My Essential Speaking

The Essential Speaking class with Doreen has had a dramatic positive effect on both my work life and my personal life. My goal for the course was to overcome a chronic habit of talking in circles around what I really meant to say. I also wanted to be more present when listening to other people. I made major progress with both of these goals, and I've also been thrilled to see a big improvement in the quality of the videos I make for my website, now that I’ve learned how to speak without a script. The videos are much more engaging. But I was surprised to find that all this was only the beginning. The course goes much deeper than public speaking skills. You learn how to speak from your own essence, while connecting to the essence of your listener(s). As I've learned to be more present in myself and to allow my words to come from a place of stillness inside, I've been amazed to watch a transformation in relationships which had been very touchy and tricky for me. I've discovered that if I stay present in myself during a potentially difficult conversation, I can be surprisingly direct, while still being kind and respectful. I've been able to say things I’ve wanted to say for years but didn't dare express, and I did it while staying connected to the other person. As a result, I’ve witnessed major positive changes in several relationships in which I had felt stuck for years. I am deeply grateful to Doreen for her presence and wisdom. In our weekly class meetings, Doreen created a safe space in which each person in our small group of six experienced major insights and changes. She also gave us each individual support in between meetings, responding in depth with insights and encouragement to our email reports and questions. In an online world where most classes are based on a "one-to-many" model in which you get lots of information but almost no help applying it to your personal situation, this course is a rarity. It is worth every penny. I give the course my highest recommendation.

Excellent topic, it gives me insight on how to listen and to be a listener.

Doreen's seven-step program has been very helpful to me in overcoming my fear of public speaking. This course, especially with Doreen's coaching sessions, helped me to reach the source of my anxiety around speaking. More importantly, what I learned has helped me to reconnect with my true self and I feel the benefits of that everyday. Doreen was very flexible with scheduling the coaching sessions and very accessible by email to support my journey. Thanks to the kind and compassionate work with Doreen, public speaking is no longer as intimidating to me and I actually look forward to practicing and improving- something that would have inspired pure terror in me in the past.