Dr. Abraham Maslow charted the high peaks in human development by describing what a self-actualized life is like.
Dr. Lee Wotherspoon has created maps to get there. His Ph.D. was on SAGE, Self-Actualization Growth Education.
After getting his Masters in psychology from Goddard College in Vermont, he was hired by Harvard University’s
training center to identify the common attitudes, behaviors and choice patterns among self-actualizing individuals
to see what we could learn from them that we all might use to help us increase the level of fulfillment in our lives.
Prior to obtaining his Ph.D. in psychology and starting a self-actualization counseling and coaching practice,Lee Wotherspoon was a Director of New Enterprises for the Gillette Company, a Brand Group Manager
for Procter & Gamble and a consultant to Wall Street firms Bear Stearns, Shearson, Lehman, American Express.
He has been a consultant to Harvard University, Phillips Exeter Academy, the U.S. Government and CNN,
and helped bring Ted Turner, Henry Kissinger, Margaret Thatcher, and over 200 major corporation CEOs
together from 90 countries around the globe for a World Economic Development Congress in Washington DC.
He created Newspapers & Magazines from Around the World providing subscribers with a different English-
language publication from a different country each month, including Walkabout from Australia, Soviet Life
from Russia, Punch from Britain, The Drum from Africa, Jerusalem Post, China Mail, Times of India, etc.
Believing psychology should be a process of pursuing ever-rising goals as opposed to simply getting out of holes,
and that Maslow’s “pyramid” model of human growth, with “self” actualization at its peak, doesn’t go far enough,
he believes that as part of achieving mastery in our own life, the highest state of fulfillment we can aspire to is toturn that pyramid on its head and create an “hourglass” model that opens outward to help others achieve that too.
So his SAGEGOALS (Self-Actualization Growth Education for Getting Objectives Achieved Logically & Swiftly)
website offers a “reverse pyramid” or hourglass structure that gives things to people for free. So, for example, it
contains over 100 self-actualizing tools which are all downloadable for free. If people find things they value hereand want coaching, they’re asked to help others by passing on and sharing what they learn with other people.
Counseling and living 30 years in a pine forest on a 200 year old dirt road in New Hampshire, Dr. Wotherspoon
has been a writer and speaker presenting the SAGE GOALS model to colleges and universities across the country
and was the Keynote Speaker to 1,000 people on RISE (Resilience In Successful Endeavors) -- New Directions in
Managing Our Lives and Careers at the New England Personnel and Guidance Conference’s annual convention.
He’s written a syndicated newspaper column called Counselor’s Column, as well as books on personal fulfillment,
including Dear Kids, a book of letters to his children about what makes a life fulfilling; New Directions for Men,
a book of tools and tales for males, and Magic Nuggets (an acronym for the elements that fill a life with MAGIC:Meaningful work, Adventurous play, personal Growth, interpersonal Integrity and a spiritual Connection).
As a CEO- and celebrity coach, with clients in business, entertainment and music fields, Dr. Wotherspoon has
also served on the MAP Musicians’ Assistance Program advisory board in Hollywood along with Bonnie Raitt,
Eric Clapton, Natalie Cole. etc. MAP helps musicians get free of substance dependence and be better role models.He also started DAD (Drugs Are Dangerous), a group that helps get fathers involved in teaching their kids about
the dangers of chemical highs and helping them trade up to natural highs, with events like an annual Fathers DayNatural High party where they put 250-300 cans of whipped cream in a field and hundreds of people join in a free
“whipped cream and water fight” while fire trucks hose everyone from the sidelines and create rainbows overhead.
He modified Freud’s free association technique for personal growth to help people achieve greater self-awareness
by teaching them how to become their own self-actualization counselor and coach by engaging in a meditation-
based “learning dialogue” with life and to increase their self discipline by harnessing themselves to their goals.
Observing that most people learn and grow best by pursuing a goal and by getting help on how to reach it from
someone slightly ahead or closer to it than they are, he developed a multi-level mentoring and coaching method.So in addition to working directly with a limited number of self-actualization coaching clients, Dr. Wotherspoon
also oversees and guides the work of a number of master client mentors and life-skills coaches to help others
master the self-actualizing principles, strategies and tools in order to achieve greater fulfillment in their lives.
For a sampling of the kinds of peak experiences that he's had using these tools, click here to go to PEAKS.
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Background Information Outline:
Derek M. CoteCertified SAGE life skills coach Derek M Cote believes that true growth comes from knowing and understanding ourselves and life on all levels. The reason most people don’t succeed is not because they lack desire but know-how. It’s not a matter of not wanting to change, but not knowing how to change. Why? Because people are not taught the skills or given the tools they need to find the wisdom within.
With an extensive background in professions ranging from education to entertainment, Derek is able to relate to the needs of a wide and varied clientele. Furthermore, his experience of teaching in public and private organizations for over seven years provides him with an approach that is effective and easy to understand. Regardless of your learning preference or style, he will work at a pace and level that works best for you. A master client and coach, Derek has received training from Dr. Lee Wotherspoon, the developer of the SAGE method and tools. He is currently helping coach and mentor people in NY and ME.
WHAT I OFFER YOU:
As your personal life coach, I teach you powerful, proven tools to help you unlock your deepest voice of wisdom, learn to make and trust your decisions, and discover how to convert your emotions into powerful allies rather than enemies. I go far beyond traditional, once-a-week counseling where you are mostly limited to discussing feelings. Instead, I provide you with effective, usable and proven tools that will lead you to a deeper understanding of what truly drives or undermines your actions and will change your perception and actuality of what you're able to accomplish by understanding how life works. Upon discovering that life is communicating with you at every moment, you will become able to “talk” back to life more effectively and successfully through your actions.As a life coach, I’ve found that success is not achieved by luck and is rarely achieved equally in all areas as the sad personal lives of so many celebrities demonstrate. Rather than seeing one area of your life prospering while others tend to slip, I will help you understand how to use tools and new strategies so that you will find an ever-rising harmony, ensuring that all aspects of your life are being tended to equally, while avoiding “fits and starts” of effort in various areas. In short, I will help you begin learning that life isn’t holding you back… it’s just waiting for your next move.
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Background Information Outline
Vanessa Scotto
Vanessa Scotto is a holistic mind, body and spirit health professional who helps people grow healthier, stronger and more fulfilled in all areas of life. In addition to being a certified SAGE life skills Coach and GOALS master client Mentor, she is degreed in Psychology and is a trained Chinese Medicine Practitioner and licensed Acupuncturist in New York City.
She has designed and leads women's workshops and seminars for females in their 20s and 30s to help them break free of the societal, relationship and self-imposed demands and expectations that limit the passion, fulfillment and joy they achieve and experience in life.
In her coaching Vanessa helps clients from New York to Seattle to San Diego grow wiser and stronger by utilizing a wide range of techniques and strategies to overcome obstacles and expand their horizons. This includes outgrowing self-limiting doubts, anxieties, depression, lack of self-confidence, suicidal thoughts, stage-fright, etc?. Clients learn to create balance, and achieve higher levels of accomplishment, adventure, self-discipline, confidence and satisfaction in their lives.
She also draws on her years of experience as a Chinese Medicine Practitioner to bring an understanding of the ways our bodies and minds can sabotage to get us to pay attention to the imbalances in our lives and the ways that we can block our growth and development.
With a degree in Psychology, her Coaching style is both supportive and gently challenging. Her clients feel they have a safe harbor where they can explore their highest dreams and aspirations, as well as come to understand the deepest fears and reasons why they may have limited themselves in certain areas. While she helps to provide a safe place in which clients can replenish and strengthen themselves, the focus of her coaching is on moving you forward.
Utilizing the SAGE GOALS tools clients feel encouraged and empowered to take their learnings about themselves and life and sail out into new waters to explore their goals and potentials.
She teaches clients strategies to learn how to be able to do these things for themselves, to develop their own inner wise counselor and become their own SAGE coach for the rest of their life.
VANESSA'S STATEMENT OF PERSONAL PHILOSOPHY
I have worked for 15 years with various techniques to assist people in overcoming the physical and psychological obstacles that keep them from reaching their potential. I have explored traditional therapies, numerous counseling approaches and various methods of life coaching in an effort to find the most effective tools to help people change and improve their lives.
Utilizing the SAGE methods, I have witnessed first-hand the tremendous impact my work has on peoples' lives. Clients not only achieve their goals, they transform the quality of their life from being habit or emotion driven into one full of vision, purpose, and growth. The guiding inspiration for my life has been to learn how to live a fulfilling life and assist others in doing the same. Using SAGE and GOALS strategies, I empower people to make progress every day in manifesting the life they have always wanted.
I can help you achieve your goals, and attain results in a shorter period of time. I will also provide you with the necessary tools to analyze what goals will increase your personal fulfillment, help you prioritize your values, and uncover and live up to your potential -- in other words, to self-actualize. By learning these tools and skills, you will be able to use them and benefit from them for the rest of your life.
My clients frequently express their appreciation for the broad range of skills that I bring to my coaching and the fact that I am honest with them, sharing my insights with respect and an open attitude. I care about each client's progress and I work diligently and creatively to help them move forward.
Most importantly, they trust my methodology because they see that I am living the life that I have dreamed of. I firmly believe in what I teach. Not only do I assist clients, but I myself use and benefit from these tools every day. I have overcome obstacles and created an extra-ordinary life that reflects my values and priorities. I look forward to helping you do the same.
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Background Information Outline:
Barbara Wotherspoon
Barbara’s diverse background and strengths give her a unique ability to help
clients deal with challenges and transitions. She has conducted couples
counseling for over 10 years with her husband in private practice, and has
individually counseled and coached clients locally, nationally and internationally.
In addition to her private life skills coaching and counseling practice,
Barbara is a certified Creative Conflict Resolution trainer and a certified
mediator. Barbara has also presented trainings nationally on developing a
positive cognitive style and surviving, thriving and building resiliency. She
has done presentations to conferences on Children & Violence and to
Bar Associations and District Courts on Family Violence.
A licensed Masters’ level educator and school principal for 25 years,
she’s worked with adults and families with varied concerns and issues.
In addition to her coaching and counseling practice, she trains, mentors,
coaches, and supervises teachers and aspiring administrators. She also
teaches graduate level courses at various colleges related to contemporary
critical issues. In addition, she’s also written on Fostering Resilience
and was invited to be a Visiting Practitioner at Harvard University’s
Principals’ Center for a year.
She’s been referred to by clients in New York as the “goddess of self-
actualization” and the “most self-actualized woman I know.” And she
practices what she teaches. Barbara and her husband have a blended
family of seven children and eight grandchildren. She balances her life
with time with family, friends, dancing, travel, and reflection near the sea.
A SAMPLING OF BARBARA’S SKILLS AND STRENGTHS:
· Helps you hear your deepest levels in order to prioritize and realize your hopes, dreams, and goals
· Gives you strategies, techniques and tactics to outgrow your limits and concerns
· Assists you in setting and achieving your priorities with confidence and resilience
· Helps you learn how to “sit with the uncomfortable” in order to learn from it rather than become overwhelmed or avoid it
· Teaches you effective communication, problem solving, and conflict resolution skills
· Helps you understand how to be more resilient during transitional times and times of stress
· Helps couples understand their own and each other’s similar and differing communication and problem solving styles
· Helps you identify strategies and learn skills to overcome anxiety, self defeating behaviors and attitudes
· Helps partners understand the need for empathy and build the skills to empathize with others
· Teaches the importance of having healthy boundaries for oneself and others and teaches assertiveness skills, when needed
· Assists you through times of transition, grief, loss and related adjustments
· Helps you challenge yourself in ways and areas to increase your optimal performance zone
· Encourages you to develop ways to appreciate and savor your accomplishments and successes while moving forward
· Helps you to understand how attitude, behavior, and choices can contribute to a positive and resilient cognitive style
· Teaches you how to become your own counselor and coach through learning strategies, skills, and the power of reflection