Author of:  The Essential NLP Practitioner's Handbook: How to Succeed as an NLP Therapist & Coach 

Tell Us A Bit About Yourself... Originally born in France, and after having travelled extensively around the world as a child, my family and I settled in the UK when I was in my teens. Bouncing from country to country effected installed within me an insatiable appetite for learning, discovery and experimentation. After a stint as an oil rig engineer I decided that my true calling was not in mathematical equations, rock strata and chemical analysis but in people and their development. My commitment to my own personal development has so far led me to achieve a BSc (Hons) in Psychology, an MBA and a range of top qualifications in NLP, hypnotherapy, Time Line Therapy, Meridian Energy Therapies, Reiki and Anusha. I am constantly looking at new ways to make sense of people and their experience and am drawn to other incredible alternative disciplines and philosophies such as Huna, Qi Gong, Chinese and Ayurvedic Medicine, Buddhism, anything esoteric as well as quantum physics and other more scientifically accepted approaches.

My passion for psychology and business has taken me on my own amazing journey, which has involved working with some of the most disadvantaged and dysfunctional people in society: those experiencing drug & alcohol addictions, serious mental health problems, homelessness, as well as offenders and victims of trauma & crime. My career has also encompassed a number of senior management roles including Chief Executive of a multi-award winning charity as well as a number of entrepreneurial ventures including the building of an eco-lodge deep in the Bolivian rainforest. Now as the founder of Live It Ventures I juggle a number of different businesses which include delivering training/coaching for women, corporate training & consultancy and more recently publishing. As a practicing Psychologist/Coach, a leading trainer of NLP and Hypnotherapy I dedicate my time to enabling others to live their dreams and to be the best that they can be.

What Is Your Book About? The Essential NLP Practitioner's Handbook does what it says on the tin! It is a practical book that provides NLP Practitioners with the essentials that they need to achieve the highest level of practice with their Clients. It is not a book that teaches people NLP but instead teaches them how to use NLP effectively in a therapeutic/coaching setting. There are 4 parts to the book:

1. Setting Up a Successful Practice is useful for anyone in the coaching and therapy industry covering areas such as finding your niche, how to get more Clients as well as the important business basics that need ot be considered
2. Running a Successful Practice focuses on issues such as where to work from, managing logistics, knowing how much to charge and working ethically
3. Delivering Effective Sessions offers information on different models of change & healing, how to structure sessions and manage the process of therapeutic change
4. Working With Specific Issues explores in detail a number of specific issues that NLP Practitioner may work with i.e. anxiety, panic attacks, phobias, smoking, weight control, infertility and confidence

Who Is It Aimed At? It is aimed primarily at new and experienced NLP Practitioners and Master Practitioners as well Hypnotherapists, Coaches and Counsellors. It is a rich source of practical information, insights and motivation - providing the NLP Practitioner with everything they need to be successful but that courses don't teach you. It bridges the gap between classroom training and the realities of working with people.

What Inspired You To Write It? I was inspired to write it because after my NLP trainings I still felt that i didn't have enough information to work effectively with my Clients. There was so much that a great NLP Therapist/Coach needed to know and yet couldn't be covered in the classroom. After I become an NLP Trainer I saw just how great the gap was and decided to reach out and support NLP'ers to practice safely, effectively and professionally by providing them with the missing information.

What Would You Like Your Readers To Get From Your Book? Inspiration, motivation, support, confidence, guidance and lots of insightful 'Ah Ha' moments! I want my readers to use this book to quickly build on their foundations of NLP and achieve success in their practice.

I hope this book will enable new and experienced NLP'ers to become the very best NLP Therapists and/or Coaches that they can be. NLP is an incredibly powerful discipline that is easy to understand and provides rich models that explain how we create our reality and how we can effect changes in our lives. By discovering proven methods of working and considering alternative perspectives, I hope my readers will be able to build upon their classroom knowledge of NLP and develop their own unique and effective style of practice.

When Did You First Realise That You Wanted To Write This Book? After I become increasingly frustrated at the number of people paying good money to get their NLP qualifications and yet many still didn't feel confident enough to start using their new skills/knowledge with Clients.

What Gave You The Push To Get Published? Well this is where the story gets even more interesting. I quickly decided that I was too impatient and too much of a control freak to send hundreds of letters to mainstream publishers to only get rejected because I wasn't a celebrity and had no track record as an author. I therefore decided to set up my own publishing compnay and to then help other authors get their book to market in a fast, easy, fun and affordable wyn.

Did You Have Any Difficulty In Getting Published?  Setting up a publishing business from scratch and with no prior experience in the industry had its challenges. That being said, within 3 months of deciding to do it, Live It Publishing was born and the very first book launched - Achieving Peak Performance in Tennis. We now have just under a dozen authors working with us so stay tuned in to see what new titles we produce over the coming months. I am thrilled every time I help someone make their publishing dream come true!

What Hurdles Did You Face Whilst Writing & How Did You Overcome Them? It took me several months to work out the structure of the book. There was so much I wanted to say and I knew I needed to organise my thoughts in a logical and practical way for my readers. Once I had established the contents page I just took each section and filled in the blanks. It was quite easy really. The words just flowed until the last 2 chapters when I seemed to hit a block. It felt like my fingers were typing through tar. I then realised what was the root of this problem... I was scared of people's reactions to my book. After all who was I to tell people how to practice effectively? What if people hated it? What if other professionals slated me? These thoughts haunted me for a while until I recognised that my thoughts and opinions where no more or less valid than any body else's. I wasn't telling people what to do, I was sharing my experience of effective practice with them. Once I had resolved this in my mind, I finished the book in the space of 2 weeks and it was published 2 months later. Joy!

How Did It Feel Seeing Your Book In Real Life For The 1st Time? I felt so proud and overwhelmed. There was also a feeling of total disbelief... Did I really do that? So many people dream of doing things like writing a book but I had actually done it! And there it was sat in my hands. Absolutely awesome!

Do You Have Any Tips For Our Budding Authors? Work out what you want to write, be yourself and keep your reader in mind at all times. Remember that you are taking your reader on a journey. Ask yourself what you want them to get out of it.... I have lots of tips that I am happy to share with our authors so get in touch - it will be a pleasure to support you in making your dream a reality! Ultimately though, you've got to just do it! We can all think of reasons why we can't do something... not enough time... not enough money... not enough skills, etc. but the reality is that the only thing that can truly stop you is YOU!

What's Next For You? So many things... I now have the writing bug and have about 4 other books I want to write. This time I will target mainstream readers and share my knowledge with them as to how they can make improvements in various aspects of their life. Live It Publishing is growing so that will also keep me very busy along with all the training/coaching I deliver as part of my main day-to-day role. The most exciting thing of all though that is next for me is motherhood - I'm expecting my first child in July 2010... wish me luck! And who knows I may write a book about that too!

For more information about Live It Ventures please visit www.liveit.com and www.liveittraining.co.uk