News

How A Change Holiday Can Resolve Relationship Problems

“Relationship problems” is a huge umbrella phrase covering a wide rang of problems, the full spectrum of which we help resolve on our special change holidays. Our holidays work especially well with relationship problems for one very good reason, they give you precious space and time out of your day to day situation. Time that is spent not just waiting to return to the problems at home but really sorting them out and working out what to do next through our Change Therapy program.

By definition relationship problems become part of our everyday life and its often extremely difficult to see a way forward when you are right in the middle of things. Having distance and objectivity on your life and working through things with experienced specialists really does work. 

People come either individually or with partners, sometimes with very specific problems, and sometimes to “get things moving” as one of our guests recently put it.

Relationship Problems -  A Few Recent Change Holidays. 

Over the past year we have helped address a number of specific issues. I’ll go through a few cases, making sure I keep confidentiality, to give you an idea of how we can help:

• Couple A. Spent 2 weeks at the Baan Deva mountainside reteat on our counselling Retreat Holiday. They had been married for 6 years and felt as though they had drifted apart and felt bored with each other and “stagnant”. Frequent arguments and quarrels pushed them both into doing something about their relationship problems. They needed time out of their busy lives to assess where they both were in life and what they wanted to do next.
• Person B. Spent 1 week at the Puripunn Hotel needing to come to terms with the fact their partner was having a second affair in their marriage. They really needed to get away from the family home and think clearly about the decisions that lay ahead. They also wanted a damn good holiday and some comfortable easy going excursions and activities to “take their mind off things”. They were able to return home having decided what to do, created a comprehensive Change Plan that all our guests complete knowing we would be there to support them through the next three months with individual online counselling and support.
• Couple C. Arrived with us in a relationship crisis. A number of really difficult life situations had  happend very quickly and unexpectedly. They both didn’t know if there was a future in their relationship or not but needed to sort out immedeiate relationship problems without making rash or heated decisions. They both needed time out to get some much needed objectivity and perspective as well as some joint Change Therapy sessions to sort out immediate concerns. After a week of joint and individual change therapy sessions, as well as some great outings with our driver and guide some important decisions had been made and a way forward had been established.

I hope these few examples give you an idea of how our change holidays can help with a range of relationship problems.

If you are experiencing any kind of relationship problems please do contact us to find out how we can help. If you are unable to come out on one of our Change Holidays or take one of our online counselling courses do feel free to contact us anyway as we are a team of seasoned professionals and will almost certainly have other ideas and contacts that will be able to help you.

Self Improvement Holiday With The Life Change People 

“Lifechange sounds like an overpromise but its not. This is one of a kind, a once in a lifetime opportunity to find new meaning and direction in life”. Bob, Toronto,Canada.

Self Improvement Holiday in Thailand.

Its quite an odd situation that most people who complete a self improvement holiday with us, are amazed at how much they actually manage to change and improve in their lives. There’s almost a sense of surprise that its actually possible; as though the whole thing might just be some elaborate “overpromise”, a bit like every washing powder claiming to get your whites whiter than the last detergent you used. It’s a part of our business that we find difficult. On one hand we do know an awful lot about self improvement and what makes a good self improvement holiday where guests can resolve problems and increase the quality of life, but on the other hand it’s difficult not to sound like we are just promising the impossible.

Self Improvement Holiday and the Quiet Revolution

The world of psychotherapy and especially motivational psychology and change therapy has recently undergone a quiet revolution. It wouldn’t exactly be front page news unless you work as a psychologist or psychotherapist, and even then  psychological revolutions aren’t always easy to spot. It is a revolution though, that has, and will have for years to come a huge effect on anyone deciding to book a self improvement holiday or wanting to improve make changes in their life.

Until recently the world of therapy, counseling and psychology was largely influenced by “insight” led approaches and skill acquisition. These two things, it was believed, underpinned why it is that we change. Undoubtedly these are important areas, but for many people looking for self improvement, they are just two pieces of a much bigger puzzle. Over the past 20 or so years there has been a huge amount of interest in how and why we actually change and improve the quality of our lives, issues that we too have been deeply involved with.

I recently talked with one of our guests who had worked out that she had spent over £55,000 on different approaches and felt that she was back at the beginning of her journey, perhaps even more unhappy than when she started. There are a number of things that we do on our self improvement holiday that make all the difference.

Self Improvement Holiday Active Ingredients

• Identify very quickly and accurately what can and what cannot be changed
• Increase confidence quickly and effectively
• Use a highly effective clinical personality profile system
• Resolve problems with empirically validated models of change
• Clarify goals and aims
• Provide 12 weeks individual support after your self improvement holiday to ensure that changes take root.

We are a small company that concentrate on offering an individual service to all our guests. We look forward to seeing you on one of our self improvement holidays soon.

Please contact us for more information on our self improvement holiday and other range of change holidays.

My Life Change Holiday                                   

It turned out to be a very unusual Valentines Day this year, and one that changed my life.

My Counselling Retreat friend at the Elephant Nature Park.

For my gift, taking in my birthday and Christmas for a few years to come, my wife handed me airplane tickets for a ”Counselling Retreat” in Thailand. – “You’re going to sort your head out once and for all, or you might as well not come back!”

She had booked me in for an eight day “Counselling Retreat” with The Life Change People.

Over the last few years I have been through some major life changes; the arrival of our first child, my father dying of cancer, losing my job, moving house and becoming a house husband.

Despite being a happy and loving husband and father to the outside world, I instead became a negative,depressed, volatile and anxious man – apparently determined to destroy the love of my family and heading towards a major mid-life crisis.

This was, of course, oblivious to me as I wallowed in self pity and searched for the love that I was pushing away, angry with anyone who dared to contradict me. Looking back now, I honestly believe that without my counselling retreat change holiday, I would be separated from my family.

Entrance to my counselling retreat holiday in the mountains. A special place to make life changes.

My Counselling Retreat.

And so, I set of for my “Life Change Holiday”. Arriving in Chiang Mai was literally like a different world and the peaceful serenity of the Baan Deva Thailand Retreat hotel allowed me to relax and enjoy my counselling retreat programme.

The “Life Change People” are predominantly  Alex Gunn and Chrissy Richman who, with their considerable experience and expertise in the field of counselling,  coaching and Change Therapy decided to up sticks from Britain and set up this unique experience.

I spent the equivalent of about four months of weekly sessions rolled into an amazing seven days. The journey through my own mind was incredible as the sessions just seemed to fly by. I realised my behaviour had become  ridiculous and the effect on both my wife and children a dreadful revelation.

I was taught how to recognise feelings of negativity, volatility and anxiety. I learnt how to utilise various mental tools to overcome them and even turn them into positive actions.

And so, here I am. I have created my own website to promote my sculptural works. I am actually sculpting again to add to the collection that I already have and am currently sourcing outlets through which to retail them. I also started the website for the architectural / design side of my plans, currently on line. I am currently working on three projects for Homerworks and am now actively seeking to market this business.

More importantly, my relationship with my wife and children has improved immeasurably. I can only apologise to them for the man that I had let myself become, and continue to constantly remind myself of the lessons that The Life Change People taught me and continue to use them in every aspect of my life.

Michael Lewis Homer . www.sculpt-on-line.co.uk. 2009.

Find out more about Michaels counselling retreat holiday at Counselling Retreat 

Life Changing Quotes

“My time with The Life Change People was better than I dared hope, it was like taking a hoover to the dust in my brain”. Dan Davies. Editor.Esquire.

If you want to…..                                                                                           

Change Therapy with Dan."It was like taking a hoover to the dust in my brain"

• Feel better and make changes in your life
• Sort out difficult feelings and difficult situations
• Increase confidence 
• Discover some new ways forward….

Contact us and lets talk about how we can help. We offer Online Therapy and Change Holidays;  a brand new concept in making positive life changes.

We hope the following Life Changing Quotes may be helpful to you, we like them!  Contact us for more information about them or any of our life changing holidays, counselling retreats and services.

Life Changing Quotes

“If you treat a man as he is he will stay as he is, but if you treat a man as he should be and could be then he will be as he should and could be” Blaise Pascal

Lantern Festival Thailand.

“If you only have a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.” Abraham Maslow

“Failure is the only opportunity to begin again more intelligently”   Henry Ford.

“The more you read, the more you will know. The more you know, the more places you’ll go”  Dr Seuss. 

“The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjust the sails” William Arthur Ward.

Find out more about our life changing holidays Holiday Programs

Individual Luxury Counseling Retreat

Luxury Counseling Retreat. The pool at The Rachamankha Hotel.

A Counseling Retreat with The Life Change People is for people who want more than an ordinary retreat holiday.

Our Thailand Counseling Retreat, including the Life Change Therapy Program start at 31,000Baht (approx£563,$998USD).

Imagine being transported away from your daily routine and problems to a small exclusive mountainside retreat resort in Thailand. Imagine waking up on your first morning in your own luxury villa with it’s own secluded courtyard garden and pool and surrounded by orchids, colourful butterflies and complete tranquillity. This is one of our special counseling retreat settings at the Baan Deva Montra Thailand Retreat Hotel,Chiang Mai, Thailand.

We are a group of highly experienced and qualified counselors, life-coaches and therapists. We have developed a unique counseling retreat incorperating sophisticated personality profiling, life-coaching, recent advances in motivational psychology and evidence based therapy interventions. We believe that it is the best counseling retreat program in the world. So, whatever life is throwing at you we are ready to help.

“The Life Change People Counseling Retreat is amazing. It allows you to see ways forward that you never before realized, it gives you fresh hope and direction, even in spite of yourself.” Eva M, London.

Important to your counseling retreat is the 12 weeks unlimited online-counseling and life-coaching support on your return home, ensuring that the changes you make with us will not disappear along with your sun tan.

All of our Life Change Therapists are qualified, senior practitioners with over 20 years experience gained at the very highest levels, and widely respected within their own specialist areas.

At the beginning of your counseling retreat you will go through the results of your Personality Profile with our clinical psychologist. This  provides insight into your personality, highlights strengths and weaknesses,identifies barriers to change and provides ways forward.

Many guests intersperse their retreat with a series of excursions and activities designed to compliment and enhance your therapeutic program. You have exclusive use of our own, very popular, driver and guide, Son, who will take you on some wonderful excursions, tailor made to your own preferences. Recent trips that have been popular are;

• Touring local food markets and tasting authentic Thai food
• Visiting  mountainside Buddhist temples
• Elephant Trekking through the jungle and visiting the Elephant Sanctuary
• Visiting remote hill tribes.

Whatever your interests we will make sure they are included in your counseling retreat.

The last part of your counseling retreat is planning out your Change Plan. This details how and what you will change on your return.

Every guest that has completed our counseling retreat has gone onto make lasting and rewarding changes in their lives. If this is something you want as well talk to us and find out how we can help.

15 October 2009

Alex Gunn and Chrissy Richman of the Life Change People bring their consultancy to Chiva-Som, Hua Hin, Thailand.

Chiva Som regularly hosts practitioners of exceptional ability to provide a variety of therapies and treatments for their guests. Their visiting consultants calendar is constantly changing on a monthly basis. To expand this even further, for the first time Chiva-Som is providing psychological support to complement its mind, body, health and spirit concept.

Alex and Chrissy, of the Life Change People, will visit Chiva-Som as guest consultants for two periods from the 9^th-20^th November 2009 and from the 22^nd February – 6^th March 2010 to offer Life Change Therapy.

If you are struggling with depression, mid life depression, mid life crisis, anxiety, stress, dealing with difficult situations or feel that you lack direction and uncertain how to improve things; and if everyone except you thinks you’re happy and successful…that you’ve “got it all’’, then Life Change Therapy will help you overcome these barriers. This will be a Spa and Wellness Holiday with a diference.

Life Change Therapists, Alex Gunn and Chrissy Richman, have been helping people overcome life’s problems for over 20 years. Over the past few years they have been running The Life Change Therapy Programme, a unique combination of sophisticated personality profiling, life coaching, recent advances in counselling based on motivational psychology along with evidenced based psychotherapy techniques. 

They work with lots of busy successful people, including journalists, lawyers, architects and those in the arts and media, who are managing their lives and impressing their colleagues, whilst deep down feeling dreadful.  “Career a success… relationships a disaster” is a familiar phrase. 

Anyone who wants to make life changes fast, or is having to cope with difficult situations, should experience a session with Alex and Chrissy at Chiva Som. 

 “…with Alex and Chrissy of the Life Change People I knew I’d hit the counselling and life coaching jackpot” -Tania Cagnoni, Conde Naste Editor and Travel Writer”

Alex commented; ” The relationship between physical, spiritual and mental/emotional health is well documented and there is a strong evidence base to suggest that a joined up approach, integrating psychology with the existing high quality treatments at Chiva Som, will make a lasting difference, enabling people to change their lives and maintain those changes.   Your Chiva Som-Life Change People experience will be with you for a lot longer than your sun tan”   

Chiva-Som offers fully inclusive retreats and holidays. A consultation with Chrissy Richman and Alex Gunn can be purchased at an additional fee. Please contact our reservations to book your stay. Tel +66 (0) 32 536 536 or fax +66 (0) 32 511 154 or email to reservation@chivasom.com or visit www.chivasom.com

For further information regarding the unique Life Change People services, including Adventure Holidays, Womens Holidays, Spa and Wellness Holidays, Solo Travel, Mind Body and Health Retreat and Counselling Retreats contact info@thelifechangepeople.com

A Revolution in Spa and Wellness Holidays.

The multi award winning Chiva Som, Hua Hin Thailand has for ages been the last word in Health, Wellness and luxury Spa Holidays and Retreats.

In the interests of truly holistic treatment, Chiva Som have invited us as guest consultants for two periods; 9th-20th November 09 and 6th-22nd February to March 6th 2010.

For the first time, our evidence based interventions based on much researched Motivational Psychology will be avaible alongside, Chiva Som  Spa and Wellness Therapy, Holistic Health Therapy, Physiotherapy, and Fitness Therapy.

Why?   Because the body, mind, emotions and psyche are inextricably linked and by working together we can offer you even more tools with which to change your life.  We believe this unique approach will change the face of Spa and Wellness Holidays and Mind and Body Health Retreats in the future.

Life Change Therapy, as developed and run, by the Life Change People over the past 20 years, first in the U.K. and then in Chiang Mai, Thailand, will be offered for the first time as part of the unique multi-disciplinary services available in the exquisite surroundings of Chiva Som, Hua Hin, Thailand, during the times above. 

Word of mouth has already resulted in many enquiries and much interest. Check out the rest of our website for counselling retreat holidays, womens holidays and solo travel special offers. Be one of the first to benefit  from this unique combination of Life Change Therapy and holistic health, wellness and spa treatment.

Take control of your life today !

Change Therapy – How to Increase Importance to Change and Confidence in Changing 

Change Therapy session during Counselling Retreat.

The pioneering work originally undertaken by Dr Bill Miller and Dr Steve Rollnick sparked a generation of interest in the understanding of exactly how and why we change. It spawned a number of approaches, most notably Motivational Enhancement Therapy, Change Therapyand Motivational Interviewing. Pivotal to these is the idea that change, especially motivation to change, is connected to how important change is, coupled with how confident we are in changing. This idea harks back to Ronald Rogers Health Beliefs theories about why we make health behaviour change.

Contrary to popular belief our confidence and importance are far more malleable than most believe. We can push up our confidence and our importance score fairly easily. There is no definitive list of techniques, what works for one may not work for another. Motivational Interviewing outline a handful of useful techniques but recognize there are as many strategies as problems themselves. During Change Therapy people are often encouraged to develop their own strategies that work for them.

Here are some ideas that might help:

Change Therapy : Increasing Importance to Change.

Think about your goals in life. What do you want to achieve and how would you like to be remembered. Imagine you are reflecting back over your life with a friend. What goals would you like to have achieved.

Change Therapy with Dan."It was like taking a hoover to the dust in my brain"

What would be the worst things that would happen if you did not change. What would be the absolute worst, nightmare scenarios. What are the things that would definitely happen that would not be good and the things that might happen that would be a disaster.

What would be the best things about changing? What would you expect to be better or different. How might other people be affected if you changed. Who would notice and what might they say about you.

What are your values in life? What do you hold most dear and how would your proposed changes affect these things. Think about your values carefully as they are not always immediately obvious.

Change Therapy – Increasing Confidence in Changing. 

List and describe your strengths as a person. What are you good at, what did you find interesting at school, were you good at sports, art, engineering, needlework….Would you say you are a stubborn person, do you give up on things, are you flexible. Do you have an ability to laugh at yourself…. The more you think the more you’ll come up with.

What achievements can you list. There are probably more than you think, when did you pass your driving test, do you have school awards, did you play local sports, have you ever got through an interview….. Just when you think you might have run out of things, give yourself five minutes, do the washing up (or something else) and you’ll probably think of one more.

If you didn’t pick a score of zero, why did you choose the number you did? Foe example, what made you say “3″ rather

Change Therapy. Last night of Thailand Retreat Holiday.

than “0″.

If you did decide to change what support would you have from people around you. Who would want to see you do well, and what might they do to encourage you?

Change Therapy – Conclusion.

These are really just a few ideas that maybe helpful to you if engaged in Change Therapy. If you need more ideas do feel free to contact us, we will help you.

If you are interested in our work have a look at our holiday and retreat programmes. Change Holidays

Remember, keep on going. Not getting it right first time will make you more successful the next.

You’ll Never Look Back With Our Mind, Body and Health Retreat Holiday.

This is a complete retreat holiday, the mountainside tranquility of Chiang Mai, Thailand.It combines everything you need to really sort out your mind and strengthen your body.

This individual retreat holiday has been carefully designed for people who need to get away from the daily grind and address emotional problems or difficult life situations with our unique Life Change Therapy Programmme (see our online Brochure), as well as giving your body some well earned attention.

Our holiday includes everything you need to set your mind and body off in a fresh direction, without having to worry about a thing. Every holiday retreat with us includes an important 12 week online counselling package after you return home, ensuring the changes that you decide to make with us stay changed.

Our Mind, Body and Health Retreat Holiday

• Private airport transfers.
• 7 Nights accommodation in one of our partner boutique hotels.
• Specially prepared Thai food created with health in mind, fully inclusive, breakfast, lunch and dinner.
• The Life Change Therapy Programme, including Comprehensive Personality Profiling.
• Daily private Yoga classes, from beginner to advanced.
• De-Stress Spa massage: 2 complete treatments.
• 12 weeks online counselling support after your return home.

Our year round price for the above Mind, Body and Health Retreat start at 5o,500 Thai Baht, (approx £885 or $1442USD).

Mind, Body and Health Raw Food Detox Retreat and Life Change Therapy at the five star Rachamankha Hotel:64,200 Thai Baht.

Our year round price for our Counselling Retreat Holiday is 29,900 Thai Baht , (aprrox £524 or $854USD).

Imagine being transported far away from your everyday problems to a tropical mountainside paradise, with your own private villa with secluded inner courtyard garden and jacuzzi plunge pool, surrounded by beatiful orchids, colourful butterflies and complete tranquility. Imagine not having to worry about a thing and being really well taken care of by your own life change practitioner who guides you through our therapeutic course and helps you resolve emotional issues and whatever difficult situations life has thrown at you. You return home refreshed and energized with a renewed sense of direction, a comprehensive Change Plan and a 12 week dedicated online counselling support package designed to help you get through whatever changes you have decided to make, wherever you are.   

We recognize a growing demand for retreat type holidays that offer both treatment for the mind and body.  The treatment for the body is comprehensively covered, with Thailand offering unsurpassed Spa and Massage wellness treatments. The treatments available to address emotional issues or difficult life situations as part of a wellness holiday has historically been the domain of “alternative” therapies. We provide an evidence based approach based upon recent advances in motivational psychology delivered by experienced and highly qualified senior practitioners. It is not dependant on addressing childhood issues, or in depth psychodynamic work but aims to speed up well documented processes of change. Read what people have said about it on the Guest Book and Press

Health Retreat ….for the Mind and Body.

Early morning on your Health Retreat Holiday.

This is a popular week long Health Retreat holiday that not only provides time and space to relax in a wonderful tranquil enviroment taking advantage of world class health and wellness treatments, but also enables you to resolve difficult feelings and life situations with our unique Change Therapy program.

“ Our Retreat was wonderful, in a quiet location in the mountains, with beautiful gardens, staff were really friendly,the restaurant FANTASTIC with a lovely peaceful veranda. We’ve had a really lovely time ” Kirsten. London. 

Spa and Wellness Health Retreat   

Kirsten and friends on the veranda.

Every Health Retreat includes our unique Change Therapy course, that overcomes difficult feelings and life situations, increases confidence and provides new, realistic ways forward. The course includes;  

• Advanced personality profiling and analysis
• Daily individual Change Therapy sessions
• Change Planning, 
• 12 weeks follow up online coaching program; ensuring your changes stay changed.

Tailor Made Health Retreat Options

Choose what interests you and contact us for the latest prices.

• Specially prepared inclusive healthy Thai Food option.
• Daily private yoga sessions for any level, from introduction to advanced.
• Full range of Spa Treatments, from Traditional Thai Massage to a Full Day Body Treatment .
• Raw food detox menu
• Full range of Ayurvedic health treatments
• Fitness Suite

Our guests often combine time relaxing on a tropical island or shopping and sightseeing in Bangkok. If this interests you let us know and we are happy to advise and organise.

Spa and Wellness Health Retreat Prices

*36,300 Baht in a private Garden Villa at the Baan Deva Retreat Hotel.

A quiet reception on your Health Retreat Holiday

*46,800 Baht in a private Deluxe Villa with private courtyard and pool, Baan Deva Retreat Hotel,Chiang Mai.

*64,200 Baht Raw Food Detox Health Retreat at 5 *Rachamankha

*50,500 Baht at 5*Puripunn “City Oasis” Boutique Hotel

Price on enquiry at Chiva Som, Hua Hin and Kamalaya, Koh Samui, Thailand.