David Rourke & Associates
Testimonials
As a very young girl, I was sexually molested by a family member. Over a number of years, the assaults continued, but not to me...to a surrogate me. Someone deep inside me who could handle the things that were happening to me. Someone who could hide the 'secret'.
I learned very young how useless I was, never quite measuring up, but kept trying none the less. This is how I looked at myself then, and for the many years since. I KNEW what was wrong with me, but I had no idea how to fix it.
I tried to analyze myself...I tried psychiatrists, hypnotists, and have ended up in the psych ward twice for prolonged stays after suicide attempts. I pushed my own husband away. I hated myself, and I hated my life. I drowned my sorrows in booze. Finally, at age 55, I decided to straighten my life out, or die trying.
I quit drinking. I went to rehab. And I just happened to make a friend of one of David's clients. She was convinced he could help me, and bullied me into meeting David. To this day, I am eternally grateful.
David took me on as a client, and using EFT to ease the pain of remembering, accompanied me on one of the most amazing journeys of my life. At no time did I feel disbelieved, or worse yet - patronized. I felt tremendous compassion from David. His attitude was 'ok...that's now in the past...let's see how we can handle the situation as adults'. He gave me different ways to look at things, he restored my faith in men. He stayed with me while I tried to sort things out, and he never gave up...always happy to see me, even at my very worst. With David I was safe, and I didn't have to pretend. When the pain was too much, he'd somehow make me laugh.
David stabilized me. He took what I already was, and made me bloom. I had been under his care for roughly a year, and I left with a whole new personality...the one I should have had...one that already existed in me.
It has now been 2 full years since that transformation, and I feel that I can safely say, the change has been permanent. My husband is delighted with the changes we made. I am happier, a lot less critical, and a lot more loving and patient than I have ever been. It feels so wonderful to be 'normal'.
So I give my thanks, my love and my friendship to David for allowing me to become me. I like who I am.
-Susan M. L. , Etobicoke, Ont.
I learned very young how useless I was, never quite measuring up, but kept trying none the less. This is how I looked at myself then, and for the many years since. I KNEW what was wrong with me, but I had no idea how to fix it.
I tried to analyze myself...I tried psychiatrists, hypnotists, and have ended up in the psych ward twice for prolonged stays after suicide attempts. I pushed my own husband away. I hated myself, and I hated my life. I drowned my sorrows in booze. Finally, at age 55, I decided to straighten my life out, or die trying.
I quit drinking. I went to rehab. And I just happened to make a friend of one of David's clients. She was convinced he could help me, and bullied me into meeting David. To this day, I am eternally grateful.
David took me on as a client, and using EFT to ease the pain of remembering, accompanied me on one of the most amazing journeys of my life. At no time did I feel disbelieved, or worse yet - patronized. I felt tremendous compassion from David. His attitude was 'ok...that's now in the past...let's see how we can handle the situation as adults'. He gave me different ways to look at things, he restored my faith in men. He stayed with me while I tried to sort things out, and he never gave up...always happy to see me, even at my very worst. With David I was safe, and I didn't have to pretend. When the pain was too much, he'd somehow make me laugh.
David stabilized me. He took what I already was, and made me bloom. I had been under his care for roughly a year, and I left with a whole new personality...the one I should have had...one that already existed in me.
It has now been 2 full years since that transformation, and I feel that I can safely say, the change has been permanent. My husband is delighted with the changes we made. I am happier, a lot less critical, and a lot more loving and patient than I have ever been. It feels so wonderful to be 'normal'.
So I give my thanks, my love and my friendship to David for allowing me to become me. I like who I am.
-Susan M. L. , Etobicoke, Ont.
My journey to recovering physical health, emotional health and freedom:
For years, I had struggled to regain my health with little or no long term success. In 1991 when I was only 44, I was diagnosed with advanced ovarian cancer. A sure death sentence—unless chemotherapy and surgery were successful. Since my liver tests showed that my liver was not functioning well at all and my color was a distinct yellow, the doctors gave me little hope of survival. Since I was “doomed to die”—and soon, I chose not to have any medical treatment at that time. My idea was that if I could build my body up physically through diet, (the only thing that I was aware of that I could try) then maybe the cancer would “leave.”
I did find an “alternative” practitioner who worked with me for the next few years—and I followed his strict diet, accompanied by truckloads of vitamins, herbs, homeopathic remedies, etc. The cancer was kept at bay but in 1999 I finally came to the place where I needed the surgery to remove the diseased ovaries and uterus. I felt like I had conquered the world and that my health problems were in the past. However, I would end up in the operating room just 10 weeks later with the doctors removing my gall bladder.
Things went along pretty well for about a year and a half. Then I began having severe back pain which progressed to the point of preventing me from even getting an hour’s sleep at a time. I was up frequently at night with pain. During the day, the pain continued and I would have to leave work to go home and “scream.”
One of my lungs had accumulated a lot of excess fluid and I could not climb even 5 steps without getting out of breath. Bending down to pick up an item off of the floor caused me to be out of breath. Walking at a pace faster than slow was impossible. I felt old before my time. It seemed that I was facing one kind of health problem after another, and I seldom had what I could call a “good day.” I struggled to just shop for groceries and to make a meal was sometimes a 2 hour event as I could not stand for more that a couple of minutes before the severe back pain would begin.
I began to have severe panic and anxiety attacks. They were becoming more frequent and intense. I felt like I was robbed of happiness and peace. Depression set in as I saw no hope for regaining my health. It was not the kind of life I had envisioned for my husband and me after our sons had left home.
Was I angry during this time? Was I depressed? Was I resentful of all that had robbed me of enjoying life? You bet. But did I even suspect that these physical pains, aliments, stomach problems, etc. were related to emotions or trauma? Never. After all, my father was a chiropractor and he had let me know that most of my ailments could be eliminated by a good chiropractic treatment. But the chiropractors that I went to couldn’t offer any relief to any of my pain, breathing problems, anxiety or any of the health problems I had. Just another truckload of pills and capsules hoping that would do the trick. It didn’t.
During my search for answers in 2006 I went to one of my chiropractors again. On a small TV in the waiting area, a video was playing. It was not EFT, but at the end of the video, there was mention of emofree.com. I copied the address on a scrap of paper, and this began an amazing journey that has literally changed my life.
In December, after searching on the internet, I decided to try this “energy thing” with another program (not EFT). This program seemed so easy. And it was easy—no tapping, no visits to the doctors office—everything could be done over the phone in just a few minutes whenever I felt the need to call. However, after 8 months of working over the phone with a practitioner, I was no better off. The pain was still just as intense, my stomach and digestion problems were still plaguing me. My breathing was still very constricted—it was even worse than when I began that program. I was ready to try something new.
Somehow, I got back to the EFT website and was intrigued. Why not try it. I think I could spend a little time tapping. Couldn’t hurt. Might even help. In September 2007, I attended a special workshop in the San Francisco area. There I met David Rourke. I liked his “to the point” approach flavored with humor, patience and understanding. We worked together on and off for 3 days in San Francisco. I didn’t see any immediate improvement during those three days, but knew at that time that I believed EFT would help me regain the quality of life I so desired. I just wanted to be able to be free of pain and walk up a flight of stairs with more ease.
But an amazing thing happened on the drive back home. I stopped by a hotel to spend the night and had to climb 6 stairs. I looked at them and just knew that I would be out of breath after climbing them. I started and climbed all 6 stairs with ease. Something was happening. And it was good. Seeing this small improvement made me want to continue working with David over the phone. I was committed to doing whatever I could to regain my health and I felt that I had the “chemistry” with David to work together.
David worked with me over the phone during the next several months in a gentle but firm approach. His intuition into what emotional items I had stuffed deep inside me that I needed to clear was pretty much “right on.” There were many times that I would finish the hour’s session over the phone and just say “Wow!” At other times, I didn’t like what he said—but I knew he was right. I knew that if I were to clear the emotional issues which were causing my pain and physical health problems, I must face the unpleasant aspects. I could no longer blame others for my problems. I could not longer hide. He helped me realize that whatever other people said and did, I could not control, but I could learn to control how I reacted. He never made me feel like I was a “bad person” for having anger, resentment or having problems with my adult sons.
David taught me how to read my emotions when the pain appeared and encouraged me to tap for what was coming up emotionally at the time. Progress for me was not immediate. My pain did not leave suddenly, but it did gradually decline over the next several months. I can climb 15 stairs at an altitude of 7000 feet with very little “out of breath feeling.” My back pain is at least 90% better. And when it does crop up, I know the steps to use to reduce or eliminate it.
Once David gave me the tools of EFT, I began to change, both physically and emotionally. David worked with me to help release anger, emotional abandonment issues, and resentment, (among other things) which I had had from early childhood. He helped me learn to forgive, to love and be loved. He truly has shared in my joy and happiness as I made progress. His encouragement with kind words helped me continue tapping each day (well almost each day). I felt like he was on my team and we were working together. And we were. His personal interest in seeing my success and progress was evident every time we talked.
There are other side benefits which I wasn’t even looking for: My stomach and digestion problems disappeared. I had had a cramp off and on in my hip area for over 30 years. The pain vanished and has never returned. I did not specifically address these and other issues with David as controlling pain and easing my breathing difficulties were my priority. The always-present tense feeling disappeared. My blood pressure gradually returned to normal (with no medication) after I began releasing some of my “emotional baggage.” My staff at work enjoy working with me more (they have said that—unsolicited), and I am much less stressed at work. Each day I can take time “to smell the roses” without having to feel guilt for not being more productive at home or at work. I no longer have anxiety and panic attacks.
But the physical pain subsiding and my lungs working much better now is really nothing compared to the relationship that I have with my husband, our sons and their wives, co-worker and friends. My husband had over the years mentioned that I would be happier if I cold just “let go” of my anger, my resentment, my revenge. I tried. I was not successful. I just didn’t have the tools at hand. Now I do. Through David’s guidance with the entire EFT program, I have been successful at releasing the negative emotions which were causing my physical and emotional health problems.
I truly am enjoying a peaceful life without the guilt, pain, and anger which plagued me for decades. In looking back at the 61 years of life, I can say that this last year has been the most fulfilling, positive year that I have ever experienced. And I expect my future to be filled with peace, contentment and happiness. The peace that I have in my life is hard to describe in words—and the entire program is so simple. It takes only a few minutes each day to “tune in and tap.” Thank you, David, for your love, your patience, your kindness and your encouragement. Without those, I would not be experiencing the quality of life I am experiencing now.
Nancy H., Covina, Ca
For years, I had struggled to regain my health with little or no long term success. In 1991 when I was only 44, I was diagnosed with advanced ovarian cancer. A sure death sentence—unless chemotherapy and surgery were successful. Since my liver tests showed that my liver was not functioning well at all and my color was a distinct yellow, the doctors gave me little hope of survival. Since I was “doomed to die”—and soon, I chose not to have any medical treatment at that time. My idea was that if I could build my body up physically through diet, (the only thing that I was aware of that I could try) then maybe the cancer would “leave.”
I did find an “alternative” practitioner who worked with me for the next few years—and I followed his strict diet, accompanied by truckloads of vitamins, herbs, homeopathic remedies, etc. The cancer was kept at bay but in 1999 I finally came to the place where I needed the surgery to remove the diseased ovaries and uterus. I felt like I had conquered the world and that my health problems were in the past. However, I would end up in the operating room just 10 weeks later with the doctors removing my gall bladder.
Things went along pretty well for about a year and a half. Then I began having severe back pain which progressed to the point of preventing me from even getting an hour’s sleep at a time. I was up frequently at night with pain. During the day, the pain continued and I would have to leave work to go home and “scream.”
One of my lungs had accumulated a lot of excess fluid and I could not climb even 5 steps without getting out of breath. Bending down to pick up an item off of the floor caused me to be out of breath. Walking at a pace faster than slow was impossible. I felt old before my time. It seemed that I was facing one kind of health problem after another, and I seldom had what I could call a “good day.” I struggled to just shop for groceries and to make a meal was sometimes a 2 hour event as I could not stand for more that a couple of minutes before the severe back pain would begin.
I began to have severe panic and anxiety attacks. They were becoming more frequent and intense. I felt like I was robbed of happiness and peace. Depression set in as I saw no hope for regaining my health. It was not the kind of life I had envisioned for my husband and me after our sons had left home.
Was I angry during this time? Was I depressed? Was I resentful of all that had robbed me of enjoying life? You bet. But did I even suspect that these physical pains, aliments, stomach problems, etc. were related to emotions or trauma? Never. After all, my father was a chiropractor and he had let me know that most of my ailments could be eliminated by a good chiropractic treatment. But the chiropractors that I went to couldn’t offer any relief to any of my pain, breathing problems, anxiety or any of the health problems I had. Just another truckload of pills and capsules hoping that would do the trick. It didn’t.
During my search for answers in 2006 I went to one of my chiropractors again. On a small TV in the waiting area, a video was playing. It was not EFT, but at the end of the video, there was mention of emofree.com. I copied the address on a scrap of paper, and this began an amazing journey that has literally changed my life.
In December, after searching on the internet, I decided to try this “energy thing” with another program (not EFT). This program seemed so easy. And it was easy—no tapping, no visits to the doctors office—everything could be done over the phone in just a few minutes whenever I felt the need to call. However, after 8 months of working over the phone with a practitioner, I was no better off. The pain was still just as intense, my stomach and digestion problems were still plaguing me. My breathing was still very constricted—it was even worse than when I began that program. I was ready to try something new.
Somehow, I got back to the EFT website and was intrigued. Why not try it. I think I could spend a little time tapping. Couldn’t hurt. Might even help. In September 2007, I attended a special workshop in the San Francisco area. There I met David Rourke. I liked his “to the point” approach flavored with humor, patience and understanding. We worked together on and off for 3 days in San Francisco. I didn’t see any immediate improvement during those three days, but knew at that time that I believed EFT would help me regain the quality of life I so desired. I just wanted to be able to be free of pain and walk up a flight of stairs with more ease.
But an amazing thing happened on the drive back home. I stopped by a hotel to spend the night and had to climb 6 stairs. I looked at them and just knew that I would be out of breath after climbing them. I started and climbed all 6 stairs with ease. Something was happening. And it was good. Seeing this small improvement made me want to continue working with David over the phone. I was committed to doing whatever I could to regain my health and I felt that I had the “chemistry” with David to work together.
David worked with me over the phone during the next several months in a gentle but firm approach. His intuition into what emotional items I had stuffed deep inside me that I needed to clear was pretty much “right on.” There were many times that I would finish the hour’s session over the phone and just say “Wow!” At other times, I didn’t like what he said—but I knew he was right. I knew that if I were to clear the emotional issues which were causing my pain and physical health problems, I must face the unpleasant aspects. I could no longer blame others for my problems. I could not longer hide. He helped me realize that whatever other people said and did, I could not control, but I could learn to control how I reacted. He never made me feel like I was a “bad person” for having anger, resentment or having problems with my adult sons.
David taught me how to read my emotions when the pain appeared and encouraged me to tap for what was coming up emotionally at the time. Progress for me was not immediate. My pain did not leave suddenly, but it did gradually decline over the next several months. I can climb 15 stairs at an altitude of 7000 feet with very little “out of breath feeling.” My back pain is at least 90% better. And when it does crop up, I know the steps to use to reduce or eliminate it.
Once David gave me the tools of EFT, I began to change, both physically and emotionally. David worked with me to help release anger, emotional abandonment issues, and resentment, (among other things) which I had had from early childhood. He helped me learn to forgive, to love and be loved. He truly has shared in my joy and happiness as I made progress. His encouragement with kind words helped me continue tapping each day (well almost each day). I felt like he was on my team and we were working together. And we were. His personal interest in seeing my success and progress was evident every time we talked.
There are other side benefits which I wasn’t even looking for: My stomach and digestion problems disappeared. I had had a cramp off and on in my hip area for over 30 years. The pain vanished and has never returned. I did not specifically address these and other issues with David as controlling pain and easing my breathing difficulties were my priority. The always-present tense feeling disappeared. My blood pressure gradually returned to normal (with no medication) after I began releasing some of my “emotional baggage.” My staff at work enjoy working with me more (they have said that—unsolicited), and I am much less stressed at work. Each day I can take time “to smell the roses” without having to feel guilt for not being more productive at home or at work. I no longer have anxiety and panic attacks.
But the physical pain subsiding and my lungs working much better now is really nothing compared to the relationship that I have with my husband, our sons and their wives, co-worker and friends. My husband had over the years mentioned that I would be happier if I cold just “let go” of my anger, my resentment, my revenge. I tried. I was not successful. I just didn’t have the tools at hand. Now I do. Through David’s guidance with the entire EFT program, I have been successful at releasing the negative emotions which were causing my physical and emotional health problems.
I truly am enjoying a peaceful life without the guilt, pain, and anger which plagued me for decades. In looking back at the 61 years of life, I can say that this last year has been the most fulfilling, positive year that I have ever experienced. And I expect my future to be filled with peace, contentment and happiness. The peace that I have in my life is hard to describe in words—and the entire program is so simple. It takes only a few minutes each day to “tune in and tap.” Thank you, David, for your love, your patience, your kindness and your encouragement. Without those, I would not be experiencing the quality of life I am experiencing now.
Nancy H., Covina, Ca