Vivian McGrath's video: Who could Antonia trust

My client Antonia is a very capable woman who runs her own business. She’s open and honest, confident, and caring and teaches children with special needs. But she wasn’t always like that. When she came to me Mary doubted she could run her business herself and was terrified of trusting others, having been conned and financially ripped off in the past. She was still traumatized by a life of entanglement with narcissists. She felt she had lost herself, was low in self-esteem, numb, and frozen in all her feelings and ability to make decisions. She was even wary of me. ‘I find it hard to trust my own judgment’, she confided in me. ‘And I’m guarded around others. I’ve been burnt so badly I don’t know who to trust anymore?’ So we had a simple challenge - to bring down her defenses, build her trust in me, thaw out the numbness, get her back in touch with her feelings, and sharpen her gut instincts. Not to mention find enough self-belief so she could thrive in her business. No worries. We’ve got this! Within a few months of our working together, Antonia made more progress than she had in years of searching and counselling beforehand. She felt able to open up without feeling stupid over the ‘messes’ she had gotten herself into. Meeting other women who are also healing and finding themselves once more was truly inspiring for Antonia. She discovered she can simply be herself and she will attract the right people in her life. Up until then she’d been trying too hard and is now done with people-pleasing! So the thing is: it doesn’t matter how distrustful you are of others. It also doesn’t matter if you’ve completely lost yourself, don’t know how to feel, and are embarrassed about the situations you’ve been in. The belief you are stupid for the mess you’ve found yourself in is simply untrue. The TRUTH is that if you’re tired of people-pleasing, being taken advantage of by others, and feeling fear you’re not capable at work … and want to find yourself again, build self-confidence and strong boundaries to repel those who take advantage of you … … then take a leap of faith and put your trust in me, as Antonia did, even if it scares you a little. I know it might feel terrifying to trust and open up like this. You might be thinking: ‘Viv, I’d be happy to just feel something, anything … but how can I trust my vulnerability with someone else when so many people have hurt me and build the confidence I need to run my business and reclaim my life?’ Well, I have good news: it is possible to find a safe space, rebuild trust, and sharpen your gut instincts again. So that you can ensure those who take advantage of you will never try it on again, in less time than you think. It’s all there for you. You just need the right steps, and the support to make it happen. Check out my website: vivianmcgrath.com for more information on how to work with me.