Areas of Expertise
Confidence and Self-Esteem
We live in a world where believing in ourselves can sometimes be difficult. Every day, we are bombarded by negative messages about our appearance, behaviours, capabilities, and achievements. As time goes on these messages can become fainter and fainter white noise, and as they do the choice to let them influence our decisions becomes less and less conscious. By the time most people are in their teens they are so accustomed to negative self-talk that it can become the default voice of reason. This tendency to assume that "we can't / aren't [...]" is a fundamental starting point when addressing self-esteem.
Boosting ones self-esteem can be difficult, and often requires positive reinforcement of one's capabilities / potential from an objective source.
Decision Making
Decisions, Decisions! Life is full of them - big and small - and sometimes making the right ones can be challenging. There are often many complex factors to consider, and understanding the variables is extremely important when picking the optimal path to follow. Ideally, we would approach this process with all relevant facts in hand and optimism as our guiding light; however, sometimes poison finds its way into the mix. Oftentimes that posion is the negative voice in our head telling us that we "can't, shouldn't, aren't able, aren't good enough, etc." If allowed to significantly guide action, this negativity can alter the course of a person's life at every turn. Many of us need help when objectively evaluating factors when deciding whether to take a leap.
Relationship Management
We are inherently social creatures. Most of our days are spent in the presence of others, and so the quality of the relationships that we form (and maintain) is often a critical factor in our overall happiness and success. Forming strong, enriching, and mutually supportive relationships can be challenging for a variety of reasons. Several key factors, such as open communication, honesty (with others and yourself), and an in-depth understanding of your own needs, are fundamental to filling your life with positive relationships.
Knowing oneself is often the most crucial factor, as it is difficult to judge whether something is positively affecting you without a starting point!
Understanding Him or Her
We are all unique. What fuels our desires, emotions, and behaviours is usually a complex interplay of feelings, beliefs, and oftentimes insecurities - all reinforced through years of behavioural history influenced by societal norms. If the behaviour we see is the output of such a complex system, can we hope to ever really understand someone enough to reliably predict their reactions? The answer is yes! Well, at least more often than not=).
It takes time, and effort, but it is possible. Some key ingredients are (you guessed it!): open communication, honesty, and a desire to make the other individual happy while not sacrificing one's own needs or happiness.