'I just hope no one else has to go through the pain I felt': Victim of fake Alsager counsellor Christine Stevens speaks out

AS THE summer of 2012 rolled around, Lisa Williams felt the light in her life had gone out.

The turn of the year had been traumatic after the 39-year-old endured a miscarriage just six weeks into her pregnancy.

While still coming to terms with the loss in January, Lisa, who works as a credit controller, tried for another child.

But in May her life was turned upside down once again as she was forced to say goodbye to another unborn baby, this time 12 weeks into her pregnancy.

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"It's very hard to describe how it leaves you feeling", she said.

"It is a life that has not begun and you have nothing to reflect back upon. It's hard to comprehend and is a very sad experience."

In the aftermath of the two miscarriages Lisa's relationship with her partner broke down.

Over the ensuing months Lisa, of Alsager, who has a five-year-old son, decided she needed the support of a professional. It was during that time that she began talking to Christine Stevens on Facebook. Lisa says they made contact as Stevens was friends with her former partner.

They arranged for Lisa to begin counselling sessions at £20 a time.

Yesterday South Cheshire Magistrates Court was told that Stevens decided to end the sessions and, during that time, Lisa had asked for contact details for her manager at Cheshire East Council – the authority the apparently legitimate confidante had claimed to work for.

Lisa claims she had been unhappy over the way the counselling was going and wanted to make a complaint to the authority.

But it wasn't until she underwent further treatment with another counsellor that Lisa found the condidence to confront the authority and later report the incident to police.

She said: "I had undergone some hypnotherapy. People think it is all about having a clock waved infront of you but it is nothing like that. It is about unlocking your subconscious.

"After a hypnotherapy session I went straight to the council and gave them her details to find out if she worked for them."

After the authority confirmed Stevens was not an employee, Lisa got in contact with the police who later made an arrest.

Stevens pleaded guilty to fraud by false representation on February 26.

During her sentencing yesterday, the court was told the fraudster had appeared in 2009 for nine matters of making false representations. Other cases on her record included appearances for dishonesty in 2003 and making a false statement to receive benefits or payments in 2002.

Following the hearing Cheshire East Council reiterated that all its employees carry an identification badge. Councillor Les Gilbert, Cabinet member in charge of communities and regulatory services, below left, said: "People should always check the credentials of those who call at their door or who claim to be council workers."

The British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), whose initials Stevens used on some e-mails, sent out a similar message urging people to check their therapist is a member of a professional body.

Now Lisa is hoping her ongoing counselling sessions and a programme with the NHS will lead to a brighter 2013.

She added: "I am determined to take positives from this and hopefully stop this terrible thing happening to vulnerable people.

"After losing two babies it has made me cherish things like my beautiful son and now I just want us to have the best possible life."