SEEKSafely is a self-help industry watchdog group dedicated to encouraging safe and effective personal discovery. SEEKSafely is leading a groundbreaking effort to encourage prominent self-help practitioners to sign a pledge that they will advise and guide seekers in a safe and constructive way. As a board member and consultant, I helped design the pledge and have circulated it to encourage its adoption. My roles with SEEKSafely have included:
Guidance: I am a firm believer in the benefits of personal improvement. There’s wonderful research being done on good strategies for behavioral change, positive psychology and the importance of seeking meaning and purpose in your life. But, from supplements to seminars, if something has the power to transform for the better, it is also powerful enough to do harm. We have this idea that seminars and inspirational lectures can’t hurt, and might help. But as we learned tragically in Sedona, this just isn’t true. The promise of new beginnings and transformations are very compelling—and not all leaders are guiding their flock in a safe and research-based direction.
Media Outreach: When SEEKSafely launched its promise campaign, I published an op-ed in USAToday to highlight its efforts. I have spoken at press conferences and mentioned the organization in interviews.
Content: I continue to work with SEEKSafely to provide content for its site – the latest research, excerpts from my own published work, original blog content – and guidance to the other SEEKSafely members for their speeches and outreach.
