CLIENT FEEDBACK
"I am so grateful to you for the help and support you gave me when I'd just been discovered Autistic. You were the first person to ever talk to me positively about being Autistic, and you have no idea how affirming that was. You really helped me settle into my Autistic self, and you provided such an incredible model of Autistic empathy for me: your kindness, gentleness, and compassion were everything that I'd been told Autism was not, and although I knew differently seeing those traits in you helped me feel that my own were not incompatible with my diagnosis. You really helped to knock down that wall of internalised ableism I'd constructed." - Fiona
"One thing I love about life coaching is, this is clearly peer support. We hang out and take turns doing relatable anecdotes. Then he writes me an email summarizing what I said about my hopes, interests, values, limitations, and strategies, and in later sessions he repeats those back to me so I can try to build on those themes. That work is one way you can tell he's getting paid and I'm not. But the conversation isn't only about me. It's not like talking to the terrifying falsely neutral wall that therapists often present. I got all this self-description work in the same conversation as getting to see a well-spoken gay man well up with tears about the terf explosion in England. All this is really just to say: thanks for the personal stories. They're tremendously helpful in establishing that you're a safe person to talk to" - Dolan
"The couple of years before I met John had been hard – wave after wave of change, the loss of my father, working myself to burnout. I saw a video of John talking about his own experiences. It had me laughing and thinking so I called him. From the moment we spoke he had me seeing myself and differently and seeing my interaction with others more clearly. The more we talked, the more I trusted his observations and shared more of my experiences. I highly recommend his gentle presence, and challenging insights." - Dominic
"I'm so grateful to John. I really don't know if I'd have been able to fully accept my autistic self without his support. He inspired me in a multitude of ways. Most importantly, to reach out for what I want in life, rather than just accept my place in it. For the first time in decades, I feel like I'm going to be okay, I'm happy, and I finally feel like I have a better idea of what will continue to make me happy going forward. I say without hyperbole, John has inspired me more than anyone else ever has - for that, I can't thank him enough!” - Ray
“I am a learning and development consultant and have been training and coaching for 20 years now. John has been totally invaluable in helping me to understand how I can ensure my work is inclusive and engaging for coachees and delegates who are neurodivergent. He has a knack for explaining things in wonderfully straightforward terms and totally puts aside judgement to engage in a really helpful and productive conversation. Thank you John, you are a superstar!” - Lea, Fibre Training
"What I'm most grateful to John for is his unwavering respect and support for my needs and boundaries. He helped and encouraged me in finding what works for me specifically, and was staunchly on my side through an extremely difficult stretch of my life after my late diagnosis and a debilitating autistic burnout." - Salla
"I confidently recommend John Pendal for anyone seeking some support during an autism diagnosis discovery journey. My own time post diagnosis was turbulent and included a revision of a lifetime of social 'frictions', broken relationships, illnesses, times of depression and anxiety. Thankfully John's many skills include patience, great communications, empathy, problem solving and explaining autism differences as differences and not failings. We made some sense of the past and made adjustments for my future life, all of my own design. This is the coach and process I needed at the time I needed it, and I would recommend him to others who need autism acceptance for better lifetimes ahead." - John
"I'm very grateful for my time with John. Each call was highly engaging, thoughtful and brought new personal insights. John's experience, confidence, ability to ask the right question and listen made each call better than the last. He was able to quickly understand who I am and how I want to show up in the world. He tailored our discussions and guidance in a way that met me where I'm at on the journey and broke down any fear that I may have had. I highly recommend John and look forward to future calls with him." - Kurt
"And as a neurodivergent person I would really like to thank John for the gift of some words to live by: no compliance without understanding." - Yokai Lens
"My first impressions of John have been nothing but positive – his warmth and kindness shone through immediately and I knew that he will be of great support to my son, who has only recently been diagnosed with Autism. I can happily report that those impressions were shared by my son too. Rather than me writing this testimonial, I have asked my 12-year-old son to share his thoughts. With his permission, here are his words: 'John has helped me so much with dealing with challenges at school. John has explained Autism really well to me and is giving me information in steps so I can understand better. I see John like a best man at the wedding – he talks to everyone in confident way and everyone wants to be John’s friend. He has been so supportive of me and I really appreciate that’" - Tamara and Daniel (age 12)
"I was skeptical at first and not sure what to expect. Within the first session with John, I could see a path forming ahead for things which I'd been going in circles over for years" - David
"John is so very kind and understanding. He creates a safe, non-judgemental space for me to feel completely relaxed and heard. I'm so grateful to have met John and to him for helping me find a way to move forward in a positive and proactive way. Thank you John, my compass was broken and you've helped me fix it." - Ms Jones
“John is a very approachable man who inspires confidence. I felt happy talking to him about my problems and felt happier each time we completed a session. I would definitely recommend him” - Dave
"John is both nurturing and enquiring, and has the uncanny ability to ask questions that immediately help you see 'the wood for the trees'. He is patient, a wonderful listener and assists in clarifying thoughts in order to move forward in a positive direction. He has been of invaluable assistance to me!" - Jane
"John has helped me to find a lot of clarity and perspective around things that have bothered me for years. Through skilled reflection he has helped me to pinpoint the reasons behind thought patterns that have been holding me back, and challenged me to find new ways forward. John creates an open, trusting space where I can make discoveries about myself." - Lawrence
If you would like an introductory call with John please fill in the form here.
Page updated 17 April 2023
