Image: melanmagrippan 3 People Talking — *Image: melanmagrippan 3 People Talking*

Sometimes ‘sorry’ can come too late.

Take Dan, a talented and often successful 35-year-old graphic designer. Picture him as an outgoing, enthusiastic alpha male; all talk and a poor listener at that. The problem at work though, is that he gets inflamed by his heightened passion; locked into his own ideas and unable to entertain the opinions and sensibilities of others. At such moments only his opinion matters, never mind his boss. No surprise then that recently, agitated by the excitement of a new project, a first ever mortgage and impending fatherhood, Dan was sacked from a well-paid job. Word gets round and it’ll get harder and harder for Dan to be offered contracts.

Then there’s elf-like and timid Becky, just 10 years old, yet not very different in how she gets thrown about by her emotions like a little boat on a wild sea. Without the ability to step back and get a perspective, she too lashes out, cries when over excited or upset and wets her pants at school from fear. Her inability to filter her heightened awareness of everything around her, stops her from connecting with her own inner strength and opinion. Without perspective and as a sponge to other people’s feelings she is influenced far too quickly and behaves in very inconsistent ways.

Where we fail in life, is also where we will find our greatest treasures - with the right pointers, of course! That is where Human Givens comes in, and both Becky and Dan have more talents than most to be nurtured.

How can Human Givens coaching and therapy help?

This brief and solution-focussed therapy is entirely hinged on identifying a person’s emotional needs and mobilising his resources to get those needs met in balance.

How then is this achieved?

Firstly you learn how to calm down. Simple as it may sound, only a calm mind can get at its own intelligence and resources, see the bigger perspective and be creative.

Once someone is calmer and there are other basics in place like regular exercise and a more disciplined use of the digital media, sleeping patterns will start improving.

The therapy is always tailored directly to suit the individual needs of the client, but its main focus will be forward in time and outward (as opposed to maintaining an introspective focus).

Here are some of the many things you can expect from Human Givens therapy:

With the help of your own imagination you will be reminded of your achievements, abilities and humanity. You will get back in touch with authentic and very personal memories and feelings of pleasure and curiosity.
You will gain considerable headspace and start to separate fact from feeling, learn to be more rational and think things through.
It will help you regulate your emotions and you will find out how to take the long view so that you can pace and plan your life in a more constructive way too.
You can learn to break out of the tyranny of black-and-white thinking.
You will learn to refine your ability to connect, help you distinguish between real and transient friendships and it will teach you to communicate in more effective ways.
You might discover how to use your great imagination to increase your empathy skills and ability to attune yourself better to the needs of others.
It will help you reinterpret humiliations, trauma or regrets of the past so that you can behave in a freer and more genuine way now.
You will feel more deeply in touch with your inner voice and knowledge and learn to distinguish it from the anguish and mental chatter you might be used to hearing.
All the progress is measured by realistic and tangible goals which you set yourself.
Once your locked intelligence is freed, you will feel reconnected with life and invigorated by a renewed sense of purpose. The process will energise and motivate you to realise your creative skills more consistently and satisfactorily.

If you feel inspired by what you have read, you can explore the possibilities of Human Givens therapy and coaching further, by consulting the Registers of the HGI and Human Givens Nederland.

If this post was of interest, find out more about my latest CD, 'Calm the Chaos of the Creative Mind'. An audiobook for creatives, parents, teachers and other professionals, the CD will support you to:

> Explore the creative mind and why you are just what society needs
> Learn the practical steps for laying the foundation of well-being
> Understand the 5 common challenges of creatives and how to manage them
> Form a self-management plan that will help you to flourish - and to be more you

Available on Amazon and iTunes as downloads, you can also order a physical CD on my website and receive the free e-book to support you further.

All you need to know about the CD is here: http://bit.ly/1x1xWyS

One person has already said:

"This is the first resource I've found that gives me both hope that I can calm my racing brain and the confidence to focus on my strengths while using provided tips to control the chaos."