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Transform the lives of quiet, shy and socially anxious people through drama

Teach confidence to adults. Confidence Training

Train in the Sunflower Effect – the most effective confidence-building method for quiet, shy and vulnerable people that outstrips traditional methods

Do you have a background in drama and have a yearning to do more rewarding work?

Are you a compassionate, supportive, enthusiastic person and understand what it’s like to be shy, self-conscious or lacking in confidence? You may already be in the helping professions.

Become a Sunflower Effect Confidence Course Leader doing work that you really love – whilst transforming the lives of quieter people.

My name is Claire Schrader, and I developed the Sunflower Effect®, the most effective confidence-building system for quiet, shy and vulnerable people. The Sunflower Effect Courses® are recognised and validated by participants reporting life-changing results that outstrip the results of other confidence-building approaches by a long way.

There is a growing demand for these courses in different parts of the UK, Ireland and other countries too.

This is why I need you.

Join the Foundation Sunflower Effect Confidence Course Leader Training and offer the Sunflower Effect Courses where they are most needed – in big cities and towns outside London. (This is also where you stand the biggest chance of building a successful practice.)

Confidence is a big issue for many children, teenagers and adults in all sectors of our society. Currently, the courses are just offered to adults, but in time, we will develop the courses for children and teenagers.

Or, you may wish to offer the courses in your organisation, to your existing clients or in different settings.

Do you have a background in drama and have a yearning to do more rewarding work?

Are you a compassionate, supportive, enthusiastic person and understand what it’s like to be shy, self-conscious or lacking in confidence? You may already be in the helping professions.

Become a Sunflower Effect Confidence Course Leader, doing work that you really love whilst transforming the lives of quieter people.

My name is Claire Schrader and I developed the Sunflower Effect®, the most effective confidence-building system for quiet, shy and vulnerable people. The Sunflower Effect Courses® are recognised and validated by participants reporting life-changing results that outstrip the results of traditional confidence-building approaches by a long way.

There is a growing demand for the courses in different parts of the UK and Ireland.

This is why I need you.

Join the Foundation Sunflower Effect Confidence Course Leader Training and offer the Sunflower Effect Courses where they are most needed – in big cities and towns outside London. (This is also where you stand the biggest chance of building a successful practice.)

Confidence is a big issue for many children, teenagers and adults in all sectors of our society. Currently, the courses are just offered to adults, but in time, we will develop the courses for children and teenagers.

Or, you may wish to offer the courses in your organisation, to your existing clients or in different settings.

What is the Sunflower Effect?

The Sunflower Effect® is a pioneering and proven confidence-building system, based in dramatherapy, that transforms the lifestyle and prospects of quiet, shy and socially anxious people.

Confidence Training. Teach confidence to adults

How is it different from other confidence courses?

It achieves outstanding, lasting results very quickly.

Most confidence-building and therapy techniques, classically don’t work for shy, self-conscious or socially anxious people. This includes assertiveness training, CBT, hypnotherapy and talking therapies. Whilst these approaches will help to build confidence, they don’t go far enough in building the kind of confidence that makes a difference to people’s lives.

Participants of the Sunflower Effect®, however, report life-changing results. Many have paid out thousands of pounds and wasted years of their life, before in desperation, they discovered the Sunflower Effect®.

See this explanation of the psychological underpinning as to how and why the Sunflower Effect® achieves such exceptional results.

How the Sunflower Effect Works

The Sunflower Project

The Course Leader Training is part of a wider initiative called the Sunflower Project to make the Sunflower Effect Courses available nationally, internationally and especially in developing countries.

The Foundation Training is the first stage in a longer modular training process with the option to train to deliver the full range of the Sunflower Effect Confidence Courses.

The first Sunflower Effect Foundation Training launched in 2021. The group that trained are currently getting practice running courses in preparation for becoming Licensed Sunflower Effect Course Leaders.

I look forward to training more professionals (enquiring for details) to meet the demand for the Sunflower Effect Courses in different parts of the UK and Internationally.

The plan for the next Foundation Training is to offer a hybrid between in-person and distance learning. This will allow people unable to attend the courses in London to participate.

The course will take place at my house in North Greenford, with distance participants joining us on Zoom.

Confidence Training. Teach confidence to adults

The Sunflower Project

The Course Leader Training is part of a wider initiative called the Sunflower Project to make the Sunflower Effect Courses available nationally, internationally and especially in developing countries.

The Foundation Training is the first stage in a longer modular training process with the option to train to deliver the full range of the Sunflower Effect Confidence Courses.

The first Sunflower Effect Foundation Training launched in 2021. The group that trained are currently getting practice running courses in preparation for becoming Licensed Sunflower Effect Course Leaders.

The plan for the next Foundation Training (not confirmed yet) is to offer a hybrid between in-person and distance learning. This will allow people unable to attend the courses in London to participate.

The course will take place at my house in North Greenford, with distance participants joining us on Zoom.

Our mission

Our mission is to transform the way that confidence is taught to quiet, shy and socially anxious participants whose confidence has been damaged by adverse life experiences. Through our courses, we provide a safe space to dissolve the psychological barriers blocking them from realising their potential, empowering them to believe they can create the life they want by uncovering and expressing their unique and authentic selves. See The Sunflower Manifesto.

Reasons for training to become a Sunflower Effect Confidence Specialist

You will be changing lives, helping quiet, shy and socially anxious people to change their futures. Whether that’s offering private courses or offering the courses in your workplace or to your existing clients.
You will have the option to set up a Sunflower Effect Centre delivering the Sunflower Effect Courses in areas where they are most needed – large cities and towns outside London. (This is where you stand the biggest chance of building a successful practice.) You will be independent, running your own practice and therefore earn more.
You won’t be alone. You will learn everything you need to succeed and have the choice to be part of a community of Sunflower Effect confidence specialists who will become like family to you, sharing your values and beliefs.

Support to build a thriving practice

If you sign up for the marketing programme, you won’t have to build a website, learn complex technology, or know anything about marketing and attracting clients to your work. 

I will teach it all to you. I have done the donkey work, taken the risks and invested thousands of pounds in discovering the best way to attract and retain clients. The methods I will teach you have been tried, tested — and are proven to work.

And they won’t break the bank.

I welcome applications from you for these reasons:

  • You have some understanding of what it is like to be shy, self-conscious and lacking in confidence.
  • You are highly motivated to help people with confidence issues. You are good at supporting others, caring, grounded and enthusiastic.
  • You operate better within a team than working on your own. You want to be part of a bigger vision that is going to make a real difference in the lives of quieter people.
  • You are a drama professional (performer, teacher) who is looking for a new direction. Dramatherapists: please click here.  You may be an Arts Therapist or occupational therapist with an interest in drama. Or, you may just have a love of drama.
  • You are a therapist, coach, counsellor or in the helping professions and realise there is more to confidence than talking. You would like to offer the Sunflower Effect Confidence Courses to your clients.
  • You have participated in one of my courses and have been able to say goodbye to shyness, social anxiety and any other issue that has undermined your confidence.  You feel inspired to train to support others to do the same.
  • You would like to offer the Sunflower Effect Confidence Courses within your organisation.

Download an Information Pack to learn more.

Download pack


Please be aware that the pack relates to the last training in 2021-2022. It will give you an idea of what to expect. The next training is planned to be a hybrid between in-person and distance learning.

The Sunflower Effect has changed the lives of many quiet, shy and introverted people

See their stories. Here are just some of the responses from participants:

It’s been six months since I did the course, and I’m still seeing the benefits. I surprise myself sometimes as to where my confidence comes from in relating to people.

Peregine C. Health Practitioner

Excellent value for money. One, it worked, and two so many other therapies are way more expensive and haven’t worked. Making Moves are cheap for what they are.

Jane Timberlake, now a Sunflower Effect Course leader in Training

By the end of the course, I could really tell I’d made a massive shift. I feel like I’m a lot more authentic and accepting of myself with less feelings of being inferior and needing to hide my true self. For me, this course truly was a lifeline.

Elizabeth G. graphic designer

 I’ve done other kinds of work but this had a lightning effect on my psyche. It provided a short cut to the hidden recesses of my unconscious. No one else is offering anything like this.

Rob Buchiski, E-Consultant

Introductory Confidence Training Workshop

Teach confidence to adults. Confi

Prior to launching the 2nd Training in September 2024, I will be running one or two Introductory Confidence Training Workshops to discover the basic framework for all Sunflower Effect Courses and help you find out if the Foundation Training is the right decision for you.

Please note: This workshop is the first step in your training process.

However, it does not commit you to the full Foundation Training should you decide not to take the training further.

Introductory Sunflower Effect Confidence Training Workshop.
Dates: Weekend in February/March 2024 TBA
Times: 10-30-5.30pm approx
Venue: TBA Probably Hybrid
Cost: £250 (normal price) – discounted to £200 for a hybrid training

The workshop will take place at my house in North Greenford, with distance participants joining us on Zoom.

More information

About Claire Schrader

Sunflower Effect Confidence Course Leader Training

I started out in life as a shy introvert and proverbial wallflower.  That is until I found a way at age 22, to break out of my shell, through the power of drama.

It changed my life, and I have never looked back.

You can read about my journey in my book, From Wallflower to Sunflower, the quiet person’s guide to natural confidence.

I developed Sunflower Effect Courses over a 20 year period. I have been helping people through dramatherapy-based personal development courses and workshops in the UK, America and Europe since 1997. In 2012, I tripled my income and client base running the Sunflower Effect Courses.

My academic work includes editing Ritual Theatre, The Power of Dramatic Ritual in Personal Development Groups and Clinical Practice published by Jessica Kingsley.

You can find one of my chapter’s “Breaking Through the Walls of Shyness:  Overcoming Shyness, Self-Consciousness and Social Anxiety Through Dramatherapy” in the Routledge International Handbook of Dramatherapy.

I have been featured in Marie-Claire (Malaysia),  Kindred Spirit, Positive Health, and Counselling News, on Sky TV, BBC World Services and Radio 4.

Read more:

How does the Sunflower Effect achieve such significant shifts in people?

What is the theory behind the Sunflower Effect?

My background

Interviews with me about my approach.

Want to know more?

Download an information pack

Training Enquiry

Please fill in this form if you are interested in training or have a question about training. We suggest that you request an information pack – you should find the link on this page. This will give you much more an idea of the content of the training and if it will be a good fit for you.

  • If you are interested in training in this approach please tell me as much as you can about yourself and what skills/aptitudes you have and where and how you see yourself practicicing.
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