Anna’s Story

• I learned to stop punishing myself for my past mistakes, and to take responsibility for every area of my life.

• I now have the skills to deal with my own situations instead of relying on my parents to bail me out all the time.

• I now feel like and communicate like an adult and people have noticed. This new behaviour and valuing myself got me a 70% pay increase – Yahoo!

Anna – 21 years old

What was your situation when you started mentoring with Yvonne?

“After recognising that I had hit possibly the lowest point my life had been in, the only thing I knew was that I desperately wanted to feel better.

I had used my own methods first, which included drinking, drugs and shutting me away from everything other than my immediate responsibilities such as work. I was lucky in a way that I have never had a problem communicating with my parents – but they did not understand the agony I was in. They saw things as black and white which was very painful to accept, but part of the reason why I needed to seek impartial help.

So when I first met Yvonne, I was ready to share my views and explain the situation I was in. The first thing she did was create a map of my life, of the goals I wished to achieve to gain a better understanding of myself. I remember leaving that day feeling better and more directed than I had in months.

As a mentor, she was very professional, complimentary of my good qualities and supportive. I also found that when she shared her trials in life with me, it took away the perceived opinion that her life was perfect – and the more I came to know her and realize that everyone has problems, even her, the more I began to relax and not feel like such a failure.”

My attitude to being mentored:

“Partial embarrassment – that I couldn’t make it on my own. I didn’t tell many people that I was seeing someone for help. Essentially my attitude was skeptical – embarrassment, but deep down knowing that I had to try it because I couldn’t help myself any longer.

I also had massive skeletons in my closet because my ex boyfriend’s opinions were still dominating my decisions despite us being broken up for a couple of months.”

What I learnt during our sessions:

“To stop punishing myself so much for my past mistakes, and to learn how to take responsibility for myself in every area of my life. I learned to look at situations from a different angle, and not to always assume the worst. Yvonne got me writing a daily diary which helped me to analyze my days, and to work out my thought processes.

I am gaining skills on how to deal with things for myself instead of crying to Yvonne and expecting her to make it all better for me – which is what I was doing with my parents. It was very hard at first – but looking back I now value that I was taught instead of coddled. Yvonne helped me to think and to use my brain to manage situations and find answers.”

Where I am now and my attitude towards the future:

“After completing my sessions, I feel that I now have to tools to help rebuild my life and to know how to avoid things falling apart.

Learning to be an adult emotionally, financially and mentally was a massive step to take instead of relying on my parents to bail me out every time. I now have a much better idea of what I want in my future, and how to go about achieving that. Change is always painful, but so necessary. I did not have the skills needed to become an adult until I did the sessions.

I now feel like an adult, because I see older people as equals to me. I have ceased to act, communicate and be like a child (mostly) and people notice.

This new behaviour and valuing myself has resulted in breaking completely free from my ex boyfriend and a 70% pay increase working for the same company – Yahoo!”

Find out how Anna inspired Yvonne to found Miomo and read what others are saying about the difference Yvonne has made in their lives.