UNLEASH.

I get it. It was mine too.

Maybe you’ve done drama before and have good memories of it, but it’s been a while and you’re nervous.

Maybe you were forced to do it at school and still feel queasy about it.

Maybe you’ve always run a mile from drama but secretly know it’s the thing that could really help you grow.

Whatever’s the case, Gutsy does drama very differently.

In Unleash, I introduce everything very gently, and there are no lines to learn. It’s never about performing and judging. It will likely feel awkward and uncomfortable at times, but that’s exactly the spot you need to be in to grow. You will always have options.

Drama is an incredibly powerful way to build confidence in a way that’s fast and fun.

Then you’re absolutely in the right place. In fact, if you told me you’re fine in most social settings and love groups, I would say this programme isn’t right for you.

Unleash is for you if you feel anxious speaking up in groups, if your mind goes blank when you’re speaking to someone you don’t know well, if you dread certain social situations, are terrified of making mistakes, if you miss out on opportunities because you’re scared, and feel like there’s so much more inside of you that you wish you could express.

By working in a small, intentional group, you’ll experience being compassionately witnessed through acknowledgement, understanding and unconditional support.

Together, and with my guidance, you’ll co-create an environment where you feel safe enough to stretch.

Yep! It probably will be at times! And if this is an edge for you, then you will grow through the experience. And if it sounds frivolous, I promise it’s not.

If you’re neglecting and rejecting the child part of you, you’re crushing your capacity for play, fun, ease, connection, pleasure, rest, authenticity and joy.

I guarantee, Unleash will not turn you into some ‘love and light’, meadow-skipping, wholesome fun monster. But it might open up a little more space for that inner child and its boundless capacity for joy, rest, creativity and play.

Welcome! If we’ve never met or this will be your first taste of a programme like this, then this is a perfect introduction. You’ll always be working at your own pace and will never be pressured to participate if something feels like too much of a stretch.

If you’ve done a 2-hour taster with me, then this is a perfect next step.

If you did Spark (12-week programme), you’ll have covered this material before but we’ll be working with a different story in Unleash. If you’d like to revisit the experience and keep practicing, get in touch and we can chat through whether it feels like a good fit.

I will also be launching further 8-week courses soon that will be a step up: after Unleash will be Unfurl and then Outstretch!

Make sure you’re signed up to the mailing list to get all the details.

If you show up every week and give it a good try: yes. When you choose to engage instead of avoid, your social confidence will increase. As will your capacity to handle fear and discomfort and uncertainty.

It is actually avoidance that fuels anxiety; when we’re held through the process of turning towards the things that scare us, we’re set in motion and grow in confidence.

Unleash is specifically designed for people who are shy, socially anxious, extremely self-conscious or inhibited.

This was my own experience (you can read more about my story here) and I’ve watched many participants find their way through courses like this one. In every session, people are amazed at what they’re capable of. Every exercise is introduced gently, so you’re always building up gradually and never out of your depth. You’ll always be working at your own pace so you can opt out if you need to.

Absolutely. This is a very common experience. Not only will you build confidence in general, but you’ll also likely start to understand exactly what it is that feels difficult in some situations and not others.

Improv classes can be great! But even a beginner’s class can be quite demanding, and a lot of people who struggle with shyness or social anxiousness would find them overwhelming. It could even set you back if you dive in and feel over exposed.

I know and love the thrill of improv and how it can open up intuition and creativity in amazing ways. And if you feel ready to give it a try — go for it!

If not, I can show you how to work up to it so that you’re never dropping yourself in at the deep end and risking too much.

Unleash is built on a nuanced understanding of the specific needs of those who struggle with shyness and social anxiety, and offers a much more caring and in-depth therapeutic approach, and greater sense of connection with me and your fellow participants.

Talking therapy can be an amazing tool and absolutely has its place. But you will grow in confidence through action.

I use techniques that have worked for me – ones that incorporate creativity, active imagination, the body, movement and breath. Talk therapy always felt slow and restrictive to me. Discussing and analysing my behavioural patterns wasn’t what I wanted – I wanted to change them. I wanted to get more comfortable in my skin, learn to be seen and feel okay making mistakes. I couldn’t do that in a therapist’s office.

This is just my experience but maybe you feel similarly.

I don’t think any single approach is perfect and you might find a combination that really helps you. Unleash can help you feel more comfortable to be yourself and open up in honest and authentic ways, which can open the door to engaging in all sorts of other inner work in the future.

Public speaking classes, assertiveness training, or throwing yourself into social events might be too much. In the process, you could be gathering more and more stressful experiences, and giving yourself more and more evidence that this stuff is hard. We need to practice feeling safe and more comfortable when we do these things, not just doing them over and over and feeling terrible. And you don’t get that kind of nuanced, nervous-system informed approach in the average public speaking training.

Also, any techniques, social skills or assertiveness hacks that are meant to be applied in the moment are also essentially useless because they don’t take into account how fear affects the body and brain. When your brain perceives danger, it simply will not have access to the kinds of memory and cognitive processing that’s required to recall and enact ‘tips and tricks’. They sound great in theory but they rarely work in practice.

I could tell you that you’re absolutely worth it. But if you asked this question then my words on this page will likely not make much of a dent in this story you’re telling yourself. I know, because I felt this way before and it held me back from getting help for so long.

I know that so many of us have been taught that self-care is selfish. If that is you, you might start by asking who taught you that? Where did that story come from? And, perhaps, what feels scary about putting yourself first occasionally?

I know that this world is full of suffering and inequality. And if you feel called to spend your resources on alleviating that, I think that’s a beautiful thing. And I also know that the activists, carers and fighters of this world know you can’t pour from an empty cup.

And I also know that I am a kinder, more loving, more impactful, more generous person because I dared to be a little selfish and invest in myself. The attention and care we allow ourselves really does ripple outwards.

Some things change in a day, others take years.

I often compare it to building muscle. You’re not going to get buff overnight, but in a few committed weeks you’ll start to notice changes and growth. You’ll hold yourself differently, move more easily, feel more confident with each step. You’ll be buzzing with intention, enthusiasm and new energy. You’ll have a sense of pride, satisfaction and achievement. You’ll have proven to yourself that change is possible and opened up the way to something new.

And, often, seeds are sown that grow in their own time and bloom long after the end of the course.

The growth you’ll experience will also open up doors to even more expansion in the future, because when you get more comfortable in groups, and build capacity to be seen and heard and share more of yourself, the world opens up in unforeseen ways.

That might be talking more honestly with friends and taking up more space in conversations, or joining a choir, a class or a community group, or engaging in any number of other therapeutic approaches or healing modalities. Or getting out there, having fun, making friends, learning about yourself, and having transformative, initiatory, expansive experiences — aka adventures!