About Bev Aisbett
Bev Aisbett is an author, illustrator, cartoonist and artist. She is also a trained counsellor and facilitator of the ‘Working with IT’ anxiety recovery workshops since 1998 and creator of the ‘IT Kit’ home study program.
Believe it or not, this is me (and my dear old friend ‘147’ – yes, really, that was his name!) during the worst of my anxiety. Hard to tell, isn’t it? Or is it? Something around the eyes, perhaps…
I had just established myself as a freelance illustrator and cartoonist, (link) a decision which led to all my inner doubts and insecurities rushing to the surface and manifesting as wall to wall anxiety. I experienced terrible panic attacks and bouts of severe depression. The first psychologist I saw described me as ‘The most frightened person” she’d ever seen. Not a very helpful message!
I was always very sensitive. I was quite a shy and serious little girl. I had good, hardworking parents who loved me but sometimes the messages about my worth were a little confusing.
I tended to be a big thinker and took things very much to heart.
In 1992, ‘Living with IT’ was published. During my anxiety, I had used my cartooning skills as an aid to recovery by creating cartoon ‘flash cards’ which I placed around the house to help keep me on track. I also learned about Cognitive Therapy (which addresses negative thinking) and incorporated these concepts into cartoons as well.
I then created the character ‘IT’ as a way to bring my ‘inner critic’ down to size. This material ultimately became the first of a series of books for fellow sufferers created in the unique simplified and accessible cartoon format which forms the basis of all my books.
The books have now sold over 500,000 copies each, are distributed to doctors and health professionals throughout Australia and are translated into four foreign languages.
And here I am now. Hey, I worked hard for those lines !
After ‘Living with IT’, I trained as a counsellor and studied many different modalities to further assist people with anxiety and depression. After working with people one to one, I felt that I could speed the recovery process by creating a more structured, step by step approach and thus created the workshop format. My aim was always to empower people to find their own solutions, rather than being overly reliant on outside help.
It seems to have worked ! All these years on and people are still getting better. It is very rewarding to know that my work can make such a difference and perhaps even turn around someone’s life. It has made my own journey through anxiety a triumph, rather than the ‘tragedy’ I thought it was at the time. It can be the turning point for you, too.
RECOVERY BEGINS AT HOME WITH THE IT KIT
The It Kit was created to replicate the entire, comprehensive 5 week original live workshop format (‘Working with IT’) that has helped so many sufferers since its inception in 1998.
The IT KIT is specifically designed to provide comprehensive assistance to sufferers of anxiety and depression regardless of location or situation.
The IT KIT provides a home study version of Bev’s proven and effective recovery program, which she has facilitated through the Anxiety Disorders Association of Victoria since 1998.
Based on five weekly sessions, the IT KIT provides a step by step guide to all aspects of anxiety as well as solid and common sense strategies to assist sufferers to reclaim the power and insight to steer their own recovery, with or without outside counselling assistance.
The kit is comprised of Bev’s audio presentation and a 128 page manual of supporting materials including exercises, logs, tips, revisions, diagrams and affirmations designed to assist comprehension, provide solutions, promote self regulation and build confidence through application.
The IT KIT materials are based on the proven and effective strategies of Bev’s workshops which have now assisted over 1000 sufferers in the past decade and which have been endorsed by both health professionals and government agencies.
Order your IT KIT now! 