An interview with Gay Landeta, Brain Gym® Instructor, Transformational & Educational Kinesiologist and Business Mentor
(to see more about Gay’s Training click here)
Q. How did you get into what you do?
When I was little I loved to hide in my dad’s eclectic library of philosophy, theosophy, astrology, palmistry and other fascinating esoteric reads. I voraciously read everything, both amazed and overwhelmed by the ideas and information they presented. It started my fascination with what I would now call the human condition.
These esoteric thoughts fueled my imagination until I left school and started work. I embraced the corporate world, working in the UK in the insurance, recruitment and finance industries. A crowning achievement was being employed to open and manage an employment agency in Southampton at the tender age of 21. By 29 I had married and moved to Australia, bought a house and had a child. I felt competent and worldly until I met my Waterloo: my 3-year-old son, I realised I no longer had a clue.
Desperate for help to understand this little being, I decided to train to be a group leader in STEP, Systematic Training for Effective Parenting. Despite a philosophy that rang true, I found it difficult to put the concepts consistently into place. Thinking I needed more training I enrolled in a Parent Skills Trainer program. I developed skills in counselling, group leading and community outreach but I still felt unable to consistently facilitate change either for myself or for my clients.
In fact, the more I knew the deeper the well I found myself in, that is until I found the process of Kinesiology.
Finally, in a Brain Gym® workshop, I found a way to create real change. How to get the information out of my head and into my actions. Brain Gym helped my second son, who was then 4, survive his frustration with life and, more importantly, helped me survive him! I knew I wanted to teach this amazing process that could create peace and transformation to others.
In 1996 I became a qualified Brain Gym instructor and opened my kinesiology clinic in Toowong. I found Transformational Kinesiology which allowed my soul to soar. It gave me a framework to understand and express my Self. I discovered I could both attain and retain a deep connection with my highest purpose and choose to consciously evolve.
Q. What are you passionate about in your work?
Many things! But professionalism and excellence in practice are very important to me. I have been most fortunate to train with Paul Dennison, PhD, the father of Brain Gym and Educational Kinesiology and also to travel to Denmark to train with Grethe Fremming & Rolf Hausbøl, the creators of Transformational Kinesiology. These individuals, with a passion for helping people to help themselves, have shaped me and mentored my practice.
Q. What other training has shaped your work?
My dedication to best practice has led me to train with many other gifted and passionate people, including Australia’s Claire Hocking and her work on Primitive Reflexes, South Africa’s Rita Edwards and her work on Sensory Integration and Canadian Flower Essence creator Sabina Petit.
I broke many preconceived notions about the physical world through adventure-based leadership training, including that what we see as real is not necessarily so. And, through specific training in learning styles, I learned about the multitude of ways we learn and the different needs we each have. This training led me to re-appraise my own ability to learn and decide to enter university.
School was very difficult for me, so enrolling in University was a huge challenge.
It was terrifying. I had hated school, was a dreadful student and had been petrified of exams. Fortunately, at that time the education system in Canada was using continuous assessment – which meant as long as a student maintained a C average, end of year exams were not required. In the end, I managed to skate through with my university entrance but lacked any confidence in my ability to learn.
Despite this lack of confidence, I felt a degree would provide a context that would enable me to be a better practitioner. I knew I needed to pursue it so I put Brain Gym® and the Learning Styles training to the test. I did Brain Gym before every assignment and exam and developed study habits to suit me, not the recommendations of the University.
I discovered I could learn and graduated, with distinction, with a GPA (grade point average) of 6.7 out of 7. I was elated by the discovery that I was indeed intelligent, something the school system had left me doubting!
More recently working with high level business and marketing coaches challenged my beliefs about my self and my work, clarified my vision and helped me ground that into the work I do. I know that I am not only living on purpose but also sharing the best of myself and all my training everyday with my clients.
Q. What are some of your proudest achievements as a professional?
Creating a successful kinesiology practice must be the biggest. My journey to being a successful practitioner took more work, more focus and more trust than I thought I had. Many times I thought I would fail but the deep joy of working with clients to achieve their goals gave me the strength to keep learning the skills to transform my joy into my business.
I was lucky, I had a business and sales background and a family history of entrepreneurs (my father and 3 of my 4 brothers and sisters have their own businesses). However, even with that background, it took much more time than I liked to become successful. I also saw many talented colleagues give up on their dream of working with people.
Seeing my friends give up fired up a passion in me to support people in creating successful businesses doing what they loved.
My passion initially fuelled a vision and the creation of an Australian organisation to help support other Brain Gym Instructors to do the work they loved. Eight years later, in 2006 at the first International Australian Gathering, I was presented with an award for Outstanding Achievement from Brain Gym International for my work in this area.
This passion for supporting people took me to the USA to train as a certified Action Plan Marketing Coach with one of the most experienced and successful marketers for independent service professionals, Robert Middleton. His program, proven over time, is a simple and guaranteed system to consistently increase clients and improve profitability.
I integrated his program with other trainings in business and marketing and my own experiences and developed my programs, Marketing with Heart and more recently The Confident Practitioner. These programs help people who have a passion and a dream but are still struggling to get the clients they need – and the income they want – to create a successful and sustainable business that they love.
Q. What interests, even fascinates you about your field?
I love the ability to create change where it seems impossible. As someone who is often in change but also by nature quite fearful of it, I feel very fortunate to have found such a process. Feeling connected to my purpose and my authenticity and knowing that I can create my life is such an empowering way to live. And being able to help others do the same such an honour.
This is not to say that I don’t struggle at times! I do, it’s part of the journey, but I have tools to make it easier. I can’t imagine where I would be without the processes I use.
Q. What are some big things you’ve accomplished for clients?
One of my favourite clients was a 14-year-old boy who had never read a book in his life who started devouring them. The thing that was actually so empowering for him was that by breaking through such a block he discovered he was able to do anything he wanted. He also realised that sometimes the judgements by the powers that be (teachers) are wrong. He became the creator of his life, he didn’t have to be a victim.
Another who comes to mind was a client on the verge of divorce who did not know which way to turn. He was about to leave his partner. After our first session he was able to see that he didn’t want to leave, that he actually wanted to recreate the relationship. We then worked on changing his thoughts and creating the changes required to re-create his relationship into the more loving and intimate one he was looking for. I love that this work can facilitate the realignment to find our truths and the strength to follow through.
I have had many clients let go of traumatic pasts and learn to appreciate and embrace their own beautiful unique selves. I find the changes my clients make all the more exciting because they discover, no matter what their age, that they have more power and can take more responsibility than they know. I love the freedom that gives them!
Now I love helping practitioners and people who have something wonderful to offer the world get it out there. Seeing mentoring clients who were once struggling with their business creating businesses they love is incredibly satisfying.
Q. What do you like doing when you are not at work?
I used to be part of the Brisbane Playback Theatre Troupe, which I loved, but life became too busy. Aside from that, I love to play with art materials. I never expected to show however since a tree change in 2015 to Tenterfield, NSW, I am showing in exhibitions and galleries more and more often.
This is just another thing I thought I could never do! I also love my dogs, my veggie garden and yoga is a definite passion. I love the way my life is evolving and I love that I found kinesiology to help in my journey.
Qualifications and Training:
B.SocSc (Human Services)
Educational & Transformational Kinesiologist
Brain Gym® Instructor, Optimal Brain Organisation and Visioncircles™ Instructor
Flower and Vibrational Essence Practitioner
Transformational Leadership Training
Family Skills Counsellor
Workplace Trainer
Reiki Practitioner
Action Plan Marketing Certified Coach
Member of:
Australian Kinesiology Association, Level 5 (Diploma)
Brain Gym International
Brain Gym Australia
Flower Essence Society
Recipient of:
The Educational Kinesiology Foundation Award for Outstanding Achievement 2006
Golden Key International Honour Society
