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Certified as a Health & Wellness Coach through Georgetown University, Jeff is also the author of two leading books about Depersonalization-Derealization Disorder: “Feeling Unreal, Depersonalization Disorder and the Loss of the Self " (2006, fully revised 2023) and “Stranger To My Self” (2010). He has discussed the topic of Depersonalization on dozens of radio and television programs and is the founder of the non-profit Initiative for Depersonalization Studies (IDS). He is a member of the American Medical Writers Association and currently offers private consultations and life coaching via Zoom.
If you’re suffering from Depersonalization-Derealization Disorder you may feel lost and confused. You’ve probably visited psychiatrists and therapists and faced blank looks or prescriptions for medications designed to treat depression or bipolar disorders. You may feel the stigma of being a psychiatric patient—something you never dreamed you’d become. In desperation you may have purchased self-help programs or online “treatments” that have been fruitless and left you financially drained.
As someone who has lived with DDD, studied it, and written about it for more than 30 years, I can help point you in the right direction and avoid disappointment.
Health and Wellness Coaching is nothing new. For decades, qualified coaches have helped people achieve their fitness and wellness goals with greater efficacy than doctor visits or therapy. Coaching can address anything from weight loss, to cardiac health to dealing with grief over the loss of a loved one or pet. Coaching provides neither formal “therapy” nor medical diagnoses. Nor does it address different mental states such as DDD directly. It is something unique unto itself involving intense and empathetic listening and questioning. But many of the tools can be useful as a means to address and overcome Depersonalization-Derealization Disorder.
BEWARE OF BAD ‘INFLUENCER’ COACHES FOR DPDR (I.E. TIK TOK)
Thinking about coaching as a way too manage depersonalization/derealization? Look out for these red flags.
1. Exaggerated Claims and False Promises: Promises of a "cure" for complex mental health conditions like depersonalization should be a major red flag.
2. Lack of Substance in Courses: Selling basic, freely available information at high prices is a common predatory tactic.
If you research on YouTube one of the highest watched videos, this is who I’m talking about.
3. Absence of Credentials: Coaching for mental health without a medical, psychological, or certified therapeutic/counseling background can be ineffective at best and harmful at worst. A lack of coaching certification is also concerning.
4. Misleading Marketing: Falsely claiming "best-seller" status or other achievements is a deceitful practice.
This person is also a YouTube star. He is not a licensed coach either.
5. Unethical Pricing Practices: Charging wildly different, non-standard prices based on a person's income (especially demanding to know income before a consultation) is highly unusual and unethical in professional and medical fields, often used to maximize profit rather than provide equitable care.
I spoke with a ‘coach’ who is also unlicensed and he wouldn’t speak to me without knowing my income, he sent this in voice notes which I have. He is quite followed on tik tok now. He is not transparent about anything he would be working with you on, this is very uncommon in the therapy world.
He also coaches people who I then see as coaches quite quickly after even claiming of helping people in as little ad 3 days. see below point.
6. The "Coaching Pyramid": It's common for some coaches to train their own clients to become coaches, creating a system that prioritizes recruitment over genuine professional competence or credentialing.
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A General Word of Caution for Others:
If you are dealing with Depersonalization/Derealization Disorder (DPDR) or any other mental health condition, it is strongly recommended that you first consult with a licensed mental health professional (such as a psychiatrist, psychologist, or licensed clinical social worker/therapist).
• Diagnosis and Treatment: Only licensed medical and mental health professionals are qualified to diagnose mental health conditions and prescribe evidence-based treatments or coaching certificates from legitimate educational institutions.
• Credentials Matter: Always look for verifiable degrees, state-issued licenses.
• Research Thoroughly: Do independent research. Check their claims, look for verifiable testimonials outside of their own website, and check if they are registered with any professional bodies. No one can promise a cure for DDD. But knowledge and understanding of the condition goes a long way towards improvement and living the kind of life you want to live. So let’s talk. If you have some other health, fitness, or mental health goals, let's talk about that as well.
Just send an email to JeffreyAbugel@gmail.com and we'll provide all you need.
HERE'S WHAT SOME OF MY CLIENTS HAVE TO SAY
"I spent thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours trying to find a psychiatrist or psychologist who could even understand the concept at a 100 foot overview to help guide me in the right direction battling it. After 15 years of frustration and dead ends, I found some peace with all of it after all. Jeff is better than all other ‘therapists’ combined because he has lived through it and studied it more than anyone on earth." —LC, Boston
"Jeff knows pretty much all there is to know about depersonalization from every angle" — Joseph C., London
"I wish I had gone to Jeffrey first instead of wasting my time with arrogant doctors telling me I was bipolar. He is very down to earth and has a great sense of humor. He's kind of an heir apparent to famous philosophers and artists who studied the mind and cleansed the "doors of perception." —Mari P., San Francisco
"Jeffrey Abugel is an amazing writer—a fact that I think may be overlooked as he tries to help people with Dpdr. His books not only gave me a perfect description of what I could not put into words, bit also provided me with hope." —James K., Poland
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