Success Stories – Leoni Cachia

Testimonials

The last few years have been a challenging time for many and we are living through systemically unprecedented times.Despite this I continued to study, expand my CBT practice, coach clients and provide Reiki. I am thrilled to share some of my client’s progress with you! Scroll to read their individual journeys.

My intention in attending the self-care workshop was to gain clarity on goal setting and how to create a better work-life balance to support my goals. It met and surpassed all of my expectations because it was such an inspiring and motivating workshop. I learnt so much and it has given me a much better understanding of myself. Everything was relevant and engaging! The section about lifestyle harmony particularly resonated with me and will help me when goal setting. I learnt so much about what self-care actually means. I love how visual the slides and workbook are, I could tell Leoni put a lot of effort into her materials. I also really appreciated Leoni's insights when answering questions from the group and the dynamic felt positive. Leoni did an incredible job making the workshop interactive and fun online, especially with digital fatigue post-covid. I have been spending my life trying to juggle my priorities and now finally I understand why I find it so tricky. In just 2 hours, Leoni's session gave me an understanding of the importance of creating lifestyle harmony and equipped me with the tools to achieve this. I left the session feeling empowered and excited, ready to get started on my achievable goals for the year ahead. The session also gave me a much better context to self-care and Leoni's theories really resonated with me. An amazing session!

I signed up to the workshop to gain clarification of my goals for this year and to learn strategies on how to approach them and Leoni really delivered. I specifically liked the workbook, the questions on the slides and the ideas Leoni put across because she created the space to really be able to explore some personal areas. I think actually having time to think about one's own self care, values and actually starting on a digital vision board was really helpful for visioning my next steps and longer-term goals. I have been particularly struggling with clarifying my goals recently whilst being honest with myself and I had the chance to start that and I plan to work on this in my own time! It was not as social as I assumed it might be, however the level of interactivity was good and I really enjoyed it!! Following on from the session I really want to simplify my goals for my 2021. The workshop inspired me to create a physical vision board, to buy a frame some pins and stick my key images down as visual reminders. I plan to continue with some of the tools provided such as journalling, and writing myself letters every quarter, I have set reminders for 3, 6 and 12 months already. Overall, I found the self-care workshop really helpful and a great session to hold in January, I'd say it may be worth holding multiple sessions in case anyone couldn't make this one. Loved the concepts discussed, loved having time to start on a vision board. Would definitely like to go through the slides again and revisit. Really insightful session; keep doing what you're doing Leoni! Keep up the good work!

I signed up to the workshop for similar reasons as many others, to help with goal setting and I'd say it was highly informative and productive. Examining the different methods of motivation was most interesting to me. I want more time to consolidate it all, to build a vision board for my goals and after today I am working out a plan to achieve the goals I set by breaking them down into small achievable objectives and pacing myself through them. The content was brilliant, I really enjoyed it, very informative and interesting and I'd have even considered buying the workbook as a standalone product if I couldn’t make the session, as it's very comprehensive. I’m excited for future sessions and to see what I learn next!

The workshop gave me an opportunity to think more consciously about what I want this year and how to go about doing that. It very much met my expectations, I found it insightful and thought provoking. I most liked the concepts provided and the time I had to explore and prioritise my values. All of the aspects were engaging and I only wish we had even more time to cover more. I am looking forward to filling everything out and continuing with my vision board. A fabulous session so thank you!

I attended the workshop to gain help on how to stay on track and motivated to achieve my goals for 2021 and overall I did just that. I appreciate time spent reflecting on my past year and the exercises on core values and goals. I also liked that I left with something tangible such as my vision board. I felt motivated and inspired by the end of the session. I can't think of any negatives at all, I was satisfied with all elements of the workshop! All the information was relevant, straight to the point and interesting. I have a short attention span and often struggle to focus but I was engaged throughout the whole workshop. The key thing I took with me from the workshop was how to be more realistic with setting goals that are in line with my core values. Thank you so much for this insightful workshop Leoni. I already feel motivated for the year and more positive.

"The key areas I wanted to improve in my life were confidence and to gain a better sense of self. I additionally found that I wanted to focus on some other key areas related to low self-esteem, and managing work stress, to ultimately get more joy out of life and improve my overall wellbeing. Before working with Leoni, life felt just about okay. I would say that I was in a state of unconscious living, I was going through the motions of my problems, overworked and overstressed. I was always busy but not with things I had chosen for myself or necessarily wanted to be busy with. I felt haphazard from managing so many expectations from others and deep down I felt lost, disconnected from friends and helpless. It has been two months since I completed my coaching sessions and my life is hugely different since starting this journey. Coaching was hard some days and it led to a major personal life change which I never foresaw. I feel more confident, more free, more open to what life has to offer. I have more self-recognition and appreciation for what I bring to the table personally and professionally...

... Our work together felt like a collaboration rather than a dictation. The whole process for me was empowering, Leoni encouraged me where possible to find the answers myself and come up with ideas for my own solutions, which was a really powerful tool as not only did it provide me with self-belief, she helped facilitate an insightful exchange of ideas, which does not go away once you know how to question yourself. I felt more responsible for the changes I was making and felt they were truly ones that resonated with me and that I could do something about; for example working through my feelings of helplessness by exploring why and considering feelings of hopefulness. I felt listened to and validated throughout my coaching process. I felt fully supported and encouraged. Leoni often met me where I was that day all whilst presenting with a positive energy. I felt safe and that I had a secure place to truly express and explore my deepest thoughts and emotions, which led me to pursue my journey towards true fulfilment. Working on these small steps with Leoni, starting with conversations and weekly tasks, became a staircase that took me to another place in my life that I hadn’t envisioned but essentially needed...

... One of the things I really respect about Leoni is that she did not string out the sessions or try to get me to have more, I requested more sessions based on my needs and we agreed to the boundaried work together and she reviewed my progress at each session. I did a lot of the work independently during and after the coaching so that I could really test things out in real life and put what I learnt into action. And I can still check-in every now and again with Leoni by Email if I really need it. Through the coaching I further identified that I needed to prioritise myself and put me first. I wasn’t really loving myself and I realised the importance of self-care for all aspects of my life. I started off considering aims around confidence and motivation but I was also able to focus on ways I could get a hold on my career and create a portfolio career of my choice rather than being swept along with what was going on around me aimlessly and my career having a hold on me. I reduced the amount of negative self-talk I was experiencing, I didn’t even realise how much that was impacting my life. I am taking more initiative, being more proactive with my life and ‘consciously’ living as I now like to put it...

... I worked hard over the weeks to remove learnt boundaries from past experiences impacting me which opened my life up to new possibilities and paths. My mind was opened to all the options I actually had available to me in the present and I no longer live with so many limitations, I now experience a kind of emotional freedom. As a result of coaching with Leoni, I became more vocal at work about my needs. I learnt to use personal methods to help manage my stress, like exercise and meditation. I became more conscious of the important relationships in my life and whether my actions were in alignment with the people and activities that bring me happiness. Before I started the coaching I was finding it difficult to keep in contact with loved ones and I genuinely have been able to reconnect with friends and the world a lot more, whilst proceeding with less self-doubt. It has been two months since I completed my coaching sessions and my life is hugely different since starting this journey. Coaching was hard some days and it led to a major personal life change which I never foresaw...

... Leoni’s style of working has really rubbed off on me and I've tried coaching and therapy before. It positively impacted how I support patients in my own professional work. Coaching has taken me down a new path and set me on a very important journey moving forwards. I think this has been the most important, transformative and rewarding experience of my life so far. I have benefitted so much and feel a lot of people would benefit from what Leoni has to offer. I would definitely refer people to her and I have recommended her to 29 of my friends since ending the coaching. Her questioning approach can be applied to a multitudes of situations, to help make major changes that one may not have prepared for or realised was needed. To sum up my experience I now live more consciously and lead a more authentic and soul-aligning life. Life is never perfect but I truly feel fulfilled and confident I am living my life working towards the right things for me."

"I wanted to improve my motivation to do activities and procrastinate less. In the past this was a big problem area for me and at times created set-backs, particularly during my studies, leaving important tasks to the last minute. Before working with Leoni I felt a constant need to be productive, I was typically very busy all the time and I believed that I worked best under-pressure because I never gave myself the opportunity to manage my demands better. I seemed to put off certain hobbies or projects and I was easily distracted. I had an amazing coaching experience with Leoni. Through my sessions, I was able to gain a better understanding of why I procrastinate in the first place and address my barriers. Having Leoni keep me accountable for my actions really helped boost my motivation and I developed simple ways to motivate myself...

... During the coaching I did notice other areas of improvement, one of which was being consistent with the new routines I was establishing. Creating new habits was challenging at first but I was able to explore ways to build solid routines for different circumstances. I was able to bring hobbies back into my life. I was living without pleasure and with the guidance of Leoni, I was able to prioritise time for myself without feelings of guilt. I can indulge in Netflix now, without distraction or feelings of regret, which is such a simple but powerful thing for me. I spent a lot of time challenging some of the negative thoughts I was having. At first I was not even aware how much they were indirectly guiding my life and decisions. Although it all sounds really simple, I am grateful to be able to really switch-off after work and on the weekends. I have been able to get important work and submissions done earlier than my deadlines and somehow I have more time for life admin, exercise and down-time...

... I have been able to continue most of the habits I built since the coaching ended and we have lived through a pandemic. It has actually been 7 months since I finished coaching, which seems surreal, but shows how effective it can be long-term. I had some setbacks as expected but I am kinder to myself when I notice critical self-talk and I am able to get back on track faster than I ever have before. I would definitely recommend Leoni’s coaching services as her technique seems so simple, just conversations, but yet so powerful."

"My goals were to be more organised, more motivated, more productive and feel less exhausted and overwhelmed. Before working with Leoni, I had lost so much confidence in myself and I was worrying often. I would struggle to begin tasks and never finish unless I was really stretched for time, I was missing deadlines and felt overwhelmed by the amount of work I had to do. I have a learning difficulty and neurodiversity's which impact my cognitive skills and typically this makes things harder for me. Tasks tend to take me a lot longer to complete than most people. Leoni took her time to listen and understand my concerns. She was able to give me the space to talk and not only listened but really heard me. I felt safe enough to confide in her about my learning difficulty as well as other issues and I trusted her. Leoni helped me by asking me questions around why I was doing and thinking in certain ways and at times provided practical suggestions when goal setting....

... She is such a fantastic organiser and provided me so many materials to use, which was invaluable because writing things down helps me. Leoni helped me to feel confident in myself again, particularly in my ability to complete tasks. I spent time creating a list of all the things I needed to do for two university terms whilst studying and then focused on breaking things down and increasing my belief around finishing things. I was able to break all my tasks down into manageable smaller goals that I went on to achieve. I have realised through coaching with Leoni, that I need to work on my self-esteem further. I began to work on my negative thought processes and really identified the self-critical voice in my head. We explored ways I could work on this and we came up with the idea to journal daily to help improve focus, self-compassion and gratitude. Leoni specialises in self-care and holistic strategies for wellbeing and I have to say that I have greatly improved my understanding of what it actually means and improved my personal practice of self-care. I give more time to myself and for myself which I have realised on a deeper level is very much linked to self-worth and my beliefs on productivity...

... I am now able to organise and plan my time better, but also have the confidence and self-belief that I can achieve things and complete them, that I don’t have to wait until I feel that last minute pressure. I have learnt how to be more compassionate and kinder to myself. I would work some days and not even allow myself breaks, it was so simple but yet so important for me to learn to schedule those in, I sat and broke down each hour of my day at times and it helped me to see how tasks that I thought were impossible were so easily achievable. All along I was building things up in my mind and putting tasks off completely but at the same time worrying about my tasks or appointments falling behind and the consequences of not handing work in on time. Scheduling activities helped me to feel more contained and now I feel that I can achieve anything. I am now more efficient with my time and I have actually received feedback from other people of how organised I am. A complete 180, which is just shows me how much I have changed in such a short space of time. This whole experience has transformed me. I am definitely less worried now and much more able to complete tasks. I met my goals to get things done and feel confident...

... Through coaching, I was able to fully feel like I had revised effectively for an exam in April (2021) and I achieved a distinction for the first time in my life. I can honestly say, it wasn’t even because I worked harder - I was still going to yoga, supporting my family and having a virtual social life - it was because Leoni helped me explore how to use my time better., smarter I would give Leoni’s services a 10/ 5 stars and I would most certainly recommend her to peers and colleagues. Leoni supported me to use practical techniques to help me save time. She also provided me a safe space to feel heard, which gave me confidence. I no longer feel like I am held back by my flaws, I see how they can be a resource. She has helped me to achieve results that I didn't think were possible in just over 5 months. I wish I had her coaching years ago. She has a very positive outlook and innate warmth about her that made me feel I could depend on her and share my worries or concerns openly. I feel more confident, more free, more open to what life has to offer."

"The key areas I wanted to work on in my life were self-care, finding myself again, my needs, wants and desires and recovering from heartbreak and loss. This year (2020) has been one of the most difficult yet for me. Not only living through a global pandemic and the ramifications that it has personally caused me with unemployment but also because my relationship with my long-term partner ended. I felt completely isolated and disconnected, as if I didn’t know who I was anymore. I lost myself in my relationship and I realised I had neglected friendships as well as my own interests. Life is still not the same without my significant other but I am a lot more hopeful now. In the beginning I wasn’t sure how I was going to get through the breakup but I saw a post about grief and loss on Leoni’s Instagram page and I just decided to email her. I have to say, I haven’t looked back, and life genuinely feels much better since. I was in a really dark place, I questioned my purpose in life and I felt like I was stuck in a hole. But working with Leoni has been completely life altering for the better. She has and still does support me when I enquire which helps me in more ways than she probably even realises. Every hour was worth its weight in gold! She was always there to listen to my struggles, feelings and always without judgement....

... I feel like I’m getting stronger day by day but I know this is not linear. I had a setback, which caused me to pause the coaching half-way through and Leoni was extremely understanding and was able to support me in a caring but practical way when I needed it. She offered constructive suggestions when I was trying to problem solve my options, and was never pushy or overbearing, which helped me to think twice about things. Since working with Leoni, I feel like I have become a stronger person mentally and emotionally. This is a work in progress for me but I really feel like the coaching helped me see life in a positive light, even through days where I had a box of tissues and a tub of ice-cream by my side. She helped me to evaluate what I learned from the relationship and helped me to find gratitude in my experiences. I used my sessions to focus on overcoming self-blame and then moved on to consider what I wanted my life to look like in the future. I created a vision board and a solid self-care routine, that I am still adapting to suit my circumstances. Aside from recovering from my break-up the coaching overall opened my eyes to the idea that change starts from within. I took to Leoni as an individual, she is inspirational and modelled a lot of attributes I respect because she knows what she wants and she is not afraid of going out to get it. Just being in her presence highlighted to me that I would like to focus more on my career goals and developing a business moving forward...

... Life is brighter and I am able to see things from a different perspective. I catch myself asking myself questions that Leoni would ask me, questions I never would have asked myself before. I have learnt to sit with my pain and sadness and allow it to pass, but equally, practice gratitude and be thankful for all of the wonderful things in my life, which helps significantly. Leoni is very personable and extremely easy to talk with. I liked her energy, you really feel her huge heart and I always felt safe when talking about my problems because she prompted me to be as open-minded as possible and did not impose her opinions on me. Leoni has a life all of her own, she works as a therapist and yet, still makes time to coach and provide private support to those who need it, which is admirable. Leoni I thank you with all my heart for the guidance and support you offered me at such a turbulent time in my life. I am grateful to the heavens and back to have had you as my coach. I am so glad I chose you and I have already referred you on to two work friends."

"I have been to multiple Reiki practitioners before visiting Leoni, leading to varying results. I had been carrying pain in my back, particularly under my left shoulder blade for over 10 years which I believe was linked to trauma. I feel that I was storing so much stress in my body for so long. Massages, physiotherapy and mobility stretching seemed to help only temporarily, possibly acting as a plaster for my issue. I spotted Leoni's page on Instagram so I reached out to her for support. Leoni was very responsive to my inquiry and unfortunately the Reiki went on hold due to the Covid-19 pandemic...

... Upon meeting Leoni I was taken aback by how professional she was. We sat first and had a conversation about why I wanted Reiki, explored if I had any other current health issues, talked about my chronic pain and my prior experiences of Reiki. I felt very comfortable with the way Leoni approached the conversation and it was thorough. As we spoke Leoni also displayed knowledge and understanding on the subject of Reiki but also how it linked to psychology, trauma and my anatomy. I was still apprehensive at this stage because nothing had worked for me yet. Leoni began with a scan of my body, accurately locating where the direct issue was, even now I don't know how she was able to do this and so quickly, then she began with the healing for roughly 45 minutes...

... I could physically feel what I can only describe as waves of energy moving through my body, particularly my upper back, hot most of the time and cold in some places as she worked on the areas afflicted. It just felt surreal, it was as if I felt my muscles twisting and correcting somehow. The only way I can describe the experience medically is that a doctor went in with a precision instrument, cleaned an open wound and closed it up for me. It has been 9 months since I had that one session and honestly I can say in the nicest way, I never needed to go back. Even after all this time I'm surprised I don't feel the pain. My body has not felt this well in a long time, I feel relief because I lived with my pain and discomfort for so long. All I can say is, I highly recommend Leoni as a Reiki practitioner, from beginning to end her service was life changing. I am currently living outside of the UK but when I come back, I will likely book her again just for the relaxation elements I experienced."