Testimonial – Page 2 – Dessie Fitzgerald

My name is Johnny and I’m 47. I had surgery in my T1 in 2015, where I ran in to hospital and had my operation 3 hours later. I knew going for the surgery that the outcome could have been a lot worse.

When I came out of hospital after 22 weeks there was so much going on in my head. I was Angry, Anxious, Afraid but above all of these, I felt Alone even with all my family and friends.

Then I was introduced to Dessie first I thought this is going to be a load of rubbish – I’m a grown man – I don’t need any help – I will just have to get over it. All I needed to do was ring someone and things would be done, but things were moving so slow and I was getting more frustrated. It was like fighting a losing battle.

Then, the coaching began. It was time to find my space. It was very strange trying to learn to relax with a person you just met, it’s not very relaxing, but after 2 or 3 sessions a trust had built up. I was surprised that with a few relaxation techniques, I was starting to find a little calm. Calming down helped me see things a little more clearly. Seeing things more clearly helped me find answers. Answer helped me to relax. Everything has knock on effect and all these small steps help me find my space. I still get Angry, Anxious , Afraid but I don’t feel so Alone anymore.

I will always be ever so thankful for having Dessie as a Mind Health Coach.

Johnny

Since starting working with Dessie he has helped me to shine a light on the causes of my anxiety that have held me back in my relationships. Not only have we found our way to the causes but we have learned how to deal with them and my anxiety is a mere whisper compared to how it used to sound.

I look forward to continuing our work together

John

The mind health coaching has really helped me, I feel better able to cope with negative thoughts and feelings. My self esteem and confidence was very low when I first started the coaching and I am finding that I am starting to value myself a lot more and am enjoying life more

Margaret

Healthcare 21 were delighted to have Dessie Fitzgerald perform the keynote address at our annual fundraising event last year. I initially met him for a coffee to discuss the project and quickly learned he is one of those people you meet for the first time and feel like you’ve known years. Dessie is very open and honest and he delivered a superb address during which he totally captivated his audience.

While the topic was one of his experience of tragedy and sadness, his ability to lift the energy and mood in the room was inspirational and heart lifting. Dessie is a powerful speaker. In a time when self-care and mindfulness has never been more important, his message is not to be missed. We would look forward to working with him again should the opportunity arise.

Claire Newman,
Group Sales and Marketing Executive

I gained very valuable perspectives on myself and an awareness of the underlying insecurities that influence my response to others. I learned how to recognise the triggers for harmful self criticism, and I discovered the difference between ‘not caring’ and ‘not worrying’… all of this has been extremely important in developing confidence in who I am which has influenced my dealings with others. This has had a positive impact in my personal and professional life.

The main reason I went to see Des can be summed up in one word – FEAR. I was full of it and it seemed to be escalating rather than subsiding. Fear of remaining stuck in my life, unable to move forward and leave the past behind, fear of cutting links to a life that no longer existed. Fear of going into emotions which were raw and painful and allowing myself to feel them rather than just supressing them like I had been. Fear of being vulnerable and allowing someone to see me in that vulnerability. I was afraid of taking action into the unknown.

My experience of working with Dessie was truly transformational. I was literally stunned by the insight and new levels of self-awareness that came from the process. What has stayed with me the most from that journey was the gentle and caring way in which Dessie manages the coaching relationship, the total trust that existed within the coaching space and how, without hardly noticing, I was constantly progressing towards life-changing outcomes and perspectives.