Frequently Asked Questions
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Inward Ride is the name I gave my ninety-seven-day motorcycle road trip sabbatical, which took place between August and November of 2019. At 54 at the time, after a massive breakdown that changed the course of my life, I chose to go on that journey as a pilgrimage of sorts. It allowed me to understand and subsequently consolidate a professional path in a helping career that I had been cultivating for decades. Inward Ride then evolved into the umbrella name for the mentoring work that I offer.
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It took me a while to find a title that was suitable for the work I do. I teach life skills, emotional intelligence skills, skills for living with integrity and freedom. I base my work on twenty-five years of interdisciplinary studies in psychology, pragmatic philosophy, neuroscience, mindfulness and meditation, and spirituality, as well as on practices that have allowed me to overcome profound obstacles and limitations in my own life. A mentor models what he/she teaches. I model what I have tried and succeeded in. I use clients’ and personal examples of success in turning obstacles into opportunities. The work is very academically-grounded, but is also very intimate, based on vulnerability and wise self-disclosure. Clients enjoy and trust this teaching format. They often tell me that they enjoy seeing me “walking my talk,” and that makes them trust me even more.
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It is not. First and foremost, I am not a therapist, so I don’t offer therapy. Twenty-three years ago, after attending two years of a Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology at the California Institute of Integral Studies, in San Francisco (a wonderful school), I understood that therapy wasn’t the framework appropriate for the work I wanted to provide. Nonetheless, I continued my studies of different schools of psychology, as it’s not possible––or advisable––to work with humans without a profound theoretical understanding of how the mind and brain work from a multidimensional perspective.
My work doesn’t replace therapy, particularly for individuals with severe psychological conditions. Those cases need treatment, not mentoring. Undertaking mentoring/guiding work presupposes a level of ego strength such that one is capable to direct one’s experience when guided. My work addresses the desire for change and transformation, and offers pathways to meet such inner calling, but it comes at it from a different perspective.
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Yes, it is. I offer a first session free of charge. If you decide to work with me after the first session, we’ll commit to a twelve-session series, with weekly meetings over three months. Please call or email for pricing.
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Yes. Sessions can be held in English, Portuguese, or French. I’m currently working on a version of this site in Portuguese.
About Inward Ride Groups
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I created the Inward Ride Groups (then called The Connection Series) in April of 2020, in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, with the goal of supporting and empowering individuals during those trying times.
The group meets weekly for one hour and thirty minutes during seven weeks. It has a maximum of six people - plus myself. Some of the themes covered are intimacy, loneliness, creativity, procrastination, career choices, feeling stuck, personal integrity, the importance of grieving, and conscious relationships.
The work is experiential and pragmatic. In a safe and dynamic environment, I teach how to make life choices based on inner wisdom - rather than conditioning - , how to recognize and honor one’s deep needs and core values. The work is substantiated by scientific research and tried and true collective and personal experience. See the Group Testimonials to learn about the experience of previous and current group members.
The Inward Ride online group offering is one entryway into my mentoring work for new students. The other is a first free session. See above.
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Members are individuals with an interest in legitimate transformation over time. They are open and curious and come from all walks of life. Ages have varied from 21 to 68. We've had participants from several countries, joining in from Europe, Asia, Oceania, North, and South America.
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Yes. Although this work isn’t age-specific, it requires a certain level of maturity, self-awareness, and commitment. Hence, the minimum age is eighteen. The youngest person to participate thus far in an Inward Ride Group was 21.
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Normally six. I always announce, with each new group formed, the maximum number of participants in that group.
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Yes, I can. If you want to create a private group with friends, colleagues, or family members, please contact me to discuss it.
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I am in the process of creating themed workshops for new students, as well as for ongoing group participants. Please email me at inwardride@gmail.com and I'll notify you when workshops become available.
