Effective Process for Overcoming Public Speaking Fear

Overcome your fear of public speaking with a full range of proven coaching techniques.

Managing Anxiety

We guide you through every step.In the first phase of coaching, you will learn both mental and physical techniques for planning, preparing and delivering presentations and speeches. As a result, you will focus on your mission rather than your fear.

  1. You will discover techniques for turning off preoccupation with how others may judge your performance.
  2. You’ll also learn how to enter and re-enter productive mental states, and how to infuse your Mental Rehearsals with feelings of competence and mastery.
  3. Additionally, you’ll study rapid refocusing techniques to keep from being derailed by anxiety symptoms.
  4. You will go on to learn a range of mental rehearsal techniques to solidify your presentations.
  5. Your training will progress to include in vivo rehearsal. This alternates live rehearsal with enhanced mental rehearsal. We can do this in my office or at your actual venue, if available. In the field of Sports Psychology, this method is considered one of the most effective for elite athletes.
  6. We will also focus on practical ways to prepare presentations that are clear and easy to follow. You will thereby be able to focus on the essentials, and be carried through your presentation by a clear structure.

Decreasing Negative Beliefs and Mobilizing Natural Strengths

What matters is the message, not the speaker.

A major source of anxiety is based on the belief that the public speaking situation involves ‘all eyes on me’. Along with that comes a perceived critical attitude in the audience. In order to create the basis of comfortable, conversational and confident speaking, a major and radical shift in focus is necessary. This new perspective focuses purposefully on what the audience needs from you, not how they judge your performance. You will learn to focus your intentions on how you can meet their needs, what information you can give them, and what new learning you want them to take away from your presentation.

  1. Discover that negative beliefs cause negative emotional reactions, and learn how to quickly identify and correct those exaggerated and irrational thoughts.
  2. Learn how to inhabit both mental and physical states that come from your greatest strengths. People are often amazed to find that seemingly unrelated abilities can empower their speaking, and increase their confidence.
  3. Develop your own authentic and comfortable communication style. You will subsequently replace the impossible and idealized expectations that you may have had for yourself with realistic ones.

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing)

Power Tool for desensitizing fear reactions and panic attacks

EMDR Therapy was developed by Dr. Francine Shapiro in 1987. Since then, it has become one of the most renowned and powerful therapy techniques in the world. Its dramatic effects on post-trauma psychological harm and intense fears and phobias are unequaled.

  1. Your anxiety reactions have a cause, which may or may not be directly related to public speaking. Together, we discover that cause, and target the root of these automatic fear reactions for desensitization.
  2. You can significantly decrease your anxiety reactions with EMDR – sometimes completely. Other times, you can be reduce them to a low enough level that they no longer interfere with your ability to speak and perform effectively.
  3. During EMDR processing, another very important benefit often appears. People find a new perspective on themselves – moving away from negative self-judgment toward a new appreciation of their competence and strengths.
EMDR for Peak Performance:
  1. Many of the techniques for managing anxiety, decreasing negative beliefs, and enhancing natural strengths involve elements of the EMDR method, thereby increasing their effectiveness.
  2. EMDR for Peak Performance also helps to “install” positive programming for future tasks, challenges, and high stakes events.
  3. When you feel stuck, EMDR for Peak Performance can help you access your creative power. Consequently, ideas flow naturally again, resulting in more exciting, high impact presentations.
Role and Character Enhancement for Performers:
  1. You will connect intensely to the role, history, and motivations of any character you wish to portray. You can accomplish this through a unique kind of creativity enhancement with EMDR.
  2. This process doesn’t just help performers. It also helps people in sales, the law, and leadership positions to “inhabit” styles that work best for the task at hand.

Learn more about EMDR therapy.


My name is Nancy Cetlin, Ed. D. and I’m an executive coach.

For more than 35 years, I’ve blended my psychology practice with presentation skills training as well as a love of the arts. I’ve been on the leading edge of new discoveries and incorporated them into my practice.

As a result, hundreds of executives like you have reduced or even eliminated their fear of public speaking. I’ve honed this uniques set of methods for over 18 years. Imagine discovering that you bring value to people with your presentation skills. Imagine further that you find you have an inner performer inside you, just waiting to get out!

Are you ready to join the hundreds of other professionals who’ve overcome their public speaking anxiety? Contact me today to schedule your consultation.