Going to Karl for therapy has been incredibly transformative for me. I had been struggling with depression for 8 years since I was 14 and tried multiple different therapists, medications and whatever unconventional treatments I could think of. I also struggled with undiagnosed ADHD until I was 19 and dealt with a chronic neurological condition for the last 5 years. Difficulties navigating the mental and physical healthcare system had left me feeling helpless and disillusioned. I had become convinced that something was fundamentally wrong with me, and I needed to find the thing that would fix it. Previous health professionals further reinforced this notion by treating me like a patient, although well intentioned. The main thing I learnt from Karl is that there was nothing wrong with me. That the difficulties I faced were real—the external circumstances I faced and societal hurt I absorbed were real—but it was not a fundamental deficiency of my being. Karl’s approach is incredible humanistic and based on respect. I was always approached as a human first, full of interests, joys, hobbies, agency and strength. That was immensely important for me to feel empowered. I truly encourage anyone who is going through a hard time to keep going. There were so many points in my life I felt like things were hopeless, and that perhaps it would take the equivalent amount of time undoing all the hurt I had experienced. But healing was not a linear path and the transformative power of self acceptance and love affected me deeply in a short amount of time, even if my journey is no where near the end.
Reply from Listening Ear Counselling & Consultancy Pte. Ltd.
Dear C,
Thank you for the care and thought you put into this. Reading it, I can really see you in it.
What touches me most is how you’ve come to recognise that there was never anything fundamentally wrong with you.
There were very real challenges, hurts, and circumstances you had to live through, but none of that was a deficiency in who you are.
Watching you slowly turn towards yourself with curiosity instead of judgement, and compassion instead of criticism, has been very meaningful.
You did some very deep work, gently noticing the different parts of you that were trying to protect, cope, and make sense of things, and learning to relate to them with understanding rather than frustration.
You also began to see that alongside the pain, there were always strengths, interests, humour, intelligence, and agency present.
The honesty and depth with which you engaged in this work is something I deeply respect.
I’m really glad you feel more empowered and more at home with yourself.
Warmly,
Karl deSouza
Director and Lead Psychotherapist
Listening Ear Counselling & Consultancy Pte Ltd
Thank you for the care and thought you put into this. Reading it, I can really see you in it.
What touches me most is how you’ve come to recognise that there was never anything fundamentally wrong with you.
There were very real challenges, hurts, and circumstances you had to live through, but none of that was a deficiency in who you are.
Watching you slowly turn towards yourself with curiosity instead of judgement, and compassion instead of criticism, has been very meaningful.
You did some very deep work, gently noticing the different parts of you that were trying to protect, cope, and make sense of things, and learning to relate to them with understanding rather than frustration.
You also began to see that alongside the pain, there were always strengths, interests, humour, intelligence, and agency present.
The honesty and depth with which you engaged in this work is something I deeply respect.
I’m really glad you feel more empowered and more at home with yourself.
Warmly,
Karl deSouza
Director and Lead Psychotherapist
Listening Ear Counselling & Consultancy Pte Ltd