Dana Turet (Public Speaking)
Psychology student
Austin, TX
I've had problems with public speaking pretty much my entire life. I've always been shy; my mom said that I used to hide behind her legs when people tried to talk to me. As I got older, it just became really difficult to function in school and in social situations where it's expected that you'll be able to stand up in front of people and speak confidently.
In college, it was required that I was able to perform at a certain level and act like an adult. I always thought of myself as a confident person, but whenever someone would ask me to stand up and speak, I didn't feel confident and didn't trust myself to just get up and talk. It affected my self-esteem and made me really question my ability.
When I tried to get in front of people, my hands would shake, my voice would shake, and I would get out of breath. Everybody always had advice on what to do, but I just couldn't fix it no matter what I tried.
I'd heard about hypnosis in one of my classes and was a little apprehensive about how it worked, but I knew that I needed help. When a friend recommended Laura's services I decided to find out what it was all about.
I noticed a change in my behavior after my first session. I had to give a speech the next day and I felt more confident and relaxed. I noticed that when I got up to give the speech, I didn't feel that paralyzing feeling. I felt more relaxed and in control.
What really clicked for me was the whole idea that you can't unlearn something, but that you can replace it with something new. I knew that I couldn't make my fear of public speaking disappear, but I could learn new behaviors and techniques to help me move in a different direction. The most important thing for me has been learning how to control aspects of myself that I couldn't before.
I would recommend Laura's services to anyone who wants to overcome their fears. People can save themselves a lot of stress, worry, and effort. I tried so many things that didn't work and if I'd known that it could be this easy, I could have saved myself a lot of time.
I'm confident that I've overcome my fear of public speaking and there's no way that I could go back. The things that I've learned have changed the way that I view the issue and approach the problem. I wouldn't want to go back to the way that I was because it wasn't working for me and now I feel happier and more in control of my life.