John W

‘I was a client of Suke’s for several years. Truth be told, I prefer the word ‘patient, as I was not well, and much in need of help.

Finding the right therapist is not easy, and I was lucky to find Suke.

My history, in terms of therapy, had been patchy over a number of years, sometimes I felt it had ‘worked’ and I was free of my demons and troubles, only to find that they had re-appeared in other forms.

I now know that the first and most important requirement in any therapeutic encounter, is the empathy the therapist has with their patient. It won’t have a good outcome without that.

Suke had that empathy with me, it was clear very early on.

It was not easy, therapy never is if it is to stand any chance of a good outcome,and whilst I never gave up, there were many uncomfortable sessions where memories  and dreams had to be looked at ‘square in the face’, no pretending. A few tears were shed (mine not hers!).

There was CBT which did work for me, and continues to do so. I learnt well from her, and continue to do so.

Flexibility, in any therapist’s approach to helping a patient is vital. I had learned that lesson over and over again. A particular ‘school of thought’ is not always appropriate, and the good therapist draws from different sources according to her or his assessment of the patient’s needs at the time. I stress ‘at the time’, for that can and does change over the weeks and months spent together.

I was able to access the most troubling parts of memory and to reconcile myself to what cannot be changed, and therefore has to be accepted.

At that point, it loses its power to hurt/damage one, and ‘freedom’is the next tentative step which one takes. The relief is palpable.

Anyone who reads this will know by now, that Suke got me out of my rut, my endless cycle of memories and despair.

When I left, I felt and continue to feel, huge gratitude that she brought all her training and experience to this patient and made him well again.

I do not exaggerate how much better and hopeful life is now.

Marilyn B

I sought out Suke during a bad episode of bipolar depression and anxiety. I felt cut-off and isolated so decided to look for a psychologist to help me through the worsening episodes. I'd had a negative experience with CBT in the nineties in England so I went to the appointment with some negative as well as optimistic feelings but I immediately felt at ease and reassured enough to trust Suke and 'have a go'. She made me feel willing to take that risk.I needed an English speaker and her site Suke sounded both approachable and professional and she's been both throughout.
There's been a lot of homework (exposure practice, cognitive restructuring and activity charts). The pace and level of exposure practice was negotiable. Our interaction has been key to success and I feel that I'm contributing to my own well-being and through CBT I've learnt that change can and does become possible by working at it regularly.

I've been able to incorporate simple but satisfying activities like keeping gratitude cards and daily activity schedules because Suke convincingly showed how they work by making changes in the working of the brain. Fascinating and persuasive. CBT gave me 'evidence' that I wasn't always depressed as I remembered so I felt more in control of the reality of my health and more optimistic about the possibility of change.
During my ECT treatment last year I became extremely anxious about its procedures, long-term effects and even the practical aspects (interaction with the staff and the other French patients etc).Suke looked into the practical side and gave advice.
Last year I found the side-effects of my medication so distressing that, after 40 years of changing tablets, I began considering stopping all of it for good. As a consequence, Suke helped me decide that I needed to be hospitalised and readily liaised with my psychiatrist beforehand.I doubt if I could have agreed to this on my own.

I can now stand back and think that I don't have to follow distressing thoughts to their conclusion, or do this, or de like this. I can feel more optimistic about my future. Now we're looking back to my early impressions. I hope this shows how adaptable Suke is.

I've seen many professionals since 1974 and Suke has been the first to openly believe me as well as believe in me. I can highly recommend Suke. I wish I'd found her 40 years ago!

Sam H

You don't have to be depressed or have mental problems to seek therapy. Therapy of any kind, to me is wanting to do yourself some good, wanting to heal or wanting to grow.

When I made the decision to go talk to Suke, it was because I wasn't comfortable with the emotions that were surfacing in my relationship with my partner and wanted to explore them, using a tried and tested methodology, and being able to benefit from the years of experience Suke has. It was also very important for me to carry out this therapy in my mother tongue - English - but because Suke like me is fluent in French from a young age, she understands those words that come up that are hard to translate into English!!

Suke didn't push me to come a certain amount of times per week or month. There was no time pressure, which allowed me to find my own rhythm.

I felt that Suke helped me to grow out of the child-like emotions that were getting in the way of being a happy adult woman. She guided me in my quest to become more "me" :-) And it took less than 10 sessions to come to the conclusion that I was now on the right track emotionally - again no pressure from her, I was free to decide that for myself.

She is a generous, kind and fun person. She is very honest and genuine and I found I could talk to her about everything and anything. The methodology she uses helps to structure thoughts that are out of control and she helped me see the difference between which were "parasite" emotions and which were real and should be listened to.

I know that Suke is still there if I need her. She also gave me extremely valuable advice recently on my pre-teenage son. Just knowing she is there is a great comfort!

Thank you again for all your help, Suke! You are one in a million !!

Trudie H

After an accident some three and a half years ago, I was suffering from depression and anxiety and felt that I really needed professional help in dealing with the problems I was facing.

I found Suke Ryder through the ‘Counselling in France’ website and, on reading her CV, I immediately felt that her therapeutic approach and training sounded exactly what I was looking for to help me work through my problems as she is able to draw from different approaches according to her client’s needs.

I found her use of CBT very effective in my case. I would describe it as a practical, hands-on therapy which involved my own efforts under her direction from the beginning. Besides the invaluable face-to-face interaction of the talking therapy, I was set daily tasks to do at home which, in combination, helped me towards insights (some of them very unwelcome!) into the nature of my patterns and habits. Suke knew just when I needed encouragement to continue, and when it was necessary to ‘tighten the reins’ and gently, but firmly, to tell me off.

My fortnightly sessions with her were enormously rewarding and helpful and, borrowing a trendy phrase, ‘life-enhancing’. I had found travelling to Montpellier rather difficult and the latter part of my treatment was conducted on Skype which proved to be a very satisfactory and beneficial solution for me.

I think the relationship between therapist and client is a crucial part of therapy and was, for me, of paramount importance. I did not turn into a carefree, happy-go-lucky individual overnight, but working with Suke, I have learned to apply reality-checks to my anxieties and to face and understand my depression better and perhaps even learn to accept how my behaviour patterns work!

John W

‘I was a client of Suke’s for several years. Truth be told, I prefer the word ‘patient, as I was not well, and much in need of help.

Finding the right therapist is not easy, and I was lucky to find Suke.

My history, in terms of therapy, had been patchy over a number of years, sometimes I felt it had ‘worked’ and I was free of my demons and troubles, only to find that they had re-appeared in other forms.

I now know that the first and most important requirement in any therapeutic encounter, is the empathy the therapist has with their patient. It won’t have a good outcome without that.

Suke had that empathy with me, it was clear very early on.

It was not easy, therapy never is if it is to stand any chance of a good outcome,and whilst I never gave up, there were many uncomfortable sessions where memories  and dreams had to be looked at ‘square in the face’, no pretending. A few tears were shed (mine not hers!).

There was CBT which did work for me, and continues to do so. I learnt well from her, and continue to do so.

Flexibility, in any therapist’s approach to helping a patient is vital. I had learned that lesson over and over again. A particular ‘school of thought’ is not always appropriate, and the good therapist draws from different sources according to her or his assessment of the patient’s needs at the time. I stress ‘at the time’, for that can and does change over the weeks and months spent together.

I was able to access the most troubling parts of memory and to reconcile myself to what cannot be changed, and therefore has to be accepted.

At that point, it loses its power to hurt/damage one, and ‘freedom’is the next tentative step which one takes. The relief is palpable.

Anyone who reads this will know by now, that Suke got me out of my rut, my endless cycle of memories and despair.

When I left, I felt and continue to feel, huge gratitude that she brought all her training and experience to this patient and made him well again.

I do not exaggerate how much better and hopeful life is now.

Marilyn B

I sought out Suke during a bad episode of bipolar depression and anxiety. I felt cut-off and isolated so decided to look for a psychologist to help me through the worsening episodes. I'd had a negative experience with CBT in the nineties in England so I went to the appointment with some negative as well as optimistic feelings but I immediately felt at ease and reassured enough to trust Suke and 'have a go'. She made me feel willing to take that risk.I needed an English speaker and her site Suke sounded both approachable and professional and she's been both throughout.
There's been a lot of homework (exposure practice, cognitive restructuring and activity charts). The pace and level of exposure practice was negotiable. Our interaction has been key to success and I feel that I'm contributing to my own well-being and through CBT I've learnt that change can and does become possible by working at it regularly.

I've been able to incorporate simple but satisfying activities like keeping gratitude cards and daily activity schedules because Suke convincingly showed how they work by making changes in the working of the brain. Fascinating and persuasive. CBT gave me 'evidence' that I wasn't always depressed as I remembered so I felt more in control of the reality of my health and more optimistic about the possibility of change.
During my ECT treatment last year I became extremely anxious about its procedures, long-term effects and even the practical aspects (interaction with the staff and the other French patients etc).Suke looked into the practical side and gave advice.
Last year I found the side-effects of my medication so distressing that, after 40 years of changing tablets, I began considering stopping all of it for good. As a consequence, Suke helped me decide that I needed to be hospitalised and readily liaised with my psychiatrist beforehand.I doubt if I could have agreed to this on my own.

I can now stand back and think that I don't have to follow distressing thoughts to their conclusion, or do this, or de like this. I can feel more optimistic about my future. Now we're looking back to my early impressions. I hope this shows how adaptable Suke is.

I've seen many professionals since 1974 and Suke has been the first to openly believe me as well as believe in me. I can highly recommend Suke. I wish I'd found her 40 years ago!

Sam H

You don't have to be depressed or have mental problems to seek therapy. Therapy of any kind, to me is wanting to do yourself some good, wanting to heal or wanting to grow.

When I made the decision to go talk to Suke, it was because I wasn't comfortable with the emotions that were surfacing in my relationship with my partner and wanted to explore them, using a tried and tested methodology, and being able to benefit from the years of experience Suke has. It was also very important for me to carry out this therapy in my mother tongue - English - but because Suke like me is fluent in French from a young age, she understands those words that come up that are hard to translate into English!!

Suke didn't push me to come a certain amount of times per week or month. There was no time pressure, which allowed me to find my own rhythm.

I felt that Suke helped me to grow out of the child-like emotions that were getting in the way of being a happy adult woman. She guided me in my quest to become more "me" :-) And it took less than 10 sessions to come to the conclusion that I was now on the right track emotionally - again no pressure from her, I was free to decide that for myself.

She is a generous, kind and fun person. She is very honest and genuine and I found I could talk to her about everything and anything. The methodology she uses helps to structure thoughts that are out of control and she helped me see the difference between which were "parasite" emotions and which were real and should be listened to.

I know that Suke is still there if I need her. She also gave me extremely valuable advice recently on my pre-teenage son. Just knowing she is there is a great comfort!

Thank you again for all your help, Suke! You are one in a million !!

Trudie H

After an accident some three and a half years ago, I was suffering from depression and anxiety and felt that I really needed professional help in dealing with the problems I was facing.

I found Suke Ryder through the ‘Counselling in France’ website and, on reading her CV, I immediately felt that her therapeutic approach and training sounded exactly what I was looking for to help me work through my problems as she is able to draw from different approaches according to her client’s needs.

I found her use of CBT very effective in my case. I would describe it as a practical, hands-on therapy which involved my own efforts under her direction from the beginning. Besides the invaluable face-to-face interaction of the talking therapy, I was set daily tasks to do at home which, in combination, helped me towards insights (some of them very unwelcome!) into the nature of my patterns and habits. Suke knew just when I needed encouragement to continue, and when it was necessary to ‘tighten the reins’ and gently, but firmly, to tell me off.

My fortnightly sessions with her were enormously rewarding and helpful and, borrowing a trendy phrase, ‘life-enhancing’. I had found travelling to Montpellier rather difficult and the latter part of my treatment was conducted on Skype which proved to be a very satisfactory and beneficial solution for me.

I think the relationship between therapist and client is a crucial part of therapy and was, for me, of paramount importance. I did not turn into a carefree, happy-go-lucky individual overnight, but working with Suke, I have learned to apply reality-checks to my anxieties and to face and understand my depression better and perhaps even learn to accept how my behaviour patterns work!