After mentoring writers at all levels for decades, I’ve observed that writing success and talent don’t guarantee a joyful creative process. Some accomplished authors write with what seems to be natural ease, while others (equally talented!) struggle with persistent resistance. The difference isn’t in their skill or achievements. It lies in their relationship with their creative process.
As a writer, you know when your resistance has become an unreasonable obstacle. Your unconscious thought patterns, procrastination, and limiting beliefs keep you from doing your best work, despite your talent and dedication to your craft.
You may have tried to override these tendencies. Maybe you’ve forced yourself to sit at your desk, regardless of how you feel! But the struggle persists. You used to love writing. Deep down, you know it shouldn’t be this hard.
Want to re-write an old story you have about yourself? Tired of repeating old patterns year after year? Ready to update to your writing life in a big way? You might be ready for a breakthrough.
This is an intensive 1:1 coaching experience designed to transform your relationship with writing. Using a blend of Timeline Therapy, hypnotherapy, and mindset coaching techniques, we work together to identify and release what’s blocking you—whether that’s impostor syndrome, creative resistance, or deep-seated limiting beliefs about your work.
This breakthrough is ideal for writers who:
Your breakthrough includes:
Though we will be talking about your writing in our coaching sessions, this is not craft instruction or editorial advice; it’s a profound shift in how you show up to your writing. Most writers complete their breakthrough in 1-3 months, depending on their preferred pace of integration.
We begin with a deep dive into your current writing life, using specialized coaching techniques to uncover what’s really holding you back. Then, we create new patterns that align with your natural creative rhythm.
In a Story Is a State of Mind Breakthrough, I help you break the patterns that keep you stuck by working with your unconscious mind. My coaching is outcome-focused and highly personalized, designed to create lasting change in your writing life. The result: you feel lighter, more energized, and have more clarity about writing.
Through this major reset, you’ll replace your old writing habits with new, more efficient ones. Once you change your state of mind, you change your writing life for the better, for good.
If you think a breakthrough is what you need, let’s talk!
If you are looking for me to read your work as you write it, and for me to be a thought partner for your work in progress, consider my Mentorship program.
“I signed up for Sarah’s Story Is a State of Mind Breakthrough because I wanted to find joy in my writing practice again. I also wanted to get back to work on my novel. After my breakthrough, I was amazed at how much my writing life had changed.
I’m more calm and peaceful. That feeling of, “I didn’t do enough writing today,” is gone. I‘m back at work on my novel and it feels wonderful. I just listened to my hypnosis, and it put the biggest smile on my face. I LOVE it. There are really no words to say how much I enjoyed my time with Sarah. It was truly magical and I’m so glad I made the decision to do this wonderful program with her!”
— Nancy Sulaiman
Your Story Is a State of Mind Breakthrough unfolds in three phases*:
Total time: 6-8 hours of intensive breakthrough work, spread over 1-3 months to allow for integration, plus two maintenance sessions.
Optional: Ongoing monthly coaching available after completing your breakthrough.
*This plan is flexible. You and your project might need a different approach. We’ll find out what cadence works for you and your schedule, so you can work at your own pace. Set up a call to discuss what this will look like for you.
“Working with Sarah has been truly transformative for my writing practice. In a broad sense, I no longer find my inner critic talking me out of showing up to the page to write. Sarah and I were able to clearly identify long-held limiting beliefs that held me back from believing in the validity and worth of my writing practice. Additionally, Sarah helped me figure out how to realistically plan and set goals for completing my book that are very specific to my own life rhythms. All of this work is allowing me now to approach writing both with curiosity and excitement but also steadiness and a newfound sense of ease. I truly cannot thank you enough for our time together!”
— Sarah Carter
*Other payment options are available, as long as the payments are completed by the end of the coaching or mentorship.
— Dolly Reisman
A few years back, I took Sarah Selecky’s short story course, and while I didn’t work directly with Sarah, all the material was hers. That same year, I wrote a short story that won runner-up in the Little Bird writing contest Sarah ran then. I was thrilled. So, I jumped at the chance when I came across an offering from Sarah to work one-on-one with her. She talked about magic and trances and changing my feelings around my work. It piqued my interest.
Being a skeptic at heart, I thought, will this magical thinking work? Will all my doubts about my own work go away? Will I come to the page eager and excited? Is it possible? I decided to take the chance.
I signed up, met with Sarah, and stepped into the great unknown with her at my side. The one thing I had to do was trust Sarah, and I did. To my great surprise and delight, the heavy weight on my shoulders that held all my doubts was nudged out of the way. It didn’t happen overnight but in a reasonable amount of time. She used a technique of placing me in a light trance. With the use of images, I rewired my brain. I exchanged negative thoughts and images for positive ones.
Sarah also gave me a writing protocol, which included all the things I needed to do to support my work and help move my writing along with excitement and curiosity. She taught me to be open to change and gentle with myself. When I worried about grammar, she reminded me everyone needs an editor.
I’m still surprised at how much lighter and more joyful I feel about writing. And when you think about it, her process is scientific. Sarah helped me change my brain. She helped me sweep out all the old cobwebs and plant better, newer thoughts—images that make me feel excited about the upcoming writing. As my writing life has taken on more profound joy, my life has generally opened up. It has been a truly remarkable journey.
Just as we create narratives in our stories, we can create narratives in our lives. Sarah has helped me change my narrative, and I am eternally grateful for that.
The first step is to book a Discovery Call with me where we’ll:
Unlike traditional writing coaching that focuses on craft and technique, the Story Is a State of Mind Breakthrough addresses the root causes of creative resistance. We work directly with your unconscious mind to transform your relationship with writing at its foundation.
This approach is specifically designed for writers and combines Timeline Therapy, mindset coaching, and hypnotherapy in a way that speaks directly to your creative process. Every technique is customized to your unique writing journey and challenges.
You’re ready if you:
You’ll have two maintenance sessions to ensure your new patterns are fully integrated. After that, you can choose to continue with monthly coaching support, or move forward independently with your new tools and practices.
Most writers experience significant shifts during their very first session. The full transformation unfolds over 1-3 months as you integrate the changes. Your maintenance sessions help ensure these changes last.
Yes, the investment of $5,000 can be made in two payments of $2,500 USD. If you’d like a different payment plan, let us know.
I have over 2 decades of teaching and coaching experience, and am an alumna of Hedgebrook, the Humber School for Writers, and The Banff Centre. I have my Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from the University of British Columbia.
I have been trained and certified in Time Line Therapy® techniques, Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) and Hypnosis at the Practitioner level by the Time Line Therapy™ Association, and will be using these techniques in your Story Is a State of Mind coaching sessions. I will always provide only those services in which I have been trained.
Story Is a State of Mind coaching is effective for writers who want to build new habits using a positive mindset. If the obstacles keeping you from writing have to do with clinical depression, anxiety, or other mental health concerns, this may be out of my scope as a writing coach. In these circumstances, I will refer you to another coach and/or therapist who can better assist you.
First you’ll be taken to my calendar to choose a time slot that works for you. You’ll answer a question about your writing and what kind of support you’re looking for. Then you’ll receive an email confirmation with a Zoom link for our call.
The purpose of our Discovery Call is for me to understand who you are as a writer, for you to understand my approach as a writing coach, and for both of us to discover if we’re a good fit for close, creative work together. A good creative relationship requires mutual understanding, presence, and trust. This call helps us both feel that out.
If it’s a YES for both of us at this point and we agree to move forward, I’ll send you an email with a link to process payment. There will be an agreement that you will read before your payment goes through.
Then you’ll book your sessions and we’ll get started.
