Therapist Erika Hilliard on Shyness and Social Anxiety

On August 29, 2012 The Houston Chronical reprinted a Chicago Tribune article on shyness in people who are single and breaking the bashful barrier.  The article states that behind shyness is extreme self-consciousness.  Shy people constantly worry that others are judging them, and they blame themselves for negative outcomes, so they choose to not do… Read more

Standing in the Rush: How to Transform Stage Fright and Fear of Public Speaking

This is the absolute bottom line of what to do to transform your public speaking tension and performance anxiety into radiant, authentic presence so that you shine in front of others. Coaching a corporate HR executive from a Fortune 100 company on his anxiety about public speaking, I said something new, something I’ve never said… Read more

Public Speaking Secret – Don’t Try to Be More than You Are

This weekend I attended a workshop on Sound, Color & Vibration taught by Elias Demohan and Rafael Demohan.  Elias has been the most significant spiritual teacher in my life.  I have not seen him for many years as he now lives in Calgary, Canada.  The workshop was for me mostly a review of methods for… Read more

Zimmer Method for Transforming Stage Fright and Fear of Public Speaking

  My Zimmer Method approach to helping people to transform stage fright and fear of public speaking has been evolving since 1984.  It began by asking people to stand quietly in front of my acting classes to see if they could just be there at the center of attention.  Most people had great difficulty simply… Read more

Using Stories for Apologies and Healing

  Sean  Buvala  at storyteller.net has written an awesome post on using stories for apologies and healing.  He says that “Storytelling can be used for many different applications. One of the most difficult, but needed, application of storytelling is to express reconciliation, repentance and recompense.” Sean lists five steps that help create a story of redemption:… Read more

Congratulations, You’ve Got Stage Fright!

You won’t believe me now, but it’s a good thing to have stage fright. In fact, the more stage fright you have, the better presenter or performer you can become, and the more potential you have to be a deeply impacting communicator and speaker! The reason is that you have the feelings. Your feelings are… Read more

Presence – The Inner Game of Speaking

  The trick to awesome speaking is not looking good on the outside, but feeling good on the inside.  You must build an inner foundation of comfort in your skin, presence, internal fullness and receptivity to the flow of other’s attention.   What trips people up about speaking is often the internal tension that distracts… Read more

Lessons from a Street Fighter

  Everyday about 5 pm, I drive past a street fighter at the corner of Westheimer and Shadowbriar.  Really!  A street fighter!  For at least a year, I have seen this man, maybe 30 years old, dressed in fight gear, hat, gloves, armbands, shorts.  He dances on the corner, fighting with an invisible opponent.  Once… Read more

New Stage Fright & Fear of Public Speaking Book is Available

  When one journey ends, another begins.  But sometimes, maybe, you have to wait to see the next path. A little over 20 years ago, I started the journey of learning to transform stage fright and fear of public speaking so that I and others could connect with the power of presence when speaking or… Read more

Healing the Mind & Body Split of Stage Fright and Fear of Speaking

  “The split between the mind and body is one of the most painful things we face.”                         –  Carla Bazemore – Founder, Yoga Lotus   Carla, my yoga teacher, reminded me that the split between the mind and body causes us humans much difficulty.  It is this same kind of mind/body split that makes… Read more