Hear about what Rachel wrote about her experience.

Words read by an actress.

Rachel experienced a traumatic surgical procedure during her labour. It left her feeling disconnected from her baby son and as if she herself had cheated death. For 18 months her days felt like she was living in a silent lonely, grey world, and her nights were plagued by flashbacks of her time in the operating theatre.

Through therapy Rachel started to rediscover her old self. She describes opening a door and meeting my old self again. “She’s inviting me back to who I used to be”. Outside of the door is dark and shadowy, but once the door is opened it’s like opening it to an awesome house party, you feel nervous going in, you start talking to friends again, and you are happy you went.

In response the painting Rachel said, "I’m actually speechless. I cried! the colours are perfect. The me looking round the corner completely sums up that feeling of lost in the grey world feeling frightened of everything.

Welcoming Rachel is the old me too. It’s like you looked in my head and painted. It’s honestly amazing.

I went to bed thinking about the painting and it’s almost like now there is a third Rachel. The one I am now who is able to connect with both the figures in the painting. Which is really nice.
Today also happened to be my last counselling session ever so it’s all come together really nicely. Funny how life does that".