signs of progress. We were fortunate that my daughter did not have ‘anorexia’ but she was suffering from depression, anxiety and low self-esteem, which were affecting her eating habits making her very thin. Lynn came along as a ray of sunshine in this world where our daughter’s (and sons) are under so much pressure. Six months on, my daughter is eating normally and is a happier and more confident young woman. I cannot thank Lynn enough. She has helped Jen get her life back which has mean’t that we, as a family, have got our lives back too.

Lynn worked with our daughter overseeing her recovery after what we see as counterproductive intervention from “traditional” eating disorder clinic. Her approach is was much more focused on a person on a holistic basis, dealing with the child, parents and all the environment around (school, GP, etc.) to create a sustainable basis for recovery and eventually letting us to live normal life. We think the work Lynn has done is extremely valuable and wishing her best of luck in the future. Thanks Lynn

When I met Lynn I was in the middle of a mental breakdown, and not able to cope with life. I had been prescribed a heavy dose of antidepressants/anxiety drugs, which looking back at the time was a quick fix to calm my erratic behaviour – however long term. They had an adverse effect leaving me feeling even more depressed and desperate than before. With Lynn’s help, love and support I was able to see things more clearly, she gave me the strength to slowly wean myself of the drugs . I was then able to get me mental and physical state stronger and toregain my life back.

I have suffered from an anxiety disorder and panic attacks for a number of years. After a particularly difficult time my mum suggested I try counselling. I had undergone a course of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy a couple of years previously, which had failed to make much of an impact and I was unconvinced therapy was going to help this time. Lynn’s warm and friendly approach quickly dispelled the doubts I had over counselling and gave me hope that I could overcome my problems. She takes a holistic approach to mental wellbeing which improved my confidence and gave me the strength to tackle the causes of my anxiety. I have been able to speak openly about the difficulties I face and she has been there to listen and advise. Since starting sessions with Lynn I have been able to face situations I would previously have avoided and she has been there to support me through this process. I now have a much more positive mind-frame and feel that I have the strength to overcome my anxiety.

Like many others before us, we were completely devastated to discover our adorable 11 year old daughter had been diagnosed with anorexia nervosa. The next few weeks were a haze as she fell deeper and deeper into the clutches of this heartbreaking illness. She became very sick very quickly and within two months she was admitted into general hospital and then as an inpatient for 2 admissions. We tried so hard to challenge this treatment then worked hard to keep her motivated to stay out of hospital. I spoke to every free counsellor, read books after books, scrawled the internet to learn as much as I could so that we could help her battle. Then I picked up Lynn’s book, Hope. It was frank and honest and for the first time we felt that we were doing the right thing in questioning the treatment available. I immediately discharged our daughter from our dreadful CAMHS team and contacted Lynn. I was met with a warm, kind voice at the end of the phone and easily I began to tell her our journey so far. There was tears and laughter and that warmth and easiness continued throughout our counselling. As mum, I benefitted as much as my daughter and Lynn helped dad as well to see how we needed to work together as the tight family unit that we were before an eating disorders came to visit. Our daughter has now got her life back! 100% back! 9 months of intense counselling but a counselling with a difference. Lynn cares, she oozes warmth, understanding and compassionand showed us how to take small steps, reassuring us together with our daughter that recovery is possible. Without a doubt, Lynn’s work is unique and she touched my family’s life like a true fairy godmother. I cannot recommend her counselling highly enough. She gave us strength, shared experiences and empowered us to make changes and question the “normal treatment” and for that and all her love and support, I will always feel blessed and thankful.

Working with Lynn is an entirely different process to conventional clinical treatments. Lynn seeks to understand every dimension of the your life, not just your symptoms, seeing you as a whole person, understanding your context, your past, and engaging with the kind of future you want. With Lynn, your destination isn’t fixed and you’re given the time, flexibility and opportunity to shape your own life; a process of empowerment unlike the loss of control and autonomy you feel as a patient in other clinical environments. This way, your recovery emerges as the product of your own self-acceptance and the decisions you make for yourself, and that’s what makes it real and lasting. Lynn’s ability to collaborate the efforts I was making as the sufferer, and the efforts my family made as carers, was key to holding us together as a family in a difficult time. I’ve yet to hear of another treatment provider that shows so much compassion and respect for everyone involved, where blame and fault do not come into it, and where recovery is nurtured and facilitated as opposed to forced or imposed. Lynn’s more holistic view sets her apart from other professionals in the field.