Roxane Romero

Lives in London – originally from Reno, Nevada

Over the course of a particularly stressful two year period, I experienced a number of disparate physical problems including frequent migraines, neck and back pain, dizziness, hot flashes and nighttime teeth grinding. The symptoms seemed to be unrelated but all were having a negative impact on my work and personal life

I was able to find relief for the symptoms through various medical treatments including medication for the migraine, a night guard for the teeth grinding, physiotherapy for my neck and back and steroid injections in my spine. This relief proved to be only temporary as well as expensive and time consuming. Eventually the stress built to the point that it finally manifested itself in emotional symptoms such as irritability, cynicism and anxiety. At this point, I realised the physical problems were also due to stress and that a different approach would be needed if I were going to get out of the ongoing negative cycle and get control over my stress levels.

I stopped my medication and physiotherapy (with the agreement of my doctors) and began working exclusively with Stephen.

Psychotherapy did not seem to be the answer as I was not depressed. Additionally, the stress was externally imposed and I have a good grasp of what I as an individual can do to cope with stress.

I was good at managing my time, asking for resources and exercising and eating well so a course in stress management wasn’t going to teach anything new. Stephen offered a different approach that would address the physical and emotional elements simultaneously and give me the tools I needed to manage stress better in the future.

I stopped my medication and physiotherapy (with the agreement of my doctors) and began working exclusively with Stephen. We undertook work to release the tension in my back, neck and jaw with the aim of releasing physiological, psychological and emotional trauma. The results have been far better than I had hoped. The physical pain is gone. When I begin to experience tension building in my neck or jaw, I am able to relax and no longer use this as a coping mechanism. This has also had a tremendous impact on my emotional well being. I have developed the mental space to be able to handle stressful situations as they arise. Previously, it was difficult for me to make important life decisions as I no longer trusted my ability to know what I wanted. Since working with Stephen, I decided to leave my job and am much clearer about what I do and don’t want in a new job. This has helped me avoid jumping into a new situation that would be no better than the one I left. I am much more optimistic about the future and no longer overwhelmed by the challenges I am facing. My friends and colleagues all comment about how much happier and more relaxed I am.

I cannot recommend Stephen highly enough. His approach and support will be helpful to other successful but stressed executives who want to find healthier ways of handling the various demands and challenges they face.