A Lanarkshire woman is celebrating after winning a national prize for helping others.
Donna Stevenson picked up the 'Holistic Therapist of the Year' gong at the Scotland Prestige Awards.
Initially, she worked in Glasgow’s West End for several years before moving to Cambuslang main street in 2019, to create The Loft .
Speaking to Lanarkshire Live, Donna said: “I struggled with my own mental health when I was in my teens and later when my first marriage broke down. I struggled with depression, anxiety, and panic attacks.
“There was limited help available through the NHS at the time, but after finding a private cognitive behavioural therapist in Rutherglen, I received the help I needed and went on to live a happy life with a successful career.
“Redundancy came about and I took a leap of faith and went back to full-time study which enabled me to change career direction and become a cognitive behavioural therapist, life coach, and holistic therapist.”
The Loft has gone on to offer a mix of activities from holistic therapies, counselling, yoga, spiritual development and much more by the dedicated team of professionals.
Due to their hard work, they’ve gone on to win many awards.
Donna added: “It’s always an absolute thrill to be recognised for the work I do. This is our fifth award in the last two years.
“Although it’s never been a driver, it is wonderful to receive awards for the contribution we are making within the community.
“We all work very hard to ensure our clients enjoy their experience in a peaceful surrounding, there really isn’t anything like it in the area.
“We are now starting to recover from the lockdowns and have seen an increase in people prioritising their mental health and well-being.
“We would love to offer more weekday daytime activities, so we will be looking at that this year and will be on the lookout for anyone who would like to use our space to hold events like this.”
A statement from Scotland Prestige Award said: “The judges were impressed by the serenity and presence of mind offered by The Loft, which has been the ambition of Donna’s since its founding.
“Under the guidance of Donna, The Loft quickly grew into an essential part of the community and has filled a gap in services, supporting all aspects of physical and mental health.”
More information on services offered by The Loft is available online.
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