​Updated: May 25, 2021

I want to thank  Yasmine Mohamed and everyone  contributed through efforts or donations to the Free Hearts, Free Minds  campaign .
   As a beneficiary of this campaign i can never express how much am  grateful for all the compassionate hearts that helped to make this  happen.
   For people like me in the middle east and the islamic world in general   Mental / life coaching support is a serious tabu that can have  negative consequences to people's lives , and especially for us who  Chose to free yourself from Religion after critically evaluating it ,  the thing which resulted in huge social isolation some of us lost touch  with their families and the other can't simply trust anyone with what  going on in their life and their minds .
    For that reason we thank you for your kindness and support ,  thanks  to all the beautiful hearts that are willing to help unknown people from  across the globe , people who you might never know , people whose  voices might never be heard , but with with your compassion you managed  to make their days a little bit less darker and hope a little bit  clearer .
 
1.  Before you started your coaching sessions what space were you in?   How were you feeling about life, what emotions were you experiencing,  what type of thoughts were you having, how was your mental and physical  health?
 
   I remember when i saw yasmine post on facebook regarding this  campaign  i was thrilled ,  this campaign couldn't have come in a better  time , i been going through a very devastating period of life , all the  strength i had was draining and the trauma of 27 years of abuse and  resistance took a huge troll on my happiness and personality  the thing  which  was  very threatening to my future and my chances of survival .
   I was feeling lost with a foggy cloud of depression blocking my  thoughts and my thinking , it always affected my self worth and self  esteem the thing which caused my anxiety to increase and affect my  everyday life , it also affected my physical health the thing which i  can see in IBS , Headache and lack of energy attacks .
 
2. Now that you have completed your coaching what space are you in?  How  are you feeling about life, what emotions do you experience, what type  of thoughts are you having, how is your mental and physical health?
    The coaching session were extremely beneficial to me , after the  sessions i felt more in control of my life after i started to feel that i  lost control and began to give up .
    The sessions with Jimmy helped me to hold on into hope again and reminded me of my worth and my strength ,
    i  became more educated in term of my emotions and my behavior  patterns ,  the thing which helped a lot whenever i remind myself to  pause and react based on what i need to achieve not on how i feel about  it  .
     I regained my hope in humanity and in life , by learning the tools  on how to function and receive the best experience possible .
    As i feel positive improvement in my happiness and satisfaction level  i noticed a similar improvement in my physical health for example my  energy level and IBS attacks . 
 
    3. What has changed and what strengths can you see that you have developed or enhanced from the experience?
 - i noticed huge improvement in my self confidence and anxiety , i was in breaking point and the help came at the right time .
 I learned to understand myself better and be aware of my emotions and  what motivate my reaction patterns the thing which help me learn how to  improve those reactions in order to receive the best  reactions from  others and minimize any consequences 
 Although am more aware of my emotions now i became more accepting to  them and started to acknowledge them while i used to deny or escape them  , my aim became to educate myself on how to deal with them and express  them in the best way to receive the best consequences to them. 
 I learned the importance of not jumping to conclusion when it come to  people , to give  people the benefit of the doubt or even if not that i  need to learn how to adapt to people regardless of my thoughts of them .
 I learned how important it is to remind myself to dare to go out of my  comfort zone if i really want to make any change in my life , Jimmy  always reminded me that I can't learn without trying especially when it  come to socializing or changing patterns of behaviour .  
 I learned tools that i can use to separate myself from negativity and to  connect more to my expressive side and start to prosecute my passions. 
 Be aware of my thoughts  and look into positive opportunity in every situation and not submit to depression or stress. 

4.  What more would you have liked in your coaching sessions, how could they have been improved?
 
    I don't think this can be any better. My therapist extremely helpful and understanding throughout my sessions i don't think i been an  easy client , although i tried my best to be clear , honest and sincere  but it been very difficult on the personal level to not fall back to  old habits and safety zones , throughout my personal struggle Jimmy’s  guidance and patience helped a lot in making my view more clear and  directing me to the healing bath .
 
5.  What did you like best about your coaching sessions?
   I sincerely appreciated how my therapist was able to understand what I meant   throughout my emotional break out I was worried that I might not be  clear yet he was able to understand and identify the core source of my  problem and provide suggestions that help me understand better and learn  how to work in improving my self .
   I honestly appreciate how he provided suggestions to educate me better  about personalities and human reactions , the thing which can help a  lot with my lack of experience .
 
Best regards
 
Mimi Ali

​Updated: Jun 1, 2021

When I started the sessions I was in an angry place where I hated the  way my life was going, skipping on my friends and family, and I just  felt I wanted to be alone. 

During the sessions I realised my mistakes in communication, and I also  started realising others mistakes when communicating with me.  I think I  understand the social aspect of life better now.  I am spending more  time with my family, and highly performing at my job.
 
All this was not obvious on the first day after the sessions were  completed.  The time I waited before I sent this feedback, allowed me to  see the results of how my life is improving with my improved social  communication skills. I now have daily company in my trip to work, my  life at work is enhanced and more opportunities appeared.
 
Much of the stress in my life is significantly reduced.
 
I will miss the sessions as this was a space for me to talk more about myself and focus on my growth and development. 
 
Thank you to you and Yasmine and everyone else who contributed to the  Free Hearts, Free Minds project for this great opportunity. 
 
Regards,
 Kamal, Middle East

​Updated: May 25, 2021

I would like to thank  Yasmine and everyone else who made the  coaching I received possible.  It was really a great experience. Please  accept my sincere apologies for the delay in providing feedback.  I have  tried my best to explain my  experience below but I think sometime  words are not enough to explain these feelings and experiences.
 
Before starting my coaching sessions, I was in a state of chaos and  could not see any possibilities. It was like everything was impossible  and I’d already lost a number of good friends, so I was totally  devastated and frustrated.  This affected my physical and  mental health  badly. I was suffering from the issues of breathlessness, mood swings  and Blood pressure problems. A feeling of loneliness and depression. 
 
Digging deep inside me was a sense that there was no hope for the  future. I was so afraid of reaching out to people and making  conversations, afraid of rejection and ostracism, due to my atheism and  religious disbelief. I was feeling hopeless about ever meeting a partner  and was worried about my future.
 
After completing my sessions I felt motivation and encouragement.  The  coaching allowed me to find and accept possibilities, explore  opportunities, overcoming my fears and practice self-acceptance. I am  now motivated to approach life in a different way.
 
I discovered that there were a number of things that I was hiding from  myself and struggling to understand, I avoided discussing them, not even  with myself. But now I’ve understood that life is not limited, one can  be anything one wants and everything is possible as long as the person  is willing to put in the work and do what is needed.
 
The most impacting things that was constantly haunting me was acceptance  by others and what I’ve learned is that I cannot control people and I  should also understand that not everyone will appreciate me for what I  am, but that doesn’t necessarily mean I am imperfect. One needs to get  out of the shell of limiting beliefs and fears, to explore and  experience the beauty of life.
 
These sessions have helped me to improve my mental strength and health and that has positively impacted my physical health.
 
My therapist equipped me with some cognitive tools that I’m continuing  to use everyday and it really brings a smile through my face.  A  wonderful feeling, like enjoying a sunset from the rooftop top of a high  building.
 
For me the best thing about these sessions are:
 
Constantly helped me to understand my inner self and overcoming my fears and weaknesses.
 
To understand the possibilities that I can achieve.

To explore and expand my social circle and know more people.
 
Thank you so much to everyone who made this possible.
 
Ms Unjum, India

​Updated: Jun 1, 2021

I'm very thankful and grateful that I was directed to the coaching  sessions, it really changed my life and my perspective. My mentality was  that I had no control over how I felt and that I was screwed from the  start and would never be able to get over it. But taking these sessions  one by one, every week, with the various techniques we used helped me  look back into myself and my emotions.  It helped me get over the  anxiety and paranoia of how damaged I felt because of my circumstances.
 
I was also able to make goals and achieve them, such as finding and  joining a community of people who share and understand my experiences.  I'm still following all the instructions and points guided to me during  these sessions and they still help me in relieving the negative emotions  in me.
 
I tended to overthink and feel overwhelmed with things that happen in my  life and I guess I let myself get so used to the stress and anxiety  that I became unable to go on with my life.   
 
Ever since I started doing the cognitive techniques I started feeling  more relaxed and more focused on my daily tasks and activities rather  than stressing over them. 
 
Reflecting on what can go right in my near and far future really impacts me positively.
 
Thank you to everyone who helped to make this happen.
 
HY, United Arab Emirates

​Updated: Jun 1, 2021

I wanted to say thank you to you and everyone who contributed to making the coaching sessions happened. The sessions were very good and I couldn’t have asked for more in all honestly.

Before  our sessions started I was in constant fear of failure suffering  heavily from anxiety and depression and having many regrets about my  life. 

Life as an Atheist in Egypt is still pretty hard and sometimes it seems as though there’s little hope but now I can see that there is still hope. The sessions helped me to gain confidence again and to open up and start speaking to people. They helped me to not be afraid of failure and to go after my dreams again. Speaking to you every week helped to encourage me to connect with other people and to open up to them. Reconnecting with people was the biggest benefit I received from the sessions and it reduced my feelings of isolation.

Thank you to you and the team and everyone who contributed.

Abdul, Egypt

​Updated: Feb 28, 2019

​Updated: Feb 28, 2019

Before I started my coaching sessions, I felt defeated. I felt like all  my hard work was for nothing, and no matter what I achieved in life it  wouldn’t mean as much because I wouldn’t have my parent’s validation. I  had always judged my life through the perspective of my parent’s  happiness, but through my coaching sessions I realized that because my  parents were unhappy with their own lives they could never be happy with  me.
 
I used the meditative techniques that my coach thought me  in times of stress and anxiety. I attempt to find time at least once a  day to step away from my work and practice it. I do feel that my brain  has stopped defaulting to “doom and gloom”.
In my conversions with my  coach I have realized that I should learn to accept my parents the way  they are, because then only can I learn to work with them. I must stop  making excuses for their toxic behavior and not be passive with them.

I  have slowly started to feel optimistic and self-reliant again. I have  started to feel that my parents don’t have such a strong hold on me  emotionally anymore. I have the ability to understand behavior (Parents’  perspective) but not excuse it.

My life won’t be spent trying to meet unrealistic expectation for a moving goal post.
My physical health is also better, as a lot of my anxiety would manifest in lack of appetite.
I feel overall positive about the future.  
 
I  have learned to emotionally not get embroiled with my parents and draw  boundaries. I have also learned how to express myself freely, keeping in  mind the difference between “progressive conversations” and “defensive  conversations”. I don’t let guilt eat me alive any longer, because I  understand that this has very little to do with me and everything to do  with who they are.

I feel emotionally equipped to have healthy relationships in the future, and recognize toxic patterns.
 
I  think my coach was perfect and I felt that he had an insight that other  therapists have lacked. He was always willing to listen through and  talk through things. He never dismissed my feelings, and recognized  cultural problems that are common in South Asian households.

​Updated: Jun 1, 2021

Thank you for your help, it was really something I needed, I saw good results in only 6 weeks which is incredible.

Before the sessions I felt that I was hopeless and I was giving up, my anxiety was winning and I didn't do anything to fix that and even the smallest problems made me feel like a total loser.

Today I started to see the cup half full.

I have the tools to fight negative thoughts. I feel happier and stronger and I can see myself having a better life in the future which wasn't the case before. I'm planning to join a gym soon and I focus on having a good diet. I'm mentally stable and it's affecting my physical health in a really good way.

Now I have the courage to improve myself, deal with life and I’m no longer having the loser mentality. I can control my emotions and I keep trying even when I have bad days.

Thanks to the coaching I developed a positive way of thinking and I figured out what was exactly wrong in my life. I want to fix myself, become the best version of myself and remove depressive thoughts from my life.

I developed the will to fight for my happiness, I’m able to see life clearer.

I was lost because I didn't know what was exactly wrong with me and thanks to the coaching, I know what caused my depression/anxiety and I can finally work on solving these problems.

I was excited to do the session every week and talk with you. The sessions were literally mind blowing because of the reactions I had doing the exercises. It was also entertaining and I didn't feel time passing.

It was a pleasure talking to you and I’m really glad and lucky for getting your help. I wish you the best. Thank you to you and everyone at free hearts free minds for making this happen.

​Updated: Jun 1, 2021

A big thank you to you and everyone who made the coaching sessions possible. 

Before the sessions I was feeling depressed, trapped, and hopeless. I  felt as though I have exhausted all my efforts working with what skills I  had and I wanted to do something about it and needed help.  Also, I was  in a state of paranoia about being found out as an Atheist because I  felt like I could not contain my anger and newly developed hatred toward  religion.
 
For a Saudi ex-muslim woman inside Saudi Arabia, life is not much  different out of the faith than within the faith, unless you’re  privileged enough to have access to places where expats or royals  practice their freedoms within the country. You have to fake religiosity  in front of your community and family. For me, I was barely able to get  my parents to accept that I no longer want to wear the niqab (veil). If  I wanted to take the hijab off altogether, I don’t think they would  ever accept it. Every Saudi ex-Muslim woman that I know (through social  media) fakes being Muslim and could never dare to admit atheism to  family members.
 
Since our sessions I am in a much better place. My circumstances have  changed, so now I am not in the same environment that I was in when I  started getting coaching. Now I have more control over my time, and I  have more space away from my family. I am now busy with studying again  and I have developed new online friendships that I keep contact with  everyday. I feel like my mental health has improved. My thoughts now are  focused on future plans toward more independence. 
 
Through the sessions I have learned more how to better communicate and  empathize with my parents (Transactional Analysis). I was also  encouraged to make ex-Muslim friends, which pushed me to do so. I have  joined social media groups for Arab Atheists and we talk and share  news/memes/books daily, which helps me feel less lonely.
 
What I liked best about the sessions was being able to speak without  fear or judgement. I also liked learning about Transactional Analysis.
 
Thank you for everything. It was a pleasure to work with you.
 
M.A. 
 Saudi Arabia

​Updated: Jun 1, 2021

Before embarking on the coaching sessions, I was in a weird space of self-destructive behaviour and self-blame; I was working on fully isolation myself from everything.  My relationship with my family was at the peak of chaos; life was nothing but a grey blank page.  This seemed to be the overall situation of each chapter of my life.  Mentally I think I was depressed, a form of depression at least.  I was also physically weak due to stopping the gym and this was due to not having enough mental strength to do anything. 

 After the 6 coaching sessions I can clearly say that I'm more open to life and feel fresh.  I’m doing my best to engage with my family more and get to understand them from a different perspective; the ways that we explored in our sessions. I have got back to the gym already and that has made me feel even better.  I can say that now I have a spark of hope.  

The sessions helped me to understand how powerful it is in life to develop your own understanding and to be coachable.  I would love to learn more about the techniques you used in the sessions, they were amazing to say the least and I found them very beneficial.

 I loved the feeling that there was someone who would listen and understand what I was going through.  To have someone there each week who was willing to be there and guide you a bit through this grey tunnel during this time in my life. It means a lot to feel that there are some good people around, people who are actually willing to be there for you.  

I can't thank you and all the people who have made the coaching possible enough.  Thank you to you and all of them. 

S.M. Tunisia