Testimonials

We haven’t ever experienced anything like what you’ve worked to intentionally create for the therapeutic space. It is just that actually …. space …. safe space.... our body hasn’t ever experienced being in a space where it’s so supported to be calm and connected to deep energies and then to share this with you …. another person. Totally new experience for us all ….It actually helps us trust when there is no pressure from the therapist or agenda or assessment of everything we say into their framework of understanding that they then put onto us to define who we are and what our dysfunction is that requires fixing. There’s never been safe space in relationship for us to explore who we might be …. you hold space in such a large way including the earth and elements and nature and the animal beings help because they haven’t ever been so disconnected from it all …. they have so much to show us. Our brain can’t learn to be less fearful if we aren’t actually having better relationships and environments and experiences. Yet no therapy has ever considered this … then our ‘failure’ to think ourselves ‘better’ got us rejected and shamed by the very people who were supposed to be helping us.

What an amazing experience to leave the worries of the world behind and escape to such a beautiful part of the country. Lovely green rolling hills, gentle valleys, sun soaked fields and boundless deep rooted trees. Such a serene and rejuvenating retreat with an equally amazing inspiring lady and a beautiful family to match. Bianca seems to draw her energy from the very wind itself, seeing only strengths within those she meets and graced with a gift to share. This trip has been one of those moments in life when you get an opportunity to stop, reflect and listen to the tranquility of the peaceful landscape whilst drawing inward in search of some hidden fire within. Of special note was the experience of sitting around the 'Bidagubala' (becoming quiet) yarning circle at different times of the day whilst listening to the gentle trickle of the pond, the various sounds of many diverse birds, the swaying of the leaves or the crackling of the fire. Such a calm amazing place to be. An what an amazing privilege to be part of such a deep and respectful service of the traditional smoking ceremony and 'Welcome to Country' conducted by knowledgeable Kaurna / Peramangk elder, Ivan-Tiwu Copley OAM. Having never attended such a ceremony before I was mesmerised by Ivan's story telling and intrigued by his skill and knowledge of the land and the traditions of his people. It was a very special morning that added another layer to the depth of experience of feeling one with the country and its surroundings. Loooooooooved it.

Thank you so much Bianca, feeling very relieved. Highly recommend this beautiful, caring person.

Two years ago I was at a crossroads in my business. My massage therapy practice was highly successful, I enjoyed my work and it provided me with daily challenges that kept me fulfilled. However I felt like I had more to offer and really wanted a change of scenery, but I had no idea how to go about getting what I wanted. I contacted Bianca from Warida Wholistic Wellness and set up a business coaching session. Bianca was so friendly and enthusiastic from the start. She immediately understood what it was I was after, and we had a great brainstorming session where all sorts of ideas came to the table, ideas I hadn't even dreamt of. We settled on two brilliant ideas combining several areas I feel passionate about. That day we settled on the concepts and with some follow up calls and plenty of energy I am now happy to say the two new business ideas we came up with are now reality. I will always be grateful to Bianca, she is an intuitive business person who has a very good sense of timing, and a passion for seeing people involved in a life that works for them. Her guidance and knowledge of business concepts and structures is invaluable.

I have known Bianca for many years as a friend, mother, partner and professional. She is gifted with an extraordinary blend of strength, passion and commitment to effect positive change in the lives of women seeking support and the tools available to them. Bianca is a logical and articulate thinker with a grass roots attitude that endears her to many. I would recommend Bianca as a wise investment of time and energy for any woman on a personal journey of empowerment and self fulfilment.

I just want to thank you for your course on assertiveness on the ultimate rider confidence course. The content really helped me find the confident assertiveness to start my own business. After the course I realised that other people opinions of me, my riding and my horse was holding me back. But now thanks to your lessons I have an arsenal of tools to suppress my care regarding the judgements of others, and just live my life the way I want to and follow my dreams. I found the videos very easy to follow and you presented them is such a empathetic way. They were so easy to follow, yet so challenging at the same time. I am much more calm and assertive now, and find myself speaking up in public more. For example someone pushed in on me at the store queue and I calmly but assertively spoke up and told them. It worked! They apologised and got behind me. I would never of spoken up before this course. I would recommend this course to anyone. It has changed my life for the better in so many ways.

"When I first came across Bianca’s Assertiveness training as part of a horse confidence course I wondered what it had to do with riding, and also thought we have quite enough pushy assertive people in the world . How wrong I was. The course was a game changer for me in believing in myself, the essence of confidence. It helped me, put into perspective the unsolicited advice and judgements so often prevalent with horse communities and begin to forge a relationship with my horse based on what is best for her, and for me. And that has led to a huge boost in my confidence my trust in my own ability and in my wonderful horse. It’s helped in so many ways. Who knew that if you can calmly understand how to fulfil your needs, and not put yourself last, anxiety reduces? Bianca comes from a place of such kindness that she made me realise assertiveness is about being kind to yourself and effective for your horse . It’s a great life lesson".

“We were immediately hooked into our awe and wonder at the beauty and energy of the Warida sanctuary… but we hadn’t really figured out how that natural capacity to see and feel still available to us could be expanded upon and strengthened… that it could become the conduit for building a deeper sense of connection to life and purpose for which we felt so overwhelmed and hurt and lost by at that point in time. We hadn’t had anyone see the value in us or our capacity to see beauty and feel deep energies before our work with you at Warida. How extraordinary it is that we can have come through such horrors and still experience awe and nature’s beauty and power. Making this a valuable thing we had capacity for, helped us see the deep goodness still intact in our hearts. It made the pain a little more tolerable because we could practice getting lost in that sense of wonder and curiosity that comes when you can feel something like the power and energy of the wind before a storm. All while this was happening you were beside us, not delving or expecting anything from us but simply seeing and feeling alongside us and pointing out things we might not have noticed yet. This actually taught us a lot about how to be with each other in a non-threatening way. It modelled a way to be with another that we hadn’t ever experienced before, all while the focus was directed towards appreciating the environment and animal beings we were surrounded by rather than focusing on ourselves. This is an incredibly healing process that builds your strength to then begin to try to look inside and listen inside in a new way. In the very same curious and wonder filled way we learned about from your example and encouragement to connect with Country and the grandmother tree and the dogs and horses… to the ancestors… We learned a different way of relating where there’s no goal or need, or pressure to achieve an outcome of healing or integrating… the goal is simply to see, hear and be with whatever we may be."

“The online course offered by Bianca Stawiarski from Warida Wholistic Wellness made me completely change the way I think about myself. Despite not looking back (because it’s a can of worms and I didn’t want to go there) but looking forward, I have learned to value, like and love myself. This has lifted my self-esteem, which has resulted in a more confident and assertive me … and I like it! I found Bianca professional yet approachable. Personally, I am more confident, content and aware of my needs and how they fit in with other people in my life. I’m happier to say no in a constructive manner, happier to do things for myself and find a balance so I continue to help others without jeopardising my needs.”

I was so anxious about finding a counsellor and stirring up all the feelings that I had spent a lifetime avoiding, but when I went to see Bianca I really wondered why I had waited for so long. Bianca gives you such a calm space to talk through what's happening, she shows so much empathy and patience, she is on your team to help give you the tools to move forward in those 'stuck' areas of life, but you also come away from each session feeling that she's not just trying to help you problem solve but that she deeply cares about you as a person. I cannot recommend Bianca enough for counselling and coaching - it's definitely been transformational for me! Thank you with all my heart Bianca.

Having had sessions of counselling and coaching with Bianca over the last few months has started me on a path I thought I would never had the courage to tread. Not only do I now start to understand and have patience with myself and those around, I'm embarking on two new and exciting business ventures. Without Bianca's patience and enthusiasm it would be another 20 years before my life moved forward ....too late then! Thank you for all you've done for me Bianca, x.

Bianca has been amazing with my teenage daughter. My daughter is on the Autism Spectrum and doesn't respond well to conventional therapy. Bianca's Horse Wisdom program combined with horse archery has supported my daughter's development of her emotional awareness. I also love how well Bianca and my daughter get along. I highly recommend Bianca's services.

I felt I needed help recently so I asked a friend who happended to have just started a business helping people! I have to say after only 2 sessions I'm already feeling so much better and more at peace and even a bit excited about what the future promises, than I have in the past 2 years trying to work through things out for myself!! If you feel like you need help in what ever it is that's happening with your life, or feel you need help in working towards something, please consider Bianca Stawiarski.

Bianca is certainly an inspiration. The tools she uses in her coaching has rallied me to become more positive, focused and strong. I have now set myself goals and slowly achieving them. I highly recommend this service to anyone that is in need of help or to see where you want your life to head and how to go about achieving it. After only one session I came away feeling inspired to make some positive changes in life and say YES I can do things.

‘Bianca delivered her vicarious trauma training workshop to the Riding for Disabled Association South Australia (RDASA) Volunteer Coaches and trainees. Through Bianca’s preplanning and correspondence the workshop was tailored to or volunteers’ roles and experiences within the RDA setting. Bianca’s kind demeanor encouraged good discussion and dialogue throughout the workshop. As a result every one of the attendees found it beneficial to their work with RDA and also applicable to their everyday lives. Some comments from attendees included: *extremely knowledgeable, lots of great info. *A highlight for me, very relevant, amazing and knowledgeable presenter. *An effective speaker *A great presenter, clear and concise. We would highly recommend Bianca and would absolutely have her back again”.

Over the last 6 months, I have had a number of difficult issues to deal with. I have turned to Bianca for help and her help has been invaluable. My most recent experience was dealing with a difficult complaint at work and dealing with a ‘shouty’ horse riding instructor that I had had for a number of years. My default position, in relation to both situations, would have been to put my head in the sand: to run away from the complaint and to ‘soldier on’ with the ‘shouty’ instructor. But I had come to the point where I did not want to deal with these situations in this way. I had previously done a brilliant course run by Karl Greenwood with a brilliant section from Bianca on assertiveness. I revisited that content and also reached out to Bianca for some one-on-one coaching. Although I live in the UK and Bianca lives in Australia, that didn’t matter at all because I found that our connection via zoom was equally as effective as having some coaching in person here. In fact, Bianca’s coaching was the most effective coaching I have ever had anywhere. Bianca helped me to see that it was important to respond assertively. With the complaint, I did so with a cool head, dealing with each aspect point by point, calmly and respectfully. I feel so good about my response. Bianca helped me to see how assertive it was and also to think about why it was important to respond assertively - essentially what was happening was that a group of people were gossiping about me - and my response confronted that and (I believe) will put a stop to that dynamic. If it doesn’t I have a plan for that too (with Bianca’s help). I also acted assertively with the instructor. I suddenly thought - my horse does not need a shouty instructor nor does he need me stressed because I am being shouted at. What I was agonising over was how do I tell my instructor that I no longer want lessons with her? Turns out it is really easy - I simply told her that I had decided not to continue with our lessons! It was as simple as that! And Bianca was brilliant about helping me see my assertiveness in that situation. I am so happy with the way I dealt with both these situations with Bianca’s help. Every time I think about it I do a little mental fist pump! In fact, Bianca and I high-fived in our zoom call. Both these things were real victories for me and I could not do have done it without Bianca’s help. I really think that assertiveness is such an important skill and I’m delighted that I’m getting better at it. Bianca is an amazing coach and I thoroughly recommend her!

"Holistic Wellness for Aboriginal people is essential for our mind, body and soul healing. To have an Aboriginal practitioner that counsels using her animals to break through the hard shell that many of us put around us as self-protection from further harm; is a dream for many. To offer such programs to our people living with disability is truly a wonderful opportunity to know that such a place exists to help verbal, non-verbal and ambient and non-ambient, less cognitively aware and those that struggle with outside environments, and mostly those that are hurting inside but unable to talk but use their body and voice to rid themselves of this suffering. Behaviours of concern are impacting severely on many Aboriginal people today. So, this place of peace and tranquility to calm and soothe for a short time is indeed the place to begin on the road of healing. It is this I see when I go to Warida with my son and other NDIS participants. It is a soothing voice and friendly manner of Bianca with her dogs and horses she reaches out to the unreachable and in turn the person turns to her with smiles and happy bubbling out of them. It is this response and the positively that stands out. The horses and dogs are so happy to meet her guests with this gentleness I believe that this connectiveness begins the healing and peace that gives a person hope. For people with disability connections can become severed for many reasons but to witness the beginning of enjoyment bubbling over and with smiles I am encouraged that these programs are making a difference. Therefore, I recommend to my clients and friends in the community to come visit with Bianca at Warida because she does make a difference."

"With Bianca’s mentorship, support and encouragement, she helped me to see my true worth as a new business owner and as a counsellor. It cannot be understated at just how invaluable Bianca’s truthful advice was to me, particularly if the business is to be sustainable. Now when I have network meetings with potential partners I walk in confident because I know my true worth. Bianca’s approach to business coaching is relatable and culturally safe, which allowed me to ask the questions I needed, to understand the ins and outs of running a successful counselling business".

"Bianca squashed the awkwardness I was experiencing around the income earning aspect of starting a business in the helping profession. Money is not a dirty word and without it we cannot do the important work we do. I now have the confidence to prepare a business plan that is real, professional and super easy. Amazing! You cannot help but come away from this class feeling motivated, tooled up and keen to kick goals. The biggest light bulb moment for me was becoming aware of the power of knowing my Why! Before this class I did not understand the significance of knowing WHY I am offering EAL services. Do yourself a favour and invest in yourself and your business today by enrolling in this dynamic Masterclass with Bianca. Experience a cracker session jam packed with knowledge and professionalism by a top lady who will inspire you".

"I watched both Business and NDIS webinars. I found the lets get business planning extremely helpful as I was just about to set up my own business. It is a very clear, concise and interesting webinar. It answers all the questions one has. I then watched the NDIS webinar, again extremely helpful even though I have experience with NDIS. It relates to our work so essential to watch. What I really love about Bianca's webinars is herself, she is joyful, fun, she gives us hope and she is inspiring. It gave me some strength to do it although my own self doubt kicked in many times. Thank you for being an inspiring Aboriginal Woman Leader!!!"

“I loved Bianca’s Assertiveness course. I learned so much about myself and finally started to be my real self, instead of what others expect. It was a revelation learning how to say “No” to others and that I am ‘allowed’ to do this. It’s contributed to me changing my life so much. Not everything is perfect but I’m working towards my dreams and being a happier, more fulfilled person xx”.

All testimonials are provided with written permission by the author. Counselling / Psychotherapy client names are withheld to ensure confidentiality