Nick, midlothian, June 2024
Nick, Midlothian June 24 (Nick Thorpe Edinburgh sessions jan-march 24)
I first heard about Rachel through a friend at a time when I was seeking a safe space to explore issues needing more than the usual talking therapy/coaching. I was feeling increasingly depleted and suffering from recurring self-doubt, and desperately wanted a breakthrough. In particular I was seeking someone with an understanding of energy, parts work and full-body transformation through initiation.
From the first phone call Rachel struck me as wise, playful and courageous in offering intuitive feedback and safe boundaries for the work we were undertaking together. Her written introductions and agreements in particular seemed to me very professional and emotionally literate.
I was reassured that she had many years of experience working within the NHS, and inspired that she had left that sphere to offer something much more powerful and holistic.
The four 90-minute sessions leading up to my ceremony were thorough and grounding, and I found Rachel willing to adapt her approach to respond to critical voices that arose in me, seeking reassurance.
She held space for all my anxieties and didn’t push any particular reframe as she facilitated me through some very enlightening processes including empty-chair work and visualisations each session. The ceremony itself was more powerful than I could have imagined, both beautiful and disconcerting, and I certainly benefited from her experience in preparing me for the day and for various points in that extraordinary journey. In the integration sessions afterwards she had an indispensable role in helping me apply my learnings to ordinary life.
In the weeks since my core work with her I have left behind a life-long tendency towards self-abandonment, and felt instead a tangible sense of existential buoyancy and connection with others, facing difficult moments with more courage, and simple everyday gifts with more gratitude.
Rachel offers an extraordinary and much-needed container for powerful soulwork, and I would highly recommend her. I have no doubt I will continue to seek out her services at crucial moments going forwards.
LC, Glasgow, April 2024
I felt drawn to work with Rachel after reading about the radical potential for self growth that could be achieved using her form of coaching. For a long time I had been held back in this quest for self growth by outdated and self defeating beliefs first learnt in childhood, which had over the years lead to periods of poor mental health and low self esteem. I found the visualisation and breathwork exercises particularly helpful which I have also been using in my day to day life when I start to feel my stress/anxiety levels rising. After our sessions I have felt more grounded and calmer within myself and learned that it is ok to leave the past in the past and move on in a more positive direction in my life. I have also learned to see myself with more compassion and love which has helped to quieten the self sabotaging.
I would highly recommend Rachel for her compassionate, understanding and approachable coaching style. I have found that with dedicated application of the lessons learned from the contents of her sessions, there is potential to really help develop your life in a positive direction.
W.S Edinburgh Sept 23 (testimonial March 24)
Rachel, Goddess At Your Service used her unique gifts over my preparation sessions, ceremony, and integration to help me explore how the past was affecting the present and ways to cope with it. She helped me navigate and explore deep feelings and memories that were contributing to current stress, and to learn new coping tools to relax and redirect.
An amazing journey which I am still learning from, and I know I can get in touch if I need support at any time. It has been a truly life changing experience.
Joe London Aug 23 (testimonial Feb 24)
I found Rachel through a mutual friend. As I hadn’t taken psychedelics in over forty years, and wanted to have a different kind of experience, I had decided I needed a reliable guide.
Rachel proved able to be such a guide. In the sessions beforehand, she helped me formulate clear goals – mine were to do with improving my breathing (I have asthma) and reducing the fear I was increasingly feeling in relation to this.
During the sessions, and more importantly, during my experience, she dealt confidently and sympathetically with my fear of losing control, and my initial paranoia, which came to include even her. As an experienced psychotherapist, I know how difficult these things are to deal with, and she was exemplary in this.
After my experience, she helped me consolidate the gains I got from it – my breathing did indeed get easier, and my fear went down to almost zero. Over time, I discovered that I also felt less driven, having less need to “justify” my existence. I didn’t feel I needed all the sessions afterwards, but that is no reflection on Rachel.
I would recommend Rachel as a guide. And have indeed done so!
Lily, Edinburgh March 2023
“I reached out to Rachel late last year, things were really tough for me at this point and I was struggling a lot with my inner critic and a general lack of motivation and enthusiasm for life. I felt trapped and lost for possibility. Working with Rachel was such a big turning point for me and I am so so grateful to have found her. I’ve had a few different therapists/coaches over the past 10 years and Rachel’s coaching style was beyond anything I’ve experienced. Rachel provides such a safe, supportive and flexible space. Her coaching style is intuitive, yet structured at the same time, making the sessions feel super personalised and effective.
In terms of the ceremony, it totally exceeded expectations. I came out the other side like I’d woken up in a different Universe (seriously!!), where possibilities felt infinite and I was no longer trapped by my own mind. I know that the sessions in the lead up to this were so vital, as Rachel had such a deep understanding of my vulnerabilities and what might come up. The integration sessions were also essential to the lasting effects. Rachel knew exactly what I needed. She also gave me some of the most beautiful visualisations and meditations to take home, based on our sessions, which are invaluable.
In terms of tangible outcomes – after working with Rachel I:
– regained so much of my creative energy.
– (re)-signed up to deliver a talk that meant so much to me, which I had bailed on previously. I was able to deliver this with confidence and self-belief. I had more courage at work to own my worth.
– lost a phantom pain which I had been experiencing all over my body for the last couple of years.
– found that what felt boring previously, started to feel fun!
– was able to get far more in touch with my sensuality.
– successfully built positive habits and routines into my day (I have never been able to do this before with ease).
The list could go on! BUT first and foremost, if there was anything that landed for me throughout my journey with Rachel, it was that healing is an embodied FEELING that cannot be explained by words. So as much as I’d love this testimonial to capture this, the feeling really is something inside that words cannot capture.
Thank you, Rachel, you have the most incredible gifts to bring to this world. :-)”
Nikki, Fife ( Oct 22)
Working with Rachel was a very special experience. It was one of the few occasions in life where time was set aside just for me. The sessions were very powerful and revealed and unrooted parts of me that I never knew were controlling my decisions and life in a detrimental way.
These aspects of me have now been seen and released as they were outdated and were holding me back from being a more confident person and living a life I have always wanted, but never achieved due to self sabotage.
I feel so much calmer and in control, those self doubts are gone as a result of the work we did together.
I highly recommend anyone looking to gain confidence, eliminate self doubt and looking to improve their life to work with Rachel. It is hard and challenging at times, but the results have set me on a path where I truly feel I am living to my potential.
Suzie, 64, Fife (Aug 2022)
Having endured an extremely challenging few years- I decided to take the reins of my life and learn to experience life with more connection and meaning. The last 2 years in particular have been very intense which culminated in the end of my 35 year marriage, relocating back to Scotland, changing employment and living solo.
A serendipitous chain of events brought me into contact with Rachel. I read her reviews and aligned with her ethos of already having the answers within.
I have had a few ‘courses’ of talking therapy over the past decade – all with limited success- all seemed to circumnavigate my issues without reaching the core. Rachel’s ethos really talked to my soul.
I found Rachel extremely perceptive but never prescriptive and easy to open up to. I did have some doubts lurking in the anteroom of my mind- was ‘this’ going to work? Would I actually commit to my ceremony? Was it going to solve anything or make my pain worse?
I have never engaged in something so life changing- ever. I feel as though all the constricting layers have been peeled away letting my true self bask in the light of life. I cannot overemphasise how profoundly I have transformed.
It wasn’t a pain free process- recognising deep rooted feelings and emotions that no longer serve you can never be pain free- but it wasn’t a writhing around the floor excruciating pain – more a gentle tug which I was in control of. It was hard work but enjoyable too. I laughed, I cried, I smiled. Rachel was aligned with my every step.
The four weeks leading up to my ceremony were not only cathartic but empowering- giving me tools to recognise and handle what was happening in my mind and body- a revelation in itself. Not only did I learn to tune in but to learn how to deal with these emotions and feelings.
My ceremony was beautifully facilitated by Rachel. Lots of prior discussion and information about all possible experiences which might arise. A life changing experience which for me was gentle but mind blowing. I felt safe which enabled me to fully enjoy my experience as Rachel was with me every step of the way.
My sessions afterwards helped me further process my experience and to further embed and integrate my experiences. I feel totally empowered to step out into the world as my true self- a rebirth in many ways and Rachel has been the steadiest midwife ever.
It’s a bit like having poor eyesight and the optician pops on a pair of glasses and you can see everything around you in sharp focus. I recognise that as I travel through life flotsam may bob to the surface and I would always contact Rachel for a tune up of my prescription!
I have gained clarity about my path forward whilst learning to love and trust myself.
Not sure if it’s for you? Speak to Rachel. Do not be afraid and don’t put it off- it’s never too late – I’m 64 and my only wish is I had been able to go through this process years ago.
To reap the rewards fully I think commitment helps but Rachel will help you find that commitment – after all it’s only a commitment to yourself and believe you me it’s the most worthwhile commitment you can make for yourself.
Eddie, Glasgow (June 2022)
Thank you Rachel and the Universe for allowing us cross paths which I believe in many ways to be fate or synchronicity!
We worked together at the start of the year but first spoke around September 2021. We first spoke online and then face to face over Zoom and I felt a strong connection with you immediately, your empathy and compassion resonated with me deeply and I knew that you were the person I had been searching for for quite some time. The timing was also perfect as I was nearly in a position to financially afford to do something like this. You discussed thoroughly with me what the course contained and more importantly listened to what I wanted to gain from the experience.
You were very also understanding of my current situation and agreed to work with me at a time that suited me which was very reassuring.
I had been researching this type of therapy for quite some time and following the psychedelics renaissance which has taken place in other parts of the world though didn’t know quite what to expect. I admired your knowledge of this subject and how your course wasn’t solely built around the Ceremony and how it can also be done by participants not looking for the psychedelic experience.
Over the course of the first 4 sessions you really helped me to go deep within and through visualization exercises identify and connect with my inner child. By doing this I was able to identify a lot about myself and the reason I have been having some of the re-occurring issues in my life caused by childhood & generational trauma. I was able to communicate with my inner child and commit to him that as an adult I will protect him and then integrate him into my current life.
I felt very well prepared for my ceremony and appreciated the attention to detail and your ability to help me feel so calm, present and safe. I found the ceremony to be very effective in allowing me to go deep within and to go over the issues that needed to be resolved in my life and the experience to be very positive.
The next 4 sessions were spent integrating what I had learned up to that point and then really cultivating love for myself which through all of my traumatic experiences had been lacking. God the tears of joy and happiness during the visualization exercises we done on this were amazing – the hairs on my arms where standing up and I had goosebumps.
Sorry this review is so long – I could honestly write so much more but in summery please just know that you have changed my life in ways that you will never know and have gave me a spring board to launch forward in life free of a lot of the baggage holding me down. My life and the life of my kids have been forever changed in a positive way by our new formed relationship which I hope will continue.
I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend you or Goddess At Your Services to anyone and in fact have been encouraging friends and family to consider this type of therapy which in my opinion only fully works if you have a strong connection between both parties which we without doubt did.
I am forever grateful Rachel and you will hold a place in my heart forever
Best regards
Eddie X
Fraser, forever grateful (May 2022)
Rachel’s calm and confidence helped create a comfortable setting to glean a lot from our time together. I had not sought help before and thought I would be resistant to the process but Rachel made it easy to trust. Rachel was astute in developing key discoveries and helped direct me to develop these further, whilst making sure that I was in control and comfortable.
Aimee, 39, London (Feb 2022)
Rachel guided me through 10 sessions of coaching and every single one was incredible. I felt very safe to relax and open my heart for a deep healing experience. She was always very professional and every piece of guidance and instruction was very clear and simple yet supported me to experience deep and transformational results. Rachel is a great listener and I was able to feel comfortable sharing absolutely anything with her. She’s so open minded and I never felt judged in any way. I felt held in a very warm, nurturing energy and I appreciated the way she shared her insights and wisdom in such a loving and supportive way, using invitational language.
The home practices I was given to do between sessions were really helpful in deepening my connection with my body and moving me closer towards my goal. At the end of my coaching package I definitely walked away feeling more whole, empowered, confident and free than ever before in my life.
I am deeply inspired by Rachel and what she has to offer the world and I highly recommend working with her. Thank you Rachel ☺️❤️??
Hussam, Eindhoven ( Dec 2021)
“What stood out is Rachel ability to create a safe environement. During our session i felt consently safe to express myself, I have felt heard and I felt her presence. Her sharings, homework and summary provided in between session has been really beneficial to me in creating a sense of continuum in our coaching. I felt cared for, which give me more motivation to take this coaching session very seriously. It has helped me work on my issues and dive deeper into myself. I have loved sharing 2 celebrations at each session. I have loved her helping me ground myself at the beginning of the session and making me feel that this session was for me!!
In my opinin, you are a wonderful Coach. I can tell that you are passionate about what you do, and dedicated in helping your customer improve in there life. I have appreciated you coming prepared to our session (i have noticed that you always had something in mind you wanted to do) but you still give the choice between different activities during our session based on what is more serving. I can tell that you come prepared and it s GREAT!!! I love your dedication !!! Also, your voice is an amazing tool that helped me ground myself.
You were the key that helped me unlocked my full potential. Thanks to your coaching sessions, I have finally claimed my power back over my life. Today, I feel more stronger, more confident and powerful. Life has become my new playground. Thank you Rachel. “
Jasper, Netherlands (Nov 2021)
“I am astounded that embodiment works so naturally and I learned a lot about my patterns in interacting with people. I felt very comfortable during the exercises and could freely explore what is there without any hesitation. You did an amazing job of connecting me with my feelings in a whole new way through the exercises. Thanks again! I instantly felt comfortable with you and could open up to the process. Through a rich toolkit of deep exercises, I have gained deeper insights than in previous thought- and talking-focused coachings I have taken part in. With your guidance I have been able to open a whole new perspective in my day-to-day life. “
Richard T, Yorkshire (Sept 2021)
I had been researching integration and the use of plant medicines for some time, during one of my searches, I came across a video made by two guys who run a wellbeing channel on YouTube. The video was about the use of plant medicines to treat mental health and this really spoke to me, I had been struggling with my own mental health for years, more recently taking prescribed psych medication which left me feeling neither happy or sad, just plain numb, Unhappy on the medication and unable to access suitable talking therapy via the NHS, I felt forgotten, depressed and desperate to come off the medication which was making me feel worse.
The You Tube video featured Rachel who spoke openly about her own journey managing her mental health and that she had chosen not to go down the pharmaceutical route, instead using various talking therapies and plant medicines. I felt inspired and motivated to contact Rachel via email to enquire if she would be willing to work with me. Thankfully, I received a very kind email back inviting me to a zoom call and was extremely impressed by Rachel’s willingness to offer her time and expert support.
We arranged a series of sessions via zoom and I had already started to withdraw from the psych medication with support from my doctor, I cannot stress how important it is to get support from your GP or mental health specialist when coming off any psych medications, these are powerful highly addictive drugs and you should always ‘taper off’ with the support of a health professional, I had tried and failed miserably in the past, thankfully this time with the correct support I managed to fully withdraw from the medication.
Over the course of several weeks I had weekly zoom calls with Rachel, we got to know each other very well, I always felt safe, understood and comfortable to talk openly, I completely trust Rachel’s integrity, understanding and her ability to sensitively ask thought provoking questions which challenge but never offend. Rachel used a variety of useful techniques to help me to understand and change negative thought patterns, these were replaced by new positive thoughts and I now have several recordings of affirmations to promote positive thoughts and useful breath work techniques, I am truly grateful for these, they have helped to calm my anxiety immensely.
After four weeks of talking therapy, I met with Rachel in person and was privileged to experience a ceremony. At all times I felt safe and supported, I had some past experience of plant medicines which certainly helped but I would say to anyone who is considering this for the first time, you will be made to feel safe, comfortable and fully supported by Rachel. Immediately after the ceremony, I was able to talk openly about my experience, although the ceremony was a challenging at times, in retrospect this was what I needed, it has been said that you receive what you need from plant medicines.
After the ceremony I had a further four weekly integration sessions via zoom with Rachel, this helped me to reflect on my past experiences, the ceremony itself and consider my future. I can honestly say that today, with Rachel’s kind support I feel in a much better place, more confident and content in my own skin, something which was sadly lacking in the past. I am sure these types of therapies will become more mainstream in the near future, there are currently many trials happening at some prestigious international universities and lots of media coverage. I would highly recommend Rachel to anyone who feels a calling, this experience has taught me that working with plant medicines is only part of the process, its the integration work that you do before and after which gives you the results.
I would like to thank Rachel for her kindness and support over the last few months, I feel like a much better person today, the work you do is needed now more than ever and I hope that you can continue to provide this support to many other people in the future.
Libby, Edinburgh (Oct 2020)
“I recently had a guided session with Rachel. This was my first experience. I had been searching for some time to find an alternative avenue to explore in relation to alleviating my anxiety, depression and feelings of lack of control within my own life, and had felt incredibly drawn to a more natural and holistic approach to investigate these issues. I emailed Rachel, not even quite knowing what I was asking for. Was it therapy, counselling, treatment, someone to fix my brokenness?!…
She replied very quickly, and instantly I was put at ease. What she offered was to be my guide. Immediately i knew this felt right. I knew already that no one can know ME or what I need better than me myself, I just didn’t quite know how to tap into that part – I was too lost. I had explored NHS mental health services and i had felt like I was going in circles and that no one was listening to me – I was just being talked at and offered the same ‘service’ that they offered to everyone else; one size fits all. And, for me, it wasn’t working. That’s not what I felt after speaking to Rachel. I felt heard, and I felt like this was about ME. And she shared similarities in her own story – she was speaking from experience. She was open about herself and honest, and I felt very comfortable in her presence.
She made herself available beforehand to discuss things as much as I felt I needed. We wrote emails and had a video call and i felt very comfortable around her straight away. She was very respectful throughout, and I could tell she genuinely had healing intentions for me.
On the day, she created a safe space for me to experience and do and say whatever I needed. The ceremonial process was quite lovely, and at the same time it felt like it could be as spiritual or as ‘ordinary’ as I felt comfortable with. It was all a far cry from the clinical and restricted experiences I had encountered before in other settings. She kept me reassured and grounded, and focussed on my own intentions throughout.
Afterwards there was opportunity to discuss as much or as little as I wanted, and Rachel was able to offer insights or a differing perspective to those I had considered myself – and she was extremely gentle and non-judgmental in doing so.
It was a wonderful experience!
Weeks on, I still feel benefit and I think it will stay with me for a long time. It’s given me a lot to process, but I feel like I’m thinking differently. There is no instant fix, but it feels like my computer was turned off and turned back on again – and things are working a little bit better! There’s just still some defragging to do… So it’s also a comforting thought to know that there is someone out there available, should I feel I need it. I am extremely grateful for Rachel’s support – I highly recommend her guidance!”
Lauren, Edinburgh (March 2020)
“Having done a lot of research, I knew that there was great healing potential in psychedelics, with many clinical trials underway internationally.
That said, when I first met Rachel I was very anxious about trying it, and with a stranger! Rachel immediately put me at ease, with her warmth, gentle nature and compassion.
She told me enough about her own journey to know that she had also experienced a significant amount of trauma, and had used plant medicine to help her heal. It was abundantly clear that she ‘understood’ and also that she knew her stuff with regards to psychedelics.
I’ve worked with Rachel twice now, and will be continuing to do so, gradually increasing the dose. There have already been noticeable improvements in my life. I managed to clear a lot of trauma related to the recent passing of my Mum. I also had a clear message during one session about not worrying about my body. Given that I’m primarily using plant medicine to heal from secondary breast cancer, this has made a big difference to my quality of life. I am confident that I can use plant medicine (with Rachel’s invaluable guidance) to heal completely. Watch this space!”