DR. GAFFNEY'S PHILOSOPHY

by Dr. Carol Renaud Gaffney

What I have learned is that most of us have confusion about how to care for ourselves. We are accused or accuse ourselves of being selfish, self-centered and otherwise "wrong" when we pursue our personal needs and wants. There seems to be no choice between doing it all for the other person and having it all for ourselves. Even then what we decide we want for ourselves is often influenced by the power of advertising.

Folks, there is a middle ground! There is a personal balance waiting to be found! Being self-caring is possible. Self-caring starts with understanding that we have the right and responsibility to know ourselves and live according to our own destiny. Most importantly we can be self-caring and still be social - we do not have to go the mountains and become hermits.

My professional experience and personal interests are broad. These include seminars on time management, personal success, parenting, stress management, relaxation, meditation, full healthy holistic living. Among others, I have studied with Dr. Herbert Benson at the Mind/Body Institute in Boston. I have published a book, Relaxation and Meditation Companion and Dr. Carol Gaffney's Coaching Guide for Better Parents and Stronger Kids. I have worked with thousands of clients and seminar participants. Radio talk programs, book signings and interviews have allowed me wonderful opportunities to meet people around the country. For this I am grateful and awed. The walls around me have disappeared and I am excited that by using telecommunications I can consult with anyone at any time.

I love working with people who are ready to have more of who they are in their life - people who want to be in life with personal integrity and genuine caring for themselves and the people they live and work with. My clients are ready for change and are willing to listen to who they are and make the changes necessary to manifest that person daily. Clients learn they don't have to wait for fear to leave, they take it with them as they change. My clients accomplish their goals more quickly with more focus than they would on their own or if they were confiding in a friend or being managed at work.