Background: Mr. C. was a bright competent lawyer
who functioned very well in his career except when he had to go to court. There,
his performance faltered because of anxiety, self-doubt and loss of focus.
Action: An assessment revealed an active and negative internal
dialog that undermined Mr. C's ability to function. He had begun to believe the
negative story he was telling himself and reflected in his performance. First, we
taught Mr. C how to challenge and reframe his negative thinking (cognitive re-training)
and then gave him a mental imagery technique to help him "see" himself in the actual
courtroom situation in a realistic and positive light.
Results: By incorporating these techniques, Mr. C effectively changed
the way he performed in the courtroom. He now enjoys his court appearances and has
gained the respect and admiration of many in the legal community.
Background: Mr. B. was a recently promoted executive
in an established bio-tech company who managed individual interactions well but
experienced anxiety in most group situations--such as facilitating meetings and
public presentations—which his new position required. In fact, his performance at
a presentation to the board of directors nearly cost him his job.
Action: To ease Mr. B's anxiety, we began with self –calming and
relaxation training. Once he became adept at reducing his anxiety, he received coaching
on his presentation skills using videotaping for immediate and useful feedback.
Results: Mr. B's presentation skills improved significantly from
scattered and awkward to focused and elegant.
Background: Ms. Y was the lead attorney preparing
for a costly, high profile arbitration. The pressure of the importance of the case
and her desire for recognition began to undermine her confidence and efficiency
as she experienced many symptoms of stress (difficulty sleeping, worry, and poor
concentration).
Action: To ease Ms. Y's stress symptoms we focused on relaxation
training techniques to generally calm her down and developed a schedule to incorporate
these exercises into her busy workdays. We also coached her on how to approach some
of the players in the case, some of who could be abrasive and argumentative. Cognitive
re-training helped her to focus on what was important and limit distractions while
mental rehearsal instruction supported her preparation for the court date.
Results: Ms. Y reported feeling and acting stronger, more confident
and more focused than before. The arbitration was resolved in her client's favor,
greatly enhancing Ms. Y's reputation at the firm.
Background: Dr. L. was an experienced attending
physician in an ER of a major teaching hospital. The job required confidence, clarity
of thinking, and fast decision-making abilities. The atmosphere in the ER was a
political minefield and was highly competitive. The environment rattled Dr. L.,
a rather laid-back, polite, mild mannered person, and she began to question her
competence and her decisions.
Action: An anxiety-provoking situation usually induces a narrow,
internal focus and the potential for a negative internal dialogue. We discovered
this to be true for Dr. L. Cognitive re-training indicated a careful analysis of
the "evidence" that supported the negative beliefs. We employed cue-induced visualization
techniques so she could re-connect with a positive and realistic self-assessment
during the chaos and pressure of her workday. We also gave her some other mental
imagery strategies to reduce the impact of stress and to improve focus.
Results: Dr. L's confidence improved remarkably as she was able
to see there was really no evidence that she was lacking in competence. Even in
the midst of a stress-filled environment, she was able to tune into a positive and
calm inner state. Her enhanced confidence reflected in her outward behavior, which
remained calm, determined, and strong.
Background: Dr. P worked in a dual role as clinician-researcher
in a teaching hospital. Since giving talks about his research played an important
part in improving opportunities for promotion, Dr. P wished to improve his presentation
skills. Dr. P had a slight speech impediment, which made him self-conscious and
brought back many memories of school chums laughing at him. When he spoke in teaching
situations, Dr. P. would stumble over his words, get red in the face, and feel miserable.
Action: Dr. P was asked to present a mini version of one of his
talks to the coach. Exploration revealed that Dr. P silently but actively berated
himself almost immediately. Since the coach knew Dr. P to be an avid soccer player,
she asked him how he dealt with "trash talk" on the soccer field. Surprisingly,
Dr. P said that he laughed at trash talk and that it actually fueled his motivation
to perform better! Dr. P began to view his own negative internal dialogue as trash
talk and used it as a "cue" to trigger his sense of humor and to motivate him to
succeed. He also received basic presentation skills training to further improve
his performance.
Results: The cognitive re-frame helped Dr. P develop a different
attitude toward his own remonstrations. This, plus some mental imagery strategies,
helped Dr. P improve his confidence and public presentation skills significantly.
Background: Mr. S was a bright, articulate, and
competent business consultant who had been laid off from a job and was eager to
find a new one. After many interviews, he had not received a single offer. He acknowledged
becoming nervous during the interview process, causing him to stutter, lose focus,
and appear inept.
Action: Relaxation training helped Mr. S to feel and act calmer
and which eliminated his stuttering. Cognitive focusing strategies enabled him to
stay on track during interviews (and in general). Role-playing with a coach reinforced
his interview skills.
Results: Calmer, more focused, and more confident, within a few
short weeks, Mr. S received an offer for a high-paying job with a prestigious international
consulting firm.
Background: Mr. J owned a small, struggling law
firm in a major metropolitan area. Unable to generate enough new business, he considered
folding the practice and joining another firm. Little did Mr. J realize his shy,
self-effacing interpersonal style sent the wrong message to potential clients who
interpreted it as reflecting weakness and/or incompetence.
Action: Presentation skills training, which included videotaping
of Mr. J, helped significantly improve his public persona. We incorporated theater-derived
techniques into his sessions to loosen him up and help him engage with potential
clients in a more powerful and dynamic way.
Results: Mr. J obtained several new clients within a short period
of time and was having fun again and his firm began to thrive.
Background: Mr. W was a financial advisor who was
having difficulty closing sales. Bright, knowledgeable, and affable, Mr. W would
become discouraged when potential clients expressed reluctance to hire him and found
it harder to get out there and find new clients.
Action: Just like a baseball pitcher needs to see every pitch as
his first pitch and focus only on that, so too did Mr. W need to focus only on the
client at hand and not allow past disappointments to leak into the present situation.
Cognitive re-training, focusing skills training, and mental imagery techniques addressed
these issues in his coaching sessions.
Results: Mr. W experienced renewed enthusiasm and confidence for
his work. By focusing more on the client at hand and less on past failures, he became
a better listener and responded more astutely to the client's questions and concerns.
The improved focus resulted in more closed sales.