Slow start is 'no problem' for depression-busting course
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A LIFE coach looking for 110 people to sign up to his not-for-profit depression-busting course is having to press ahead with a smaller number.
Thomas Imrie held his first group-coaching session in a room at Millburn Academy this week with eight candidates.
The 47-year-old father-of-three, who turned his back on organised crime “to empower others through difficult times”, believes he has the life-experience needed to help people escape from depression and despair.
He has visited schools, community centres, doctors surgeries, supermarkets and shopping centres to sign people up to his “life-changing” 10-week course.
He said his group, set to swell next week, includes a retired teacher, three young men and a female hotel manager.
Each person is asked to pay a "suggested donation" of £2.50 per week "to cover costs".
He said: "I was wanting to have more people but this is a good start. I will still be giving it my all. I'll show people how to shift their focus from pessimism to optimism through various exercises and I'll be taking them up a Munro every other week depending on the weather to get them right out of the way of themselves. I did it with one of my clients and the change in him for a long while afterwards was amazing.
"One simple truth that will inspire a positive shift is nothing changes until you do."
The former construction worker believes he has the life-experience needed to help people escape from depression and despair.
He runs his own business called Conscious Solutions seeing clients from his Tomatin home after relocating from the central belt with family two years ago.
He started out as a life coach in 2012 – a far cry from his teenage years when he was "in and out of a young offenders’ institutions and a convict by 21 doing a three-month sentence for theft".
His father left when he was seven and he grew up feeling “marginalised, angry and insignificant”.
Inspired by the birth of his first daughter he got a job in construction and started his own firm which went well until the recession.
He then got into life coaching learning all he could via online courses and building up a client base.
He said his course was suited to those affected by depression through any means including bereavement, divorce, betrayal, relationship problems, bullying, abuse, debt or unemployment.
For details call 01808 511 277 or visit www.conscioussolutions.co.uk for details.
