My coaching and counseling is mainly based on the Lefkoe Method and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT).
The Lefkoe Method
Below is a short explanation of this elegant method developed by Morty Lefkoe.
Have you experienced some of the following?
- Fear of public speaking
- Procrastination
- Overeating
- Perfectionism, debilitating fear of failing and making mistakes
- Neediness and people-pleasing
- Anger issues
- Depression
- Issues around relationships–avoiding relationships, fear around intimacy and sex, fear of approaching women, distrust of men or women
- Conflicting feelings around money–wanting more money but resisting the work it will take, feeling like you’re not the type of person that can make a lot of money, or that you will be judged negatively if you do
These are common issues that many people struggle with. The Lefkoe Method offers a way to overcome these issues. The Lefkoe Method assumes that issues like these are caused by the beliefs that we have ourselves, other people, and the world. Examples are beliefs like “I’m not good enough“, “People can’t be trusted“, or “The world is dangerous“. One way to change these issues then, is to change the beliefs that cause them. The Lefkoe Method is a very effective method for changing such beliefs.
What does a session look like?
In a session, we will first identify what you would like to change. Then we’ll explore the beliefs you have that seem to cause you to feel or behave that way. Once these beliefs have been identified, the next step is to eliminate those beliefs with the Lefkoe Method. When most of the beliefs that cause a given problem have been eliminated, the problem also lessens or even goes away altogether.
For example, I have had clients…
- Feel more confident and comfortable in their own skin, by changing beliefs like “I’m not good enough”, “I’m not worthy” and “I’m not deserving”.
- Earn a lot more money, by changing beliefs like “You have to work really hard to earn money”, “You have to do bad things in order to earn a lot of money”, and “If I earn a lot of money people, will judge and reject me”.
- Overcome habits of overeating by changing beliefs like “If I don’t eat now, there might not be any later” and “The way to escape stress and feel comfortable is to eat“.
- Overcome people-pleasing and neediness by changing beliefs like “My needs are not important”, “I’m not important” and “What makes me good enough and important is having people think well of me”.
- Overcome fear of making mistakes and perfectionism by changing beliefs like “If I make a mistake or fail I’ll be rejected”, “Mistakes and failure are bad”, and “What makes me good enough and important is doing things perfectly”.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a mindfulness-based form of therapy. It is a relatively new therapy that has a strong scientific support for its effectiveness in numerous different areas, from people with severe mental disorders to addiction, to helping everyday people manage stress better, increase workperformance, relationships, and to lead more fulfilling lives. It’s also being used by athletes to help them achieve peak performance.
Have you ever noticed that when you try to actively get rid of painful thoughts and feelings, it can backfire? That when you’re anxious and you hate that feeling and try to get rid of it, you can get anxious about your anxiety, and then angry about it… and then get sad that you’re angry all the time. This is no coincidence. ACT offers an effective alternative to this struggle.
ACT is not focused on changing your thoughts and feelings, it is about changing your relationship to your thoughts and feelings, so they bother you far less. It is focused on becoming more aware of your thoughts and feelings as they occur, without getting carried away by them. There is also emphasis on claryfing your values: who you want to be and what you want to stand for in life. Then once you know your deepest values, there will be focus on taking action in the direction of these values. In this way, ACT helps you to lead a rich, full and meaningful life, while allowing space for the painful thoughts and feelings that inevitably show up.
Interested in doing a session? Book a first session by sending an email to [email protected].