Page 144 - Advance Copy: Todd Kaufman, Author

TODD KAUFMAN
monitor what their brain is up to when they are not looking, are the ones who wind up back in my office months or years later puzzled as to why, once again, they are experiencing panic attacks or a crazy level of anxiety.
You might be thinking: Seriously? Go to a therapist? Not me! So bear with me here for a moment...
If you loved playing golf, and your game was good, but not good enough to beat your boss who crushed you every time you played, or if you were a world class Olympian and you really wanted to score a gold at the next Olympics, what would you do?
Most of us would hire the best golf pro or Olympic coach we could find and afford.
Think of a therapist as a “brain coach.” The good ones out there teach you how to think in ways that get you to nail that hole-in-one or win the gold. They have spent years in education learning how to be a good coach, and most have played the game themselves, and mastered a good many parts of it (most therapists, to complete training and get licensed, have had to do dozens, if not hundreds, of hours of personal therapy).
On top of all of this training, the experienced ones have spent hundreds of hours working with people, many of whom may have faced the same types of challenges or problems you face. They bring to your coaching sessions the stories of how these hundreds have people have both tried, failed at or mastered their challenges.
Good therapists are not just well-trained in a broad array of therapies, they are a repository of stories, coaching experiences and life experiences. They bring all of that to your game. The good ones know how to help you win, and are committed to being as effective for you as your golf pro or Olympic coach.
Pick your therapist as carefully as you would pick a coach to help you win the gold. Above all, find someone you can connect with: someone you trust and admire, and ideally,
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