Doreen Downing || About the Find Your VoicePrograms offered by The Essential Speaking Institute are designed to inspire you to find the power of your real voice, speak without fear, and make the changes you deeply desire.

I enjoy sharing with you all that I have learned about speaking without fear. Having suffered from stage fright myself, I’ve traveled the same path you may be on. I know from my own experience how fright can show up in a body. Heart palpitations, cold sweats, dry mouth, and nerves that won’t quit. I avoided the spotlight, made excuses when asked to speak to a group, and tried to hide how terrified I was.

Getting my Ph.D. at UC Berkeley did not ease my anxiety. In fact, because of my degree I became more exposed. It was when I started getting invitations to speak at conferences that I realized it was time to come out of hiding. That was the beginning of my journey to find my voice and change my life.

I now offer you programs, guidance, and inspiration based on my own discoveries, my role as Training Director of Speaking Circles® International, and my 30 years of working as a psychologist. There is a path to freedom where you can transform your fear of speaking into a magnetic presence.

Learning how to speak with confidence in all areas of your life will increase your self-esteem, open doors, and present new opportunities that are waiting for you.

You can follow your dreams, create positive relationships, and express yourself more fully in daily life.

Your Dreams

You can dream, but to make a dream come true, you need to take action. And this action will most likely involve speaking to others. For instance, what if you are no longer happy at your job and you start to imagine working somewhere else?

You may look at other opportunities, but to actually inquire, you will need to talk to someone. What if you are afraid to interview? You won’t be able to show up, answer questions, and make a change unless you can present yourself to others. You have to speak up so those doors to your future will open.

Speaking Without Fear in Your Relationships

If you are not happy in your relationship, you need your voice to express whatever is upsetting you and to explain what you need. But if you are too timid to speak up and tell the truth, your life stays the same. You don’t change. You might feel trapped, but it’s because you don’t have the strength to speak the words to ask for what you desire.

On the other hand, you might want more connection or love, but you hold yourself back from expressing what is in your heart. If you want more intimacy, but feel vulnerable expressing love, you can see how you might be stuck. Honest and tender words can bring you closer to others.

Speaking Without Fear in Your Daily Life

There are many examples of daily life situations where people avoid stepping into the changes they want to make because they simply are too afraid to speak. As a psychologist, I work every day with people who are breaking through their fear and connecting with their true voice. They feel empowered and learn how to connect to the natural strength that comes from within.

How liberating it is to find the courage to break through fear and find the freedom to be who you really are.

Find Your Voice, Change Your Life

In the examples above, you can see the benefit of being able to speak without fear. Your life stays the same unless you change. And, finding your authentic voice is the key to changing your life. In addition to private sessions, I offer workshops, online programs, articles, and instructional videos.

Doreen’s Essential Speaking Tip:

Click here for my 7-Steps to Fearless Speaking. You’ll see that these steps are a path that will bring you closer to your authentic self. It’s this state of being true to who you really are that gives you the power to speak clearly, boldly, and without fear.

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