Jim Johnson Certified Facilitator of The Work of Byron Katie
Self-realization is the sweetest thing. It shows us how we are fully responsible for ourselves, and that is where we find our freedom. Rather than being other-realized, I can be self-realized. Instead of looking to them for my fulfillment, I can find it in myself.
Dear friend,
The Work of Byron Katie is a simple, yet powerful practice of self inquiry — a way of meeting the thoughts that cause suffering and seeing, for ourselves, whether they are true.
You begin with a stressful thought. My partner doesn't listen to me. I am not enough. They should have known better. You write it down. Then you sit with it, and you ask four questions.
-
Is it true?
-
Can you absolutely know that it's true?
-
How do you react — what happens — when you believe that thought?
-
Who would you be without the thought?
Then we turn the thought around — finding the opposite, and any other ways the original story could be reversed — and look for where each turnaround is as true, or truer, than the original.
That's the whole practice. It is gentle. It is rigorous. And it changes things.
The Work was developed by Byron Katie. To learn more, visit thework.com.
What this is
Inquiry.
- Not therapy.
- No AI.
- No recording.
- No need to try and get it right.
Just you with you —
and, if it would support your Work, a Certified Facilitator
of The Work of Byron Katie alongside you.
It's not called The Work for nothing.
An Invitation
How I can support you
-
One on one
Facilitated sessions
We meet in a quiet hour. You bring a thought that is causing you suffering — small or large, recent or ancient. I hold space, and we walk through the four questions together. There is no rush. There is nothing to fix.
-
New to The Work
A gentle beginning
If you've never done The Work before, that is welcome here. We will start where you are, with care, and I will walk alongside you as you learn the practice. No prior experience is needed — only your willingness to look.
-
Ongoing inquiry
A steady presence
No matter how much experience you have, there are times you may simply want to be supported in The Work rather than walk it alone. Some want the sub-questions that take the inquiry deeper; others prefer simply to be held, in a "yellow card" facilitation. We meet in whatever way serves you.
About
A few words about me
I'm Jim Johnson — a Certified Facilitator of The Work of Byron Katie.
I came to The Work in my own time of seeking, and found in it something I had been quietly looking for: a way to meet my own thinking with honesty, and to discover what is true underneath the stories that cause suffering.
What you find is yours.
Now I sit with others who are willing to look. Sessions are quiet, unhurried, and held with care. You bring a thought, a Worksheet, a Complaint. The four questions have no value without your answers. Holding the space and The Work, not discussion, is the invitation.
A word on how I hold this. I won't give advice, and I won't tell you what is true. I make no claims about what The Work will give you — only that I'll sit with you while you look. I'm a Certified Facilitator through the Institute for The Work, and I hold to its Code of Ethics.
— Jim
If I sit in a chair and have a great insight, is that the end of it? I don't think so. Doing The Work is only half the process; the other half happens when the insights come to life. Until they live as action, they're not fully mine.
Before you write
A few things you might be wondering
Will you tell me what to think?
No. As a Certified Facilitator, I am bound not to give advice — and I won't. My part is to ask the questions and hold the space. The answers are yours.
What if I get emotional?
Then you are welcome, just as you are. Tears, anger, a long silence — all of it belongs here. There is nothing to hold back, and nothing to fix.
Do I need to prepare anything?
No. You can come with nothing but a thought. If you're new to this, we'll find that thought together and write it down on a Worksheet — a simple page for putting your stressful thoughts on paper, one at a time. Always free at thework.com.
Is this religious?
No. The Work is not a religion or a belief system. It asks nothing of your faith and contradicts none of it. It is four questions.
How sessions work
We meet online — over Zoom, Google Meet, WhatsApp, or simply the phone — wherever you happen to be. I keep Pacific time, and we'll find an hour that suits us both. Everything is by appointment. Writing to me asks nothing of you yet.
How fees work
There is a fee for sessions, and we'll settle it together before we begin — openly, with no pressure. Reaching out costs nothing. If cost is a worry, say so, and I'll do my best to find a way.
What's shared stays private
What you bring is held in confidence. Nothing is recorded, nothing is shared, and your name is never used without your written permission. What passes between us stays between us.
A note of care
The Work is inquiry. It is not therapy, and it is not a substitute for professional mental-health or medical care. If you are in crisis right now, or thinking of harming yourself, please reach out before anything else — in the US, call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, or call 911. Please — take care of you.
An Invitation
If something here spoke to you
Send a note. I read each one personally and will reach back to you in the way you prefer.
Or, if a form feels like too much, you're welcome to write to me directly — jim@theworkwithjim.com.
warmly,
Jim
