Testimonials

Céline VOISIN - Project manager - Architects’ office

It's difficult to put this experience into words – I could say « wonderful, amazing, excellent » but it wouldn’t be enough to describe what I experienced even though each of these words are true!

I’d rather tell you where I started from and where I am today.

I contacted Stéphanie after having given myself a new challenge, and not an easy one: leaving my job after seven years within a company where I had my habits, my rhythm, my colleagues, and my network was not easy. I knew that it would be complicated as I had already been through that in the past – so I prepared myself for a job which was already demanding my time and energy.

But nothing went as expected and I lost control of the whole thing; I lost my bearings, self-confidence, energy, and motivation. I quickly ended up in a deadlock without any solutions, not the right one in any case!

I panicked; I couldn’t handle my emotions nor get any perspective on the situation. Self-absorbed with stress I contacted Stéphanie to prevent the worst from happening: giving up or failing.

The first appointment allowed us to get to know each other and the videoconference meetings weren’t an obstacle, on the contrary it was much easier for me to open up to someone that I didn’t know through the computer screen, but everyone has their own preferences.

Very soon we were able to assess the situation – I was able to really see where the problems were arising and what the triggers were. We then focused on my skills and strengths and most of all how to use them! I have many but it was a kind of self-sabotage due to my lack of self-confidence. Because you know, we’ve all got amazing skills and gifts and we can see them in others but never in ourselves!

We established rules to follow every day (as a “warm up”), a framework, some tools to help me move towards my goals, and a new way of thinking.

Some days were difficult and others were funny but I accepted to “play the game” and we experienced, Stéphanie and myself, a real adventure of laughter, tears and most of all we shared things; tools, anecdotes, experiences... A rich exchange because Stéphanie is generous: training, methods, different approaches, things to read, energy, listening…all this for us...and with such spontaneity!

This energy gave me a hunger for success and step by step I challenged myself to go further and do even better!

At present the coaching sessions are over and I I have a clear picture of where I’m going, in which direction, with which tools, what my strengths and skills are, and what I still have to improve by myself, without my mentor.

Some days I feel doubtful but I quickly deal with the stress, take a step back and I manage everything better and feel good not only within the framework of my work, but also in my private life – because yes, you guessed it, everything is connected!

Now I address my words to you Stéphanie,: I would like to thank you before everyone, with dignity, to have allowed me to experience this. I hope, and I’m sure, that other people in need will get the chance to benefit from your benevolence and your listening as I have. You’re a passionate and inspiring person and you transmit your insight and knowledge on self-management skills, social skills and how to feel better with such energy and enthusiasm! Don’t think for a second about doing anything else!
Jean-Pierre - Production manager – Company of 200 employees

With time, little by little the fog gets thicker; it’s all around you till you can no longer see, every morning worse than the day before, things that used to be easy and normal become impossible, you lock yourself away from everyone, you do everything you can to avoid problems but everything you try to do goes wrong, and you’re tired....

One day the sun breaks through, all your problems disappear, you take pleasure in your work once again, you find solutions to your problems, you move forward, you have the energy to win, you’re efficient, you’re happy…

You haven’t changed between the two – no, you’re still the same, your work is just as demanding, but you’ve found someone who’s listened to you, guided you, enabled you to see your worth and helped you regain confidence in yourself and your choices without once having judged you...an encounter that changes one’s life. At the beginning I hoped to find a solution for certain issues and I soon saw the positive effects overflow at both a professional and personal level. When we started our sessions over Skype rather than face-to-face, I wasn’t sure if I’d continue to make progress. Quickly I realised that I was totally absorbed by our sessions and that the distance wasn’t a problem at all. A preparation and an analysis of all the little moments which seem insignificant but that have a huge influence on the rest of the day. Far more effective than any course, as she brings an incredibly strong sense of respect and enables you to find your solutions yourself.

Hard to explain in just a few words, so I’ll summarise with two: THANK YOU
Thomas - Real estate programme manager

It gives me great pleasure to write about the progress I made with Stéphanie and the quality she provides.

A friend recommended coaching to me and I wasn’t too keen, but what a thunderbolt!

Stéphanie turned my life around. I really didn’t know where to start to sort out my professional and personal life, and through her know how, her attentive listening and her communication, she empowered me to “re”-choose and start a brand new life.

There’s no miracle recipe in what she suggests. With a lot of motivation from me (indispensable), she simply allowed me to find solutions which I had very well hidden within myself. And all that with compassion and efficiency.

We worked over the telephone and Skype which to my great surprise didn’t alter the quality of our communication at all.
A big thank you Stéphanie
Alain ANDRE - Company Director Toulouse/ Basque Country

Am I always right?
That was the question which led me to have coaching with Stéphanie. The question seems pretentious but hid unresolved issues and especially a deep malaise.
When you’re the director you’re often alone, alone with your decisions, with your results, and alone before the judgement of your employees.
This professional solitude takes over, creeping into other areas of your life. You’re at home but you’re not really there. Your wife is talking to you but you’re thinking about a problem at work as you’re listening. You tell your 4 year-old child to be quiet because the client you’ve been trying to reach all day finally calls you back!
You take refuge in insomnia, your anxiety stopping you from admitting your unhappiness and unease which just gets worse. And my sorry state’s rubbing off on my colleagues. What image am I giving off?
To summarise, I work very hard, I get good results and I have a life that I can’t control and which disrupts those around be, at work and at worse at home, and which doesn’t make me happy. It saddens your loved ones who you get up for everyday.
So, when I met Stéphanie, I realised straight away that coaching was going to be beneficial to me. But not that it was going to revolutionise my life.
Yes, I’m talking about a revolution!
Picking the children up from school,
Playing games and doing sport with them,
Turning off the phone when I got home from work,
Taking my 4 year old in my arms rather than walking the other way with the phone,
Taking time to think about myself, look at what we’ve accomplished and where we want to go,
Schedule a time to go do sport,
No more back pain!
It’s really difficult to put into words what the coaching did for me.
It’s hard to answer the initial question – am I always right?
Sometimes I am, sometimes I’m not, but today they’re my choices and I’m at one with them, completely assuming responsibility because now I can think properly, with serenity.
If I ask was I right to trust you however Stéphanie – the answer is yes without any doubt.
When someone helps you, you say THANK YOU
So thank you Stéphanie for your support, your listening, methodology and professionalism, and Thank You for what makes me ask myself the right questions every day, relaxed and content, all the while being more efficient, a better me.
The coaching took place just after 2 of my colleagues left and the team went down to 3 people. A year later there are 8 of us working together in a humane environment and we’re unstoppable!
Today Stéphanie accompanies me with recruitment, and coaches my team with issues such as time management, organisation, etc.
Docteur Natacha TSENKOFF - Dental surgeon

I met Stéphanie at a time when my professional and personal lives were in turmoil.
I managed one problem after the next and couldn’t really do what I needed to as it was too much.
I didn’t know which road to take.
I was exhausted, constantly trying to keep my head above water.
My work has always taken up a large part of my life, constantly having to deal with changes, decision making, and training courses.
But for the last two years, after my assistant had to stop working due to illness, everything collapsed.
I was used to having someone else to work with and was suddenly faced with managing my surgery alone.
There were so many things to do and I didn’t know where to start to regain my confidence, my serenity, and get organised.
I met Stéphanie who proposed a personalised approach, not the stereotyped kind there is in my profession.
First we worked out my goals.
She said that I held the answers, and that trying to tackle the mountain all in one go was pointless!
Little by little and with each session, another dimension opened up.
As problems emerged, solutions were thought of and tried out…
She taught me that it’s always good to try out this or that solution and if it doesn’t work, try something else. In no instance did the feeling of failure appear, just experimentation, leading to decisions.
The results were soon apparent.
At first, I finally got my self-confidence back, or rather finally got my self-confidence.
The coaching sessions with her allowed me to breathe, talk, structure my feelings and also my aspirations.
Her great adaptability, her non-judgement, and her listening enabled me to express myself freely.
She didn’t know much about my profession but nevertheless her help had an effect on my work.
She was able to get me through my obstacles when for personal reasons I arrived overwhelmed and shaken at her sessions.
Thanks to her work I discovered how I function, stopped comparing myself to my peers, and accepted who I am in all humility.
I didn’t squeeze myself into the mould that the specialised coaching companies encouraged in my profession.
The result is that my surgery got an organisational overhaul with all the consequences that go with it, in my image.
I have projects again, and manage to actually do them.
I obtained peace of mind professionally because my practice was restructured thanks to Stéphanie, her approach, and her commitment towards me.
The work we did for just under a year was by no means psychotherapy, but rather a personalised accompaniment which enabled me to put a new, serene, and organised work environment in place.
It’s an approach to know about.
And Stéphanie is the professional to have the experience with.
Law student, 23

After having worked with several psychologists and psychiatrists; I turned to coaching, at first reluctantly. I found Stéphanie’s address rather by chance, and went without knowing that I was going to meet someone who would bring such a considerable change to my life. Stéphanie took an unconventional approach to my problems. One which doesn’t wallow in the past but turns toward a bright future, at first with low self-confidence...but Stéphanie manages to tap into an inner force you didn’t even know you had. Non-judgmental, always leaving you the choice and allowing you to put your finger on exactly what you want to better in your life, she builds your confidence and enables you to maximise your potential. With one session per month over a period of 6 months, I managed to, with her help, get my self-confidence back which I’d completely lost, buried...and I’ve never been so happy ever since.

You’ll not only find a coach in Stéphanie, but also a teacher, someone to support you through your hardships...and maybe even a friend.
Xavier GLYZE - Corporate real estate agent at VUDENHAUT-IMMO in Bayonne

Before working with you I had great difficulty in dealing with any kind of pressure (clients, paperwork...) and had managed to let an internal pressure build up, which I brought about virtually single handedly. On top of that, I found it very hard to juggle all the tools of my trade which were offered to me and felt more and more overwhelmed.
That’s when I contacted you, Stéphanie, to get help and find solutions at a moment when something had to happen to take my career to the next level (and why not my personal life as well...).
The main objective was to get a real perspective on everything and reduce my stress level in general, and learn how to use coping tools “in the moment”.

So for 8 sessions over 4 months, our work together was continuously in a joyous and relaxed atmosphere, though we certainly worked...
You enabled me to think about myself differently, to realise what my strengths and qualities were, and more than this - to progress both professionally and as a person (even in my private life, which wasn’t in my objectives but completely indivisible and really essential).

I can honestly say this was a great experience. I was able to reorganise my timetable, and measure my different administrative jobs better, making me much more efficient.
On top of that, just being able to talk about my job to those around me and dare to be honest with clients and colleagues allowed me to let go of all that pressure inside and move forward with certain “files”. Finally, I’ve really started to get things into perspective as regards to certain parts of my work and various problems. I’m also beginning to let go sometimes (not wish to control everything) and not put up a fight if someone says no.

To summarise: HUGE, ASTOUNDING, VERY BENEFICIAL, REALLY NECESSARY, and ABSOLUTLY INDISPENABLE for everyone!
A huge thank you for your professionalism, your ability to listen and share, your availability... In short A LIFE COACH (though I was sceptical at first, YES) I recommend it, without any doubt!
Lady - Corporate real estate agent

"The coaching with Stéphanie was a revelation!!!
The objective of the coaching was to be better organised.
Before, I was observing, trying to work out what wasn’t right with the way I organised everything.
With Stéphanie I was in action, I regained confidence, asserting myself more with my clients and especially taking a step back on many things, seeing more clearly.
There’s no one organisation method, just mine – the one that works for me.
Today I create the framework - I don’t let myself get overwhelmed, and that can be seen in my results.
Thanks again to Stéphanie Rivarès.”
Caroline, 30

My goal at the beginning of working with Stéphanie was to no longer be hurt by the way other people look at or judge me.
Before we started, I was constantly preoccupied with what other people would think, or thought of me. Thinking in other people's place. Apprehending moments with people who didn’t like me or who I thought didn’t like me.
The weight of society was also too much! I had to fit into this mould full of principals and baggage and goodness knows what!
And then we started to work…I learned to simply love myself, to stop putting myself down, to arrive at those dreaded get-togethers feeling relaxed…I felt the benefits really fast! The first situation I had where I came up against someone who looked down on me was quite surprising! Instead of reaping “insults”, I got only “compliments”, and I had a really nice evening!
It seems so simple now that I’m writing it down but it’s hard to put into practice! I’ve just given one example without going into too much detail to express the benefits of my coaching but for me, even though I still have a long way to go, they’re engraved, cemented in my head! Once your brain understands that our unconscious communicates with our conscious, you can’t go back!
Another important point: I don’t let people walk all over me or manipulate me anymore, I’m less « nice » I’d say!
I’ve learned to be less defensive and so less aggressive.
I’ve learned to say NO, and not always want to do more so that people like me.
No more « what will people think… »
It’s only really emotionally (especially with my partner) that this work’s not quite finished. I still find it hard to apply! But I know I will, I’ve come such a long way and feel completely satisfied with the progress I’ve already made!
Virginie, 31 - Coach in Lyon
Thanks to your support, I managed to get through a big change in my life (moving from Paris to Lyon after having spent 10 years up there) in a calm and collected manner. You enabled me to concentrate on actions rather than thoughts. You were really “there” in Paris and when I arrived in Lyon, which allowed me to move without worrying, without fear, and just feel happy about all the good things this new life would bring.

Thanks to your questions I became aware of emotional patterns that I seemed to repeat with men. Your knowledge of neuroscience really helped in this – to draw out what was really inside me rather than the stories I usually tell myself.

Thanks to your support and insightful contributions, I always felt accompanied and that gave me strength and courage.

Before I started working with you, I wasn’t aware of my intrinsic talents and the necessity to put them to good use in order to feel alive. I was less aligned with my desires and our work was the start of a discovery of part of myself I didn’t know existed.

After our work, I have:
- The pride of having gone through this life change feeling exited rather than stressed.
- The key to a life which I want, because now I know what I need to feel happy and fulfilled.
- An important realisation about certain files I thought I’d closed when in fact I hadn’t.
Thanks for your listening, your subtle and constructive humour, your nature which allowed me to feel relaxed with you and your bottomless toolbox that got me out of my comfort zone to go further.

Here’s a coach you need to contact right away ;)