JO HAYWOOD talks to a woman who turned a stressful experience into a new career.

THE echoes of the terrorist attack on the Twin Towers in New York were heard around the world long after September 11. Ginny Whyte was one of those caught up in the aftermath. She was living in Switzerland, managing an information technology team for Swiss Air, when news of the atrocity broke. Within days it became clear the company was not going to survive the international freeze on flights.

"The stress was intense," says Ginny, who now lives in Alma Terrace, York. "I wasn't just worried about my own future, I was worried about my team as well. Helping them was my priority."

Swiss Air was due to merge with Lufthansa on September 13. That deal fell through after the New York attack and the company was eventually sold off for a tenth of its actual value.

"Like most of my colleagues, I found myself out of a job and looking for something new to do with my life," says Ginny. "Looking back, I can see that in a strange way it was the best thing that could have happened to me. At the time it was difficult to see it that way."

It was a good thing because it made her reassess her life and make crucial decisions about her future. She decided to move to York, a city she had fallen in love with during a brief visit when she was nine, and start a new career in stress management - a subject she felt she had ample experience in.

"I lived on the continent for a number of years," says Ginny, who is originally from Edinburgh, "but York was the place I wanted to start my new life.

"I love the history of the city and the Minster blows me away every time I see it. There is something very special about a place where the cathedral is still the highest building in the city."

As for her choice of career, she felt stress management was a natural progression from the work she had done managing her Swiss Air team.

"I have always had an interest in personal development work," she explains. "I have done many courses over the years on stress management, self-esteem, conflict resolution and confidence-building, and now I have the opportunity to put my skills to the test."

Ginny is beginning a series of two-day stress management courses at the Priory Street Centre in York this weekend (places are still available) for anyone who wants to take a step back from their busy, everyday lives and look at what they can do to take better care of themselves.

"Stress effects us all," she says. "I think we could all benefit from taking time out now and again and re-evaluating our lives.

"Stress can really blight your life, and it can lead to serious illness if you don't seek help, so learning to recognise the signs and coming up with a plan of action to change things are valuable skills to learn."

The workshop sessions that make up the course, which costs just £15, include ice-breaking games, group discussions and individual activities aimed at encouraging people to analyse their lives and find answers to their problems.

"I see myself as a facilitator, not a teacher," says Ginny.

"I can't give people the answers to all their problems, but I can give them the skills to find them for themselves.

"By the end of the Sunday session I hope participants will have identified what it is they want to change in their lives and how they are going to go about it."

It is all too easy to complete a course like this energised and full of ideas, only to return to the your old unhealthy ways within days. To discourage this regression, Ginny is offering participants six weekly follow-up evening sessions to keep the energy levels high.

"I want people to be able to report back on their week in sympathetic company," she says. "It's often difficult to talk about stress with those close to you, perhaps because they are part of the problem, so it's useful to have people who are not directly involved but who are willing to listen.

"I also want to make the sessions fun, social occasions, so people will actively look forward to coming back week after week.

"Stress is not something that you should deal with alone.

"Some people may think it is a sign of weakness if you say you are suffering from stress, but I think it weakens you to keep it to yourself.

"Only a strong person can admit they are stressed."

For more details of Ginny's stress management courses, ring 01904 733978

Updated: 09:07 Monday, August 19, 2002