"My calling is to use my writing to help others," said Ms. Esposito during a recent interview at her home in Roxbury. "My books reflect who I am, so people really like reading my books because it's very down to earth, and people resonate with it."
Ms. Esposito is a licensed clinical social worker and has been a psychotherapist for over 24 years. Her practice is currently located in Danbury.
Over 10 years ago, she began to specialize in performance anxiety after previously specializing in anxiety disorders.
"I had personally experienced a very severe case of stage fright, [which] had actually started in graduate school," said Ms. Esposito. "Prior to that I didn't like speaking in public but it wasn't a huge difficulty for me."
Ms. Esposito said she ended up suffering a panic attack. It became a higher level fear that she kept a secret because she was embarrassed by it. She suffered for 10 to 15 years from this form of anxiety.
"I decided enough was enough. I said, 'This is really getting in my way of professional development.' So I decided it was time to really do something about it," said Ms. Esposito.
Ms. Esposito did a lot of reading about the subject and found that there wasn't a book or resource that really hit home for her. Responding to that lack of resources eventually led her to her first book, "In The Spotlight: Overcome Your Fear of Public Speaking and Performing," which was published in 2000.
"It's often the fear of judgment. You don't want people to think less of you, and you basically don't want them to see how anxious you are because you know it's out of proportion with the situation," said Ms. Esposito.
After all the research she had done, Ms. Esposito then decided to put together two-day "No More Stage Fright" workshops in 1998. The workshops drew people from all over the country.
"People were so grateful; they were like, 'Wow, this was so incredibly helpful,'" said Ms. Esposito, who immediately began a Web site, www.performanceanxiety.com.
Many of the people that attended the workshop both from within the United States and abroad found the workshop to be beneficial and asked Ms. Esposito whether she had a book.
"I felt I had a mission and it was really important for me to share this information on a broader scope when I wrote my first book," said Ms. Esposito.
About five years after the first book, Ms. Esposito was leading guided exercises that were part of the workshop. The exercises included visualization, relaxation and empowerment exercises.
Those that attended the workshop asked if she had a resource for people to use at home. She ended up creating a CD as a supplement to her first book.
"I have a lot people who say, 'I have excelled in so many ways in my life, and this is the one thing that I can't get past,' and it's very frustrating because they know it's an overreaction. And that's my specialty-helping people where that is an issue for them," said Ms. Esposito.
She has continued conducting workshops over the years all over the country while at the same time continuing her clinical practice in Danbury.
As time has passed, Ms. Esposito is still finding new ways to approach the subject, and one day she realized it was time to write a second book.
"I felt almost like it was a moral obligation. I felt because I had information that could help people [that] I had to bring this out again, so I sat down and began to write."
The new book, "Getting Over Stage Fright" is a new approach to resolving the fear of public speaking and performing.
"The new book is really a nice complement to the first book. The first book provides a solid foundation for people," said Ms. Esposito.
The new book takes a holistic approach to the fear and anxiety of performing and public speaking. It is broken down into three sections: mind, body and spirit. Each section has 10 to 12 brief chapters that cover different aspects of how a person can work with his or her body, how to understand what is going on within the body when fear and anxiety have enveloped a person and how to manage the symptoms.
The book teaches readers how they can handle various scenarios. People learn how to work with their mind so that the mind works for them rather than against them.
"You've got to work with your mind so it works for you," said Ms. Esposito, who goes into great detail in how to do just that.
For Ms. Esposito, taking this approach was natural for her because she lives her life holistically. The book is a an extension of who she is as a person.
The spirit section is not about religion, but rather about how to tap into a person's highest self and how to bring out that best and highest potential by aligning with a higher realm of life without ego concerns.
"It is our ego concerns that inflame the fear," said Ms. Esposito.
The book also contains a purely inspirational section in which nine of her clients share their stories and how they used the methods to not only help with the fear, but also to help in all areas of life.
"The thesis is that approaching this fear in this new way can be a catalyst to your overall personal growth and development," said Ms. Esposito. "It can be a blessing in your life."
According to the book, the most difficult people and circumstances are the greatest teachers, and when people step up to the challenge, they can find many blessings and many areas of growth.
Ms. Esposito has developed a seven-page checklist for readers on her e-mail list. The checklist helps readers prepare themselves before, during and after public speaking or a performing situation. Ms. Esposito sends out newsletters and helpful tips for readers.
"You have to get past yourself, because a lot of the self consciousness is that we pay too much attention to ourselves," said Ms. Esposito about her teaching methods. "We are too concerned with ourselves."
Ms. Esposito has redesigned the workshop once again to reflect her newest book. She is doing a workshop in Chicago in November and one in Southbury Jan. 23 and 24 of next year.
"I really want to continue to coach people because I love coaching; I see so many getting so much help," said Ms. Esposito.
Ms. Esposito's first book was so popular that publisher John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., published a United Kingdom edition. The book is being promoted throughout Europe and other continents.
Ms. Esposito continues to promote her new book and hopes to do a "tele-class" for people all over the country and abroad. For more information on Ms. Esposito, visit her Web site www.performanceanxiety.com, or call 860-210-1499.