How to create a brave life full of compassion, meaning and joy.
The truth is....
Self-doubt is the freakin' worst. You're about to do something seemingly easy - maybe sending an email to a colleague? - and a sneaky doubt creeps in, and then you're struck by Doubt.
Because what if your email is not worded perfectly, and they totally misunderstand you, and then you get fired? In this economy?!
So you spend 146 minutes (approx.) writing and rewriting a three-line message, only to fritter away the rest of the day, refreshing your inbox and ruminating over what to wear tomorrow for what will inevitably be Your Last Day.
Self-doubt is exhausting. It's a total suck on your time and energy. Its so SO frustrating. But if you've found yourself Googling 'Why am I like this?!' it's likely you've been advised that this is your self-sabotaging inner critic and you should simply ignore it.
I want you to know there is a much better way.
I'm a bit obsessed!
For years I've been fascinated with the most effective ways of helping people untangle from self-doubt and create genuine self-belief. My approach is evidence-based, spirit-nourishing, and loads more fun than it might sound!
Self-belief School is the result of my graduate research and over a decade of coaching with hundreds of beloved humans to understand and heal the root causes of self-doubt.
I'd love to show you the approaches and tools that have helped both me and the people I've worked with, to create brave lives, filled with compassion, meaning and joy.
Because our world needs the fullest, ripest, most all-the-way-alive version of you.
Self-doubt represents an astonishing waste of our time, energy, and potential.
Millions of us spend our days second-guessing our abilities, worrying about how we look, and not quite trusting our own judgement:
- 90% of us opt out of important activities because we don’t like how we look.
- 75% of us experience self-doubt in the workplace.
- 60% of women have put off starting their own business because of self-doubt.
British women have the second lowest self-esteem in the world. I mean: FFS.
We cannot ignore the two big cultural narratives that seek to exploit our insecurities: ‘you aren’t enough’ and ‘don’t be too much’. Both stories want to convince you of one thing: do not trust yourself.
The capitalist patriachy needs you to outsource your self-belief so you’ll buy those jeans and this eye cream, overwork, overgive and then blame yourself for not coping.
And collectively, we are chronically under-served by evidence-based approaches to self-doubt. This stems from outdated research, an overemphasis on positive thinking and individualism, alongside mainstream therapy and coaching techniques that often exacerbate, rather than alleviate, self-doubt.
Helping you to heal your self-doubt and cultivate robust and abiding self-belief is my deepest wish for you, my soul's calling and an absolute labour of love. Because we need all of us to be all the way alive.
Self-belief School is comprehensive, interactive, takes you deep and is excellent value for money. It's the best investment you can make in yourself, the results come from the work. I've been genuinely moved by the other women's experiences and so grateful to be there to share them. The fact it's for a year makes me feel I'm not alone in this journey and that it will enable profound, not just short-term, change in me.
Self-belief School is the coaching programme that I have felt safest in. This has facilitated me to take the content from an intellectual level into an actionable place, something that I have felt I haven't quite been able to do before. The coaches do an incredible job, always being so kind, supportive, and responsive - a very special shout-out to Lisa. Thank you so much Sas for such a wonderful, truly transformational programme.
- Li-Yeng
There's so much absolutely brilliant content and I return to time and again. The coaching calls feel to me to be the heart of the programme - the practical outpouring of care and action towards self-belief - I love that these are not 'nice-to-haves' but essential components. I am so grateful for the time, expertise and gentle nudging.
Welcome to Self-belief School!
Self-belief School is a mix of coaching, courses and community.
No matter where in your life you experience self-doubt, this refreshingly grounded* and comprehensive programme is for you.
From understanding why you are procrastinating, people-pleasing, or in a cycle of over-work to overwhelm, you'll find creative, fun, research-led approaches for growing healthy adult resources within you: self-trust, self-belief, self-worth and self-acceptance.
PLUS: transformative, compassionate coaching.
*proudly affirmation free.
"Self-belief School is comprehensive, interactive, takes you deep, and is excellent value for money. It's the best investment you can make in yourself, and the results just come from the work. I've been genuinely moved by the other women's experiences and so grateful to be there to share them. It makes me feel I'm not alone in this journey. This has enabled profound change" - Kate
This isn't about becoming some idealised, more acceptable, likeable, or instagrammable version of you.
Self-belief School supports you to make healthy, tangible changes to unhelpful beliefs, self-talk, and how you feel, in order to enable you to create more of what fills you up.
There is a warm and unconditional invitation to show up with all of your existing responsibilities, sticky relationships, unrealised dreams AND your worries, doubts and fears. However messy and complex that feels.
Because even a life rooted in self-awareness, healthy confidence and psychological flexibility is not magically free of self-doubt (I know, this feels like a design flaw to me too).
The world will continue to come at us with entrenched systemic barriers, brands promising confidence from an eye cream, and the snarky comments of Dave from Sales.
If self-doubt is holding you back in your business, your relationships, creatively, or at work: this is for you.
What would be possible, if you knew you had your own back, whatever happens?
Self-belief School is a mash-up of courses, community (I can't wait for you to meet everyone!) and coaching. We'll explore:
- How to distinguish between protective self-doubt patterns and your actual preferences and personality.
- How to make sense of hurtful experiences and past traumas to create a supportive relationship with yourself.
- How to claim your personal values and lead yourself towards your dreams and goals.
- How to accept all the parts of you and to connect to others without abandoning yourself.
- How to advocate for what matters to you, keep promises to yourself and create healthy boundaries.
- How to make decisions without crowd-sourcing, or waiting for a sign.
- How to make sense of yourself, your experience of other people and the rest of the world in healthy ways.
Healing your self-doubt is the doorway to feeling creative, resourced and whole.
You have lifetime access.
No rush. No feeling 'behind'.
Here's what we'll cover:
Module One
Understanding Self-doubt
The Self-doubt Loop allows us to slow down and observe how we experience and respond to self-doubt in specific areas of your life.
We'll gently explore the very important purpose of self-doubt (to protect from pscyhological risks: rejection, disappointment, success, failure, conflict, judgement, complexity, embarrassment, loss and boredom) and how to take care of your heart when they occur.
Module Two
Making Peace with your Protector
Your self-doubt is so much more sophisticated than a 'self-sabotaging inner-critic'. In this module, we'll get proficient at recognising your protective patterns: this is not who you are - but how you tend to respond to risk.
Discover how to help your Protector feel safe through specific, gentle, creative, resistance-free experiments.
Module Three
The Root Causes of your Self-doubt
Your self-doubt is always here for a bloody good reason! We'll explore what your self-doubt is trying to protect you from, and why this feels risky.
Using creative self-reflection exercises, we'll gently examine past experiences and how you made sense of what happened. You'll start to explore what meaning your wiser, healthy adult self can offer you now. This is healing, compassionate work.
Module Four
Changing your Self-doubt Story
Learn how to intentionally untangle from the protective beliefs that are in charge, when Self-doubt is loud.
Discover how to make more conscious and helpful choices when self-doubt shows up to respond from your most compassionate, resourced self.
Module Five
Growing Self-belief
How to bring your Self-belief - your inner-leadership - your Sovereignty - into your lived experience. Explore fun and creative approaches to access the fire-in-your-belly vision for your life, how to claim your values so they have real meaning for you, and how to offer yourself encouragement to create a life of meaning, fulfilment and joy! Plus: what to do when you have no idea what you want.
Module Six
Growing Self-acceptance
Self-acceptance is about being in relationship with your whole self, including the full spectrum of emotions, your needs, and any aspects you wish were different (but aren't). We'll explore practices for meeting all the parts of you, how to honour your needs, emotions, and preferences, and how to bring depth to the relationships in your life right now. As you belong to yourself, connecting with others becomes more genuine and ease-filled.
Module Seven
Growing Self-worth
Self-worth comes to life through accessing your inner-Warrior - what you stand for how you advocate for yourself - including the space you allow yourself to take up, and how you tend to your boundaries. We'll explore how to clarify what is okay and not okay for you, how to practice healthy boundaries, and how to claim what matters to you. Radical self-responsibility brings a tonne of freedom!
Module Eight
Growing Self-trust
Self-trust is rooted in discernment and making decisions. We'll explore how to tune in to what 'yes' and 'no' feels like for you, how to explore your choices so you can make decisions that feel good to you, and how to get out of waiting to feel ready, crowd-sourcing opinions, or getting locked into all-or-nothing thinking. As you bring your inner wisdom to life, you access creative solutions, optimism, and faith in yourself - this is Sage energy.
Module Nine
Living from your Healthy Adult Self
This module is all about bringing your Healthy Adult Self resources of self-belief, self-acceptance, self-worth and self-trust together. We'll practice how to access your Healthy Adult Self before you respond and how to evolve your self-talk into a helpful and compassionate voice - more like a wise and supportive friend.
Here's what's included inside Self-belief School:
Self-belief School private learning site with
learning videos, templates and tools to support you
Group Coaching calls with Sas
Voxer support provided by Sas during specific office hours
Access to the additional classes archive
A private discussion forum for connection between calls
Optional: Private 1:1 Coaching Sessions with Sas
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I am enormously grateful for SBS. At nearly 63, I have tried so many ways to learn to cherish myself, and the Gordian knot of my own limiting choices is finally being undone. I am stunned by the changes I have made and the understandings I have had. I am more at ease in my own self and more hopeful about my future.
It's amazing! New ways of looking at self-doubt that goes way beyond the typical inner critic ideas. We're looking at *why* we have these less-than-helpful beliefs, and even if this brings up uncomfortable feelings, there is plenty of warm and kind support. It's not something to "get through" I love that I can immerse myself in this work.
- Susan
There's so much absolutely brilliant content and I return to time and again. The coaching calls feel to me to be the heart of the programme - the practical outpouring of care and action towards self-belief - I love that these are not 'nice-to-haves' but essential components. I am so grateful for the time, expertise and gentle nudging.
Thank you so much for your thoughtfulness and care in adjusting the programme as we've gone through. I feel really listened to and seen, but also like you are modelling using the tools that you are sharing with us, and listening to yourself, too. Thanks for sharing your process and showing us the work behind decisions.
- Christine
Hello you! I'm Sas Petherick
I'm delighted you've made your way here.
Self-doubt is my story too. I spent decades over-delivering and people-pleasing and trying to find somewhere I belonged. It left me exhausted, disappointed and lonely. I wanted to make changes, but I didn't need Captain Obvious Self-help; I needed to learn how to be with myself, how to have my own back, whatever happened.
Over the last decade, I’ve coached with hundreds of people to heal the root causes of their self-doubt. I have an MA in Coaching, and my Master’s dissertation was a deep study of the experience of self-doubt. Self-belief School is my greatest joy! It's evidence-based, fun and deeply compassionate.
I'm super invested in your experience. I'll be hosting our coaching sessions and I'll be very available to you throughout. Bring your questions, challenges, and celebrations on anything that is coming up for you, and we'll figure it out together.
Healing our self-doubt - especially in a community with others - is creative, nourishing and courageous work. It’s an absolute labour of love to walk beside you.
ps: there is space for all of you.
The fundamentally unique, never-to-be-repeated, utter one-offness of YOU, is deeply valued here. Your needs, goals, values, and perspectives - your presence - are both welcome and necessary for this shared, collective experience.
Please know there is a seat for you at the Self-belief School table, and all of you is welcome – including your age, nationality, gender expression, religious traditions, physical ability, sexual orientation, marital status, political affiliation, body size, neurodiversity, visible and invisible disability, racial identity and choice of pronouns.
The uncertain, awkward parts of you are welcome. Know that there is a place for you even if you never say a word out loud. And I invite you to notice any protective beliefs that say it’s not safe for you to join in. This is an opportunity to allow the part of you that wants to get more involved, to step forward.
You can rely on me, and the tiny but mighty support team to hold this group with collective boundaries and individual accountability.
With much love & respect xx
Questions you might have...
I'm so happy to help you decide if Self-belief School is right for you.
Please know my door is wide open to you! Just click below to send a note, and we can take it from there.