"My experience of mental health services has been negative, but I have found safe and trustworth help at Gnadenfrei Psychology."

From the get-go I have had only good experiences with this practice. Upon inquiring of their services a receptionist I spoke to responded efficiently via email and when I went to appointments found her welcoming and friendly always with a brilliant smile that matched. That is very comforting if you are a bit nervous to visit. Also having tea and coffee available is fabulous too.

I found very supportive services such as mental health plan regimen and flexibility with appointments. Also where tight on budget, there are options to see professionals at varying levels. Brisbane MIND have supported sessions through ATAPs plan which has allowed me the more intensive help I have needed at times. This has given me so much more opportunity for improvement of my mental health than I could not have otherwise had. I believe that that kind of support network can save lives. In that, it is a powerful tool to help not only myself but many others. The Gnadenfrei Centre even has a community gardening group set up for people who want to be involved.

I have had the opportunity to see a well experienced professional psychologist. I think this lady is very kind, thoughtful, attentive and very patient. This, from my experience, can be a rare find.

My history with mental health services was mostly a forced treatment which made it a very negative one even though it saved my life several times. So I hated all kinds of health care, and anyone involved I considered my enemy. It took me many years to settle down this kind of negative view on health care - and especially mental health care. I prayed for years to find safe and trustworthy help that felt right and finally came across Gnadenfrei psychology. I do believe that an answer to prayer. I think one really great aspect of going to this centre is not being treated as a lesser person for believing in God, as there is an optional Christian side of counselling available there.

After taking detailed history in my visits, I think my psychologist was the first mental health professional to finally give me a diagnosis that fit my experiences. I was very grateful and prayerfully sought to understand and confirm this. I have a very strong tendency for denial and so have found it difficult to help myself. My psychologist has helped me significantly to understand some of the giant mess that goes on in my head. I am so am very thankful to be able to have a diagnosis in order to tackle my problem.

Part of my treatment at Gnadenfrei has been expressive therapy which has made amazing improvements to me that I have noticed straight away after even my first session. A very kind lady has then done these expressive therapies with me in between consultations with my psychologist which has given me great benefit. Also EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) therapy has greatly improved some of my strong emotional triggers and has brought healing to broken parts of my heart.

This kind of help, by these kinds of people, in this kind of environment is not only powerfully productively helping me - and no doubt others - but, I believe, it is so rare a thing to find. Gnadenfrei is like a rare jewel of a place/refuge to find help and is priceless in the ways peoples' lives can be changed. Not only that but I believe it is a place used by God like an instrument to care for others, which is the heart of God.