EFFICACY
FOCUSED
EMOTION
TRAINING
Turning emotion sensitivity
into your ultimate strength
in as little as 12 weeks
You are a caring,
goal-driven person.
And yet, you often find yourself...
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Emotionally overwhelmed
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Having a hard time making decisions
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Going through emotional up-and-down
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Emotionally cold and detached
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Stuck in a "fixer" or "problem solver" mindset that ends up creating more problem than it actually solves
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Judgmental, inadvertently hurting others including the people you love the most
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Short-tempered - which is odd because in general you're a patient person
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Having a sense of emptiness, of being out of touch with yourself and others
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Intensely self-critical and perfectionistic
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Lonely
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Having a hard being flexible
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Having a hard time with change
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Acting impulsively and doing things you later regret
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Having a hard time accepting negative feedback - and often even positive ones!
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At times being flooded with empathy and other times being strangely insensitive
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Having intense feeling of shame and anxiety that get in the way of pursuing what you really care about
Does this sound familiar?
If yes, you may want to discover the story of how we got here...
"I'm having five emotions at the same time!"
Or: "Emotions? Nope. I don't do them".
The Emotion Sensitivity Piece
Since you can remember, you have experienced emotions more strongly than most people.
For example...
​
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Have you ever noticed that you intuitively pick up subtle emotion cues in the environment that others miss?
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Do you tend to process events more deeply than others, noticing details and layers that others seem to be oblivious to?
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Does it ever happen to you that your emotions come out of the blue and hit you like a ton of bricks?
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Me too! And we're not alone. In the scientific literature this is referred to as Sensory Processing Sensitivity, and in pop culture it has become known as being "a highly sensitive person" (HSP). It's a personality trait, not a disease or something esoteric. To a large extent, you were born like this. It's partly in our genes. It's a characteristic that shows up on a continuum with approximately 20% of the population being on the higher end of the spectrum.
​
Let me be clear on one thing:
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It's a gift.
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Understanding it, owning it and using it to your advantage is going to be key to your fulfillment in life. However, the path to a thriving life looks different for a HSP compared to the remaining 80% of the population. In particular, you'll need:​
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Acceptance that this is part of who you are;
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Strong and flexible emotion skills, more so compared to people who are relatively less sensitive.
And this takes us to the next chapter in the story of how we got here...
The Mismatch Piece
Instead of acceptance and strong emotion skills, important people in your life may have given you the message that your feelings are wrong, weird, bad or "too much".
They may have ignored, punished or reinforced your emotional reactions without providing you with effective coaching. They may have frequently resorted to shame and emotional detachment instead. Or, they may have showered you with unconditional love but have no idea about how to teach you effective emotion regulation skills.
​
We're going to leave judgment and blame out of this. They were doing the best they could and likely they did every bit of it from love. What matters right now is: it happened, it left a gap, and that gap is the cause of lots of your troubles.
​
The great news is: You can totally fill that gap.
It's going to take some work, but it's going to be exhilarating, healing and radically empowering.
Right now, you stand at a crossroad where you have to write the next chapter of your life...
"Stop being such a crybaby!"
Or: "I love you, I hope that will do".
You are here because:
If that's you, I've created a step-by-step path that precisely addresses what you're looking for...
Introducing the
EFFICACY FOCUSED
EMOTION TRAINING
Skill-based
A system of over 70 implementation-ready emotion skills that seamlessly weave into your day to knock your life out of the park. A skill is something that you can deliberately use, that you get better at as you practice and that predictably generates great results. If you ever enjoyed practicing and getting good at something, you'll be amazed at how emotion mastery is no different.
Goal-focused
You'll set specific high-impact goals of your choice. I'll guide you step by step using a process that combines emotional depth and analysis. You'll be able to see the difference, measure the results and celebrate your progress along the way. There is little use in learning fanciful techniques that have zero application when the rubber hits the road. Your daily actions is where the magic happens.
4 levels, 12 weeks each
The training is broken down in 4 levels. Every level is exhilarating in its own right and will take you to specific outcomes. Every level is spread over 12 weeks, with 8 weeks focused on learning the new skillset and the remaining 4 weeks for consolidation. When you're ready for more, you sign up for the next level. Emotion mastery is like learning a sport or a music instrument. You start from the foundations and build up. The better you get, the more you want to get better.
With support
You'll need to put in the work, but you'll also have amazing support, in four different formats: 1 - Weekly videos with clear guidance on the use of each skill; 2 - Weekly live group coaching calls for in-depth troubleshooting related to the implementation of the skills in your life; 3 - Community support with other fellow trainees who will celebrate your successes and hold each other accountable; 4 - Systems for tracking your daily implementation of the skills, so that you can tell if you're doing the reps or not and troubleshoot from there.
Deep
​Emotion regulation is more than taking a deep breath and telling yourself that everything is going to be okay. You'll learn how to examine the hidden workings of your mind as if under a microscope, seeing clearly what's going on. You'll practice fully embracing the puzzling and often contradictory complexity of reality without being overwhelmed by it.
Science-based
The training is grounded in the most research-backed method for the development of emotion regulation skills, called Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT). DBT was originally developed by Dr. Marsha Linehan, PhD, as a therapy for the treatment of severe emotional dysregulation. One of its components is the set of skills that forms the backbone of this program. According to Dr. Linehan herself, the skills can be taught and used effectively outside the therapy context for individuals who don't necessarily need therapy but rather are looking to improve their quality of life. As a scientist myself, I have immense appreciation for the decades of work of clinical validation that backs up this model and that in my view sets it apart from everything else available out there.
Training Overview
Level 1: Discernment
​Examples of topics covered:
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What exactly is this emotion stuff, and what I should do with it;
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How to grow in emotion effectiveness;
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How to show up more fully in my life;
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How to feel more confident in my decisions;
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When is it time to problem solve, and when is it not, and what do I do instead;
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How to overcome being so judgmental;
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How to recover more quickly from challenging emotions.
Duration: 12 weeks, rolling admission.
Prerequisite: 1-on-1 free assessment interview.
Level 2: Resiliency
​Examples of topics covered:
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How to deal with challenges when there is no immediate solution;
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How to recognize your skill breakdown point when you are still in time to change track;
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How to build a reservoir of emotional stamina and resourcefulness;
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How to handle extreme emotions;
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How to reframe any situation in your life in a way that builds your effectiveness;
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How to stay in the game when it's hard to do so.
Duration: 12 weeks, rolling admission.
Prerequisite: Level 1.
Level 3: Relationships
​Examples of topics covered:
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How to reconcile conflicts between task and relationship priorities;
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How to ask or set limits effectively;
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How to help others feel seen and validated even when you don't agree with their actions;
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How to maintain self-respect during challenging interactions;
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How to nourish important relationships in your life so they last and thrive;
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How to overcome black-and-white thinking.
Duration: 12 weeks, rolling admission.
Prerequisite: Level 2.
Level 4: Wisdom
​Examples of topics covered:
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How to redefine your relationship with your thoughts;
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Understanding your addictions;
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Ending your addictions;
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How to leverage your spiritual life in the context of emotion effectiveness;
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How to operate from an appreciation of multiple conflicting realities;
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How to practice all set of 70+ skills together in your everyday life.
Duration: 12 weeks, rolling admission.
Prerequisite: Level 3.
Training Overview
Level 1: Discernment
​Topics covered:​​
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What exactly are emotions, and what I should do with them;
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How to use emotions effectively instead of being sabotaged by them;
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How to show up more fully in my life;
-
How to feel more confident in my decisions;
-
When is it time to problem solve, and when is it not, and what do I do instead;
-
How to recover more quickly from challenging emotions.
Duration: 12 weeks, rolling admission.
Prerequisite: Assessment interview.
Level 2: Resiliency
Topics covered:
-
How to deal with challenges when there is no immediate solution;
-
How to recognize your skill breakdown point when you are still in time to change track;
-
How to build a reservoir of emotional stamina and resourcefulness;
-
How to handle extreme emotions;
-
How to reframe any situation in your life in a way that builds your effectiveness;
-
How to stay in the game when it's hard to do so.
Duration: 12 weeks, rolling admission.
Prerequisite: Level 1.
Level 3: Relationships
​Topics covered:
-
How to reconcile conflicts between task and relationship priorities;
-
How to ask or set limits effectively;
-
How to help others feel seen and validated even when you don't agree with their actions;
-
How to maintain self-respect during challenging interactions;
-
How to nourish important relationships in your life so they last and thrive;
-
How to overcome black-and-white thinking.
Duration: 12 weeks, rolling admission.
Prerequisite: Level 2.
Level 4: Wisdom
Topics covered:
-
How to redefine your relationship with your thoughts;
-
Understanding your addictions;
-
Ending your addictions;
-
How to leverage your spiritual life in the context of emotion effectiveness;
-
How to operate from an appreciation of multiple conflicting realities;
-
How to practice all set of 70+ skills together in your everyday life.
Duration: 12 weeks, rolling admission.
Prerequisite: Level 3.
Meet your coach:
Nicolò F. Bernardi, PhD, ACC
I've come to this work as a person with the highly sensitive trait who used to shut down my emotions, disconnect from my body and try to logic my way through life. Remember those bullet points at beginning about the caring and goal-driven person who has challenges with emotions? That's me.
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Shutting down my emotions worked to some extent. For some time I had success in pretty much anything I put my heart to. Until I didn't. My body broke down first. Then important relationships fell apart. Finally my career.
I'm grateful for every piece of that journey of deconstruction. I had to learn and practice myself every single skill that I'm going to teach you. That actually worked, and it continues to work. Today I feel healthy and strong. I'm married with two wonderful children. I have a loving connection with my family and friends - which doesn't mean we always agree. I do what I love for a living.
It took me a couple of decades to get here. I can help you get there a lot faster.
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I'm a psychologist and certified ICF coach with a PhD in cognitive neuroscience and lots of other trainings. I've coached hundreds of highly sensitive adults in conquering their sensitivity gift and using it to succeed in a broad range of personal and professional goals, from improving their relationships with their loved ones to elevating their careers, their health, their spirituality and their love affair with every moment of being alive.