“There are many therapists and coaches out there who are a lot of fluff and flash without a lot of substance – but Sheryl is the real deal! I’m a tough customer (a type A, lawyer, perfectionist), and this course really exceeded my expectations!” – Tracey, Los Angeles
We spend at least fifteen years in school learning the skills that our culture has deemed essential for a certain type of success in the world. We learn how to read. We learn the basics of math. We learn how to write. If we’re lucky, there’s some art and theater thrown in, but we receive the message that these aren’t the “real skills” we need to succeed.
Because we are a culture that values intellect over heart and mind over body, we are hyper-focused on the tangible and scientific aspects of what it means to be human. As such, we fail to teach children the basic tools and information of well-being that could radically change their lives and, paradoxically, increase their productivity. We not only “teach to the test” but we teach to the intellect, ignoring the heart, body, and soul. This comes at a great cost.
For example, if we learned early on that anxiety is a messenger and not evidence of brokenness, how much energy would be freed up for a young child who is obsessively focused on death and could now channel that energy into their passion? How much does this squandered energy carryover into adulthood when anxiety eats away the capacity to be a fully present and productive human being?
If we learned that just because you have a thought that doesn’t mean it’s true, how much space would open toward growing the compassionate heart instead of being stuck on the endless hamster wheel of intrusive thoughts?
And, perhaps most importantly, if we learned early in life that to feel deeply is to be human, that joy and pain live in the same chamber of the heart, that high sensitivity is a gift not a liability and the highly sensitive person grieves more deeply through life as they’re attuned to every change, how much less anxiety and more emotional fluidity would there be in our world that would then give rise to more kindness, both to ourselves and others?
What a different world we would be living in if the basic tenets of well-being were folded into every educational curriculum and parenting paradigm.
The Roadmap You Never Received
As it is, we’re thrust into adulthood without the principles, mindsets, and tools that could help us navigate the inner world with more acceptance and bring our gifts into the outer world.
We don’t learn how to feel our feelings.
We don’t learn the truth about thoughts.
We don’t learn how to work with resistance and what it really means to take responsibility (not just the kind of responsibility that makes you a “good” student because you always turn in your homework on time).
We don’t learn the true basics of physical self-care and how to harness the wisdom of our dreams, these guideposts that are dropped into our soul inbox nightly.
And because we value competition over cooperation, we don’t learn that connection is essential to wellness, and that without deep and lasting friendship we’re walking through life with half a heart.
I’ve received email requests for years to bring my work into the education system. I’m not called to do that quite yet, but what I have been called to do is create a 9-month roadmap for adults: the curriculum that you should have received in school. Nine months is one school year, and it’s also the time it takes to shed aspects of yourself that are no longer serving you so that you can birth the new parts that are waiting to be born. I’m so excited to be offering you that roadmap now.
A Map with a Guide
It’s not only a roadmap. This roadmap comes with a guide, which is me ;).
When I say that I am your guide, I don’t mean that I’ll be giving you answers. As I write about in The Wisdom of Anxiety, there are no answers, there are only guideposts to your own inner wisdom. Through this course, you’ll be learning and re-learning the mindsets and tools that will help you attend to anxiety’s flares and heal from the root. I’ll be with you every step of the way, a midwife of soul along your journey of discovery. I’ll be shining the light of compassion and support until you find your own lamplights along the labyrinthian maze of Self and your own compass on the tumultuous seas of inner work.
As part of the course, I will also be offering ample opportunities to connect with like-minded learners off the screen in real time and, in this way, meet one of the root causes of anxiety: the rampant disconnection in our culture today.
This is More Than a Course; It’s a Community
In the feedback I received after the first two rounds, participants repeatedly talked about how the community aspects of the course were among the most impactful. Many members formed deep friendships that have outlived the length of the course (several small groups are now meeting regularly with each other), while other members found healing through the group coaching calls. As Tracey shared (you can read her full testimonial on this page):
My favorite part of the class were the group calls where Sheryl provides one-on-one support to individual callers. She provides more insight in a 15-minute conversation then any therapist I’ve ever worked with over the course of weeks or months. Also, it was incredibly helpful to hear about what other individuals are struggling with, and I was really surprised about how much I could relate to every single caller’s experience. It’s often difficult to recognize your own struggles/limiting beliefs/etc, but by listening to other callers, I could more objectively understand the points Sheryl was bringing up and then connect the dots to my own life.
Sheryl creates the most welcoming, safe and open environment so that each caller feels that they can be vulnerable and it was always incredibly beautiful and touching to hear each caller’s stories. In a world where we hear such negative news every day, I always walked away from the calls thinking that people are sensitive and beautiful creatures. Also, if you are a highly sensitive person, each call was like someone else was reading your mind and that this group of people act and feel the exact same way you do. It was incredibly validating and comforting to know there are others that think identically to the “weird” way you think and live all around the world from big cities, small towns, and even other countries.
There are many therapists and coaches out there who are a lot of fluff and flash without a lot of substance – but Sheryl is the real deal! I’m a tough customer (a type A, lawyer, perfectionist), and this class really exceeded my expectations!
What it Means to Break Free From Anxiety
When I say “breaking free from anxiety” I don’t mean that anxiety will never return. That’s like saying that you’ll never have a dehydration headache again just because you learn about the importance of drinking enough water. Just like the headache is the symptom alerting you to a physical need, so anxiety is a symptom – a distress flare – alerting you to places that need attention on your inner realms.
What I mean by breaking free is that you’ll be able to work effectively with anxiety instead of anxiety working on you. You’ll learn how to decode anxiety’s messages and break free from its stronghold so that you’re not caught endlessly on the hamster wheel of intrusive thoughts. You’ll gain highly effective tools for working with resistance so that you can commit to the daily tools, which are essential for well-being. And when you get stuck, we’ll be there to catch you. You don’t have to feel alone with your healing.
The third round of this course will begin on Sunday, September 19, 2021. You can learn more and sign up here (spots are already filling fast). Many of your questions will be answered in the Frequently Asked Questions section on this page, but if you have additional questions pleases ask them either below or on the course page. I very much look forward to meeting you there.
