Sessions Available with Amanda Winters
on Utilizing The Simple 4 Question Technique
Known as "The Work of Byron Katie"
**To access my professional mental health counseling website
& to book an free 15 minute consultation appointment, hit this link
& to book an free 15 minute consultation appointment, hit this link
What is "The Work" Method?
The Work of Byron Katie is a simple process of self-discovery that teaches us how to meet our thinking, and therefore our entire lives, with clarity, love and understanding.
Please contact me for assistance th The Work.
How Byron Katie Describes "The Work"
"The Work is called self-help, but it is far more than that: it is self-realization, and it leads to the end of suffering. As we investigate a stressful thought, we see for ourselves that it's untrue; we get to look at the cause-and-effect of it, to observe in sobering detail exactly what modes of pain and confusion result from believing it; then we get a glimpse into the empty mirror, the world beyond our story of the world, & see what our life would be like without the thought; and finally we get to experience the opposite of what we have so firmly believed. Once we deeply question a thought, it loses its power to cause us pain, & eventually it ceases even to arise.""I don't let go of my thoughts," Katie says. I meet them with understanding. Then they let go of me."
*Quote by Byron Katie from her book, "A Thousand Names for Joy"
The Work Process:
The Work is a simple yet powerful process of inquiry that teaches you to identify and question the thoughts that cause all the suffering in the world. It’s a way to understand what’s hurting you, and to address the cause of your problems with clarity.
You can begin The Work Process by going to this link:
http://www.thework.com/thework.asp .
**The Four Questions of The Work:
1. Is it true?
2. Can you absolutely know that it's true?
3. How do you react, what happens, when you believe that thought?
4. Who would you be without that thought?
*The Turnaround: The turnarounds are an opportunity to experience the opposite of what you believe to be true.
You may find several turnarounds.
For each turnaround, identify three genuine and specific examples of how that turn around is as true or truer
than your original statement.
For example, "Paul should understand me" turns around to:
I should understand me. I should understand Paul. Paul
I shouldn't understand me.
"The Work is called self-help, but it is far more than that: it is self-realization, and it leads to the end of suffering. As we investigate a stressful thought, we see for ourselves that it's untrue; we get to look at the cause-and-effect of it, to observe in sobering detail exactly what modes of pain and confusion result from believing it; then we get a glimpse into the empty mirror, the world beyond our story of the world, & see what our life would be like without the thought; and finally we get to experience the opposite of what we have so firmly believed. Once we deeply question a thought, it loses its power to cause us pain, & eventually it ceases even to arise.""I don't let go of my thoughts," Katie says. I meet them with understanding. Then they let go of me."
*Quote by Byron Katie from her book, "A Thousand Names for Joy"
The Work Process:
The Work is a simple yet powerful process of inquiry that teaches you to identify and question the thoughts that cause all the suffering in the world. It’s a way to understand what’s hurting you, and to address the cause of your problems with clarity.
You can begin The Work Process by going to this link:
http://www.thework.com/thework.asp .
**The Four Questions of The Work:
1. Is it true?
2. Can you absolutely know that it's true?
3. How do you react, what happens, when you believe that thought?
4. Who would you be without that thought?
*The Turnaround: The turnarounds are an opportunity to experience the opposite of what you believe to be true.
You may find several turnarounds.
For each turnaround, identify three genuine and specific examples of how that turn around is as true or truer
than your original statement.
For example, "Paul should understand me" turns around to:
I should understand me. I should understand Paul. Paul
I shouldn't understand me.
Pictured: Amanda with Byron Katie in Austin.
"The Work is merely four questions; it’s not even a thing. It has no motive, no strings. It’s nothing without your answers. These four questions will join any program you’ve got and enhance it. Any religion you have – they’ll enhance it. If you have no religion, they will bring you joy. And they’ll burn up anything that isn’t true for you. They’ll burn through to the reality that has always been waiting." – Byron Katie
"The Work is merely four questions; it’s not even a thing. It has no motive, no strings. It’s nothing without your answers. These four questions will join any program you’ve got and enhance it. Any religion you have – they’ll enhance it. If you have no religion, they will bring you joy. And they’ll burn up anything that isn’t true for you. They’ll burn through to the reality that has always been waiting." – Byron Katie
Endorsement by Eckhart Tolle of Byron Katie:
Byron Katie’s Work is a great blessing for our planet. The root cause of suffering is identification with our thoughts, the ‘stories’ that are continuously running through our minds. The Work acts like a razor-sharp sword that cuts through that illusion and enables you to know for yourself the timeless essence of your being. Joy, peace, and love emanate from it as your natural state. Eckhart Tolle, author, The Power of Now
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* The Work of Byron Katie Offerings with Amanda Winters:
The Work' of Byron Katie is a powerful method used to question the stressful thoughts that create human suffering.
I offer instruction about and facilitation of The Work, a 4-question method of self-inquiry.
I am a Facilitator of "The Work of Byron Katie" and have completed 3 of Byron Katie's 9-Day Schools for the Work, as well as
advanced facilitator training in "The Work".
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For Groups:
-I can do an hour and a free half presentation for a group of friends together for free if it is 5 or more people...
-If you are a member of a personal growth or spiritual community, I may be available to do an introductory session of The Work for them for free.
-For Individuals: I facilitate sessions of The Work.
Click here to learn about my Professional Counseling Practice
To schedule an appointment for private counseling contact me via this form
Session Rates
Contact me about rates.
I offer a free 15 minute consultation.
Telephone Counseling and/or Skype/Zoom Sessions are available as well.
Insurance Coverage
As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) I am covered by many insurance plans.
To find out if your insurance company will reimburse for my services, contact me here.
About Byron Katie
Byron Katie, founder of The Work, has one job: to teach people how to end their own suffering. As she guides people through the powerful process of inquiry called The Work, they find that their stressful beliefs—about life, other people, or themselves— radically shift and their lives are changed forever.
Based on Byron Katie's direct experience of how suffering is created and ended, The Work is an astonishingly simple process, accessible to people of all ages and backgrounds, and requires nothing more than a pen and paper and an open mind.
**Background Info on How The Work Began for Katie
Byron Katie became severely depressed in her early thirties. For almost a decade she spiraled down into depression, rage, self-loathing, and constant thoughts of suicide; for the last two years she was often unable to leave her bedroom.
Then one morning in February 1986, she experienced a life-changing realization. There are various names for an experience like this. Katie calls it "waking up to reality."
In that instant of no-time, she says,
I discovered that when I believed my thoughts, I suffered, but that when I didn’t believe them, I didn’t suffer, and that this is true for every human being. Freedom is as simple as that. I found that suffering is optional. I found a joy within me that has never disappeared, not for a single moment. That joy is in everyone, always.
She realized that what had been causing her depression was not the world around her, but the beliefs she'd had about the world. Instead of hopelessly trying to change the world to match her thoughts about how it should be, she could question these thoughts and, by meeting reality as it is, experience unimaginable freedom and joy. As a result, a bedridden, suicidal woman was instantly filled with love for everything life brings.
Katie's process of self-inquiry, called The Work, didn't develop from this experience; she says that it woke up with her, as her, that February morning in 1986. The first people who did The Work reported that it had transformed their lives, and she soon began receiving invitations to teach the process publicly. Since 1986, she has brought The Work to hundreds of thousands of people across the world, at free public events, in prisons, hospitals, churches, corporations, universities, schools, at weekend workshops, and at her amazing nine-day School for The Work. For a list of FAQs on the School for The Work: Click here.
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Byron Katie's Books: (I have put my favorites at the top of the list below)
*New book! Published in 2020 !! “
A Mind at Home with Itself”
Loving What Is (with Stephen Mitchell);(the handbook on best first book for anyone new to The Work)
A Thousand Names for Joy: (with Stephen Mitchell) (reflections by Katie on the Tao de Ching)
Question Your Thinking, Change the World is an awesome book of quotes drawn from Katie's talks and books
I Need Your Love—Is That True? (a book about our need for Love, Approval and Appreciation and a great book to address relationship issues)
Who Would You Be Without Your Story?
Tiger-Tiger, Is It True?, Katie’s first book for children
Peace in the Present Moment (a book of quotations with Eckhart Tolle, released 2010)
Byron Katie Links:
Byron Katie's official website: www.thework.com
Byron Katie's Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Byron_Katie
Byron Katie's Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/theworkofbyronkatie?ref=br_tf
*Click here for gorgeous Byron Katie wisdom quote memes on her Facebook Page
Byron Katie's Twitter page: http://www.twitter.com/byronkatie
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Additional Resources for The Work
The Work App (application) for smartphones. You can answer the 4 questions and turn the thought around with it==then email or print your answers...has some video and audio as well==4 stars from me. Katie mentioned that her son told her he has done a lot more of The Work since having it. Only for Apple products so far....
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Other Support in Studying Byron Katie's Work
*Check Byron Katie's website for other Certified Facilitators of the Work
and a free "Do The Work Helpline".
Watching Byron Katie facilitate ‘The Work’ with others in one of the most powerful ways to learn the method .
a) Videos are available on her website:
b) One can search www.youtube.com for search terms “Byron Katie” or “Byron Katie and __________ (a topic)”
There are hundreds of videos on the net for you to enjoy. I predict that entertaining, as well as insightful.
The Byron Katie Meetup Group I led at The First Unitarian Universalist Church in conjunction with The Austin Presence Group. Contact me about hosting an Introductory Session with your group at this link!