About The
Program
Self-ValYOU uses cognitive behavioral therapy techniques to provide a roadmap to positive body and self-image through familiar and fun road signs that people of all ages can remember and understand. The program has been endorsed by a Board-certified neuropsychologist from Washington University School Of Medicine. I am available to speak to your group with my fun, age-adjustable, interactive presentation that puts the audience in the action through conversation, activity, and great take-home materials. I teach people to combat negative thoughts or expressions of body and self image by three easy-to-remember steps, and talk about how to stay authentic and positive in our selfie society:
Y: The Fork In the Road, or
WHY am I feeling like this?
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Identifying what is really making you feel bad allows you to better address the real problem.
You may not have done badly on a test--maybe you had a fight with a good friend that day--but it's easier to take out the negative energy by criticizing yourself for a B- than it is to confront the real problem, which is figuring out how to work things out with your friend.
Negative self-talk is never the solution to fixing a mistake.
O: The Offramp
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Take an Offramp away from that negative space!
Leave the negative thoughts and words behind. You don't have time to waste precious energy on them...concentrate on fixing the problem, or just change the channel to think about something else until you are ready to handle what you are dealing with in a more positive way.
You always have the choice to exit the road of negativity.
U: The YO"U-Turn"
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Your other option is to make what I call a YOU-turn. Another word for it is reframing. Restate the negative into a positive!
For example, it's not that your jeans are too tight. Instead, it's that your workouts have been paying off and are building great leg muscles. Instead of saying, "Ugh, I'm never going to stick the landing on these turns," you make yourself see the positive like, "A year ago I couldn't even do these turns, look how far I've come in my training!"
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Making a YOU-turn can be challenging because it forces you to change your perspective on things, but I think it's the most powerful tool of Self-ValYOU, because it conditions you to approach all kinds of situations from a positive angle, and that is a setup for success!
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YOU are worth turning towards positivity.
Social Media
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Social media plays a huge role in how teens--or people of any age--view themselves in today's selfie society. You are NOT defined by what you see online. No one gets out of bed and posts a picture of what they look like (well, most of the time) and you shouldn't judge yourself based on the carefully-chosen "look" of other people's lives. Post and look at things online that make you feel great about yourself and be authentic to who you really are.
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