**this post originally appeared on the self-styled life** A big push at SEEK Safely, the non-profit organization my family began in response to my sister’s death at a self-help event, has been getting the self-help industry to adopt the SEEK Safely Promise. The Promise asks self-help practitioners to respect and protect their customers by being honest, open, and providing a safe environment.
Check us out: www.seeksafely.org
And in doing so, I also hope to make even the casual reader aware of an important fact: we are ALL consumers of self-help. From reading an inspiring blog or the mass-market memoir that takes on way-of-life status, to watching Oprah, to listening to motivational speakers on tape during the commute, to waking on hot coals at a motivation seminar/event–the vast majority are using this self-help stuff all the time. My sister’s story is a warning of just how close any of us is to being manipulated by an irresponsible scammer–hers was a quick trip from Oprah-endorsed guru to books and tapes to seminars to the retreat that claimed her life. So while I sign the Promise, I ask all of you to take a look at SEEK’s website, especially the Empowerment Guide. Empower and protect yourself in case the person inspiring you isn’t going to. This is not a shameless plug. It’s a message that is for all of us. 
My sister Kirby, full of life.
