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APPRECIATIONS
Feedback about Raphael and Living the Questions is divided into the following categories:
WORKSHOPS . TALKS . SESSIONS . THE FIRST BOOK THE PROCESS . THERAPISTS . CLERGY
Please click on any category to jump down to it below, or simply scroll as you like.
Workshops
Unique among spiritual guides, Raphael rolls up his sleeves and dives with people into places their inner work
may never have pierced. Attending his workshop was an unforgettable experience, a giant wake up call. His
teaching is full of humor, humility, maturity, understanding and wisdom. Many of us emerged with new levels
of hope and resolve. Personally, I have found no teacher or process that I trust more or that engages so many
facets of my being. - T. G.
I was present at the Unity in Chicago gathering last night. I came to hear you based on the title of your book.
During the presentation, I was absolutely moved by your authenticity and vulnerability
as you shared your message. I felt honored that I was sharing sacred space with you and the people who
risked sharing some of their struggles. You serve as a teacher who has risked to be real. What a generous
heart. Thank you for sharing who you are. - R. H.
Raphael is one of the first people I've met that really walks his talk. He is truly authentic. He's always totally present with everyone at his workshops. And really concerned. Everyone has good things to say about him. Men and women alike. - A. B.
It's been over two weeks since I have been doing this, and I am feeling more peace, freedom, and joy each
day. Before the lecture and workshop I hated going to work. I was just putting in my time and
basically dragging myself through each day. Hating myself and it. I love my job now because I have allowed
myself to answer those two questions and I know that I am alive in each moment, and the
struggle is gone. I work better with people, too. - T. S.
I have felt better in the past month than I have in a very long time in my life. And I really feel that your seminar was a big turning point for me. I want to thank you for your wonderful spirit, your healing presence, and for the incredible work you did with me. - B. S. I feel so blessed by the gift you offered on Tuesday morning. The gift that was offered through you - the dip into the ocean, Life using your form to invite my form to go deeper. Just listening to you and watching the skillfulness, gentleness, and love with which you worked with people was so valuable - I learned from you. But somehow you knew that something more was called for. What I experienced in those few precious moments with you was Being Seen, fully, in a way that included the personal but went beyond it, through it. Thank you from the depths of my being. - A. H. This has worked with my dog, my daughter, with my partner. Just asking myself what is happening now
separates me from what is happening for other people, and I am learning how to help them to ask themselves
what is going on with them right now. It sounds a little too huggy, but it really is changing me
in very profound ways. - P. B.
Thank you so much for a day that was truly transformational. You were an inspiration to me as a teacher,
both in the quality of your presence and the integrity you brought to the questions and coaching of
participants. I give your book to friends and recommend it to students. - L. M.
I loved your workshop and how you made being in the present a natural feeling rather than 'woo-woo'. We
didn't even have to take our shoes off, there were no pictures of anyone 'greater' than us to revere, and we
even got to move the altar to the side!! That meant a lot to me. - Z. C.
Regarding my weight, I'm not sure how many pounds I've lost, but my clothes are certainly loose and my rings are sliding. Thank you again for the revealing one-on-one we had. - P. S. Thanks for the change in perception from your very effective technique.
I found it to be very useful. - T. Y. I think that sometimes you see the best of yourself in someone else. Raphael just puts you in a position to be able to do that. - B. W.
My bullsh-t detector didn't go off once! - H. N.
I have been very cautious in my life, choosing to play it safe in many, many ways. With these questions I am
coming out more, and at the same time going in and asking myself what is really happening here. The beauty
in this is that I do not have to change a thing, and yet by accepting it all it seems to be changing itself. And
isn't that after all the illusion of all time? Nothing is changing, and yet in every moment everything is changing. - D. S.
I've reaped clear and obvious benefits from my weekend workshop. On one occasion I was able to tell my boss clearly, and without anger, that his interfering made me uncomfortable. Another time I was able to tell a person who I find distasteful to stay away from me -- again, quietly and without anger. I felt very good about both experiences. Thank you! - A. S. I really enjoyed the workshop. It gave me a different way to approach a difficult break up I'm going through,
and I'm feeling much more confident about the decisions I'm making. I thought the personal stories you shared
were very meaningful and helpful. I also got a lot from watching you do the one on one sessions. It's helped
me to be more patient when talking to people and more willing to let them make their own discoveries. I've
always found it hard to trust that people have the answers inside of them (me included). Your workshop
convinced me! - K. L.
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Talks
I have seen many speakers in my time, all possessing a piece of the puzzle. Most of them, to one degree or
another, had much ego invested in their puzzle piece. Raphael did not speak from ego. He spoke from the
heart. Open, loving and honest. 100% focused on each person he interacted with, never impatient. I am truly
impressed. - E. S.
It was such a pleasure to hear you. It is my opinion that traditional therapy can have a run for its money! Such
a treat to be in the room with you and experience your service to the planet. - J. K.
One of the wonderful things about Raphael is that when I attended a talk with him, he told us we could get a hold of him anytime on the Internet, and I'm going yeah right we're going to have an easy time doing that. But it's true - he's right there. - B. W. Raphael absolutely embodies unconditional love, non judgment and acceptance. If you spend a lot of time with him as I have at talks and in workshops, it rubs off on you. - C. M.
Raphael and his work has been of course very personally satisfying to me, and helped me feel better about myself and my ability to be able to handle and cope with my life. But it has also been a huge help to my friends that have read his book and have attended his talks and seminars. He's making a difference in our lives and he's allowing us to make a difference in other people's lives. - B. W. Raphael has a great soft, comforting energy that you don't find in a lot of people. He's like someone you've known all your life, that you want to give a hug and be close to. - T. E. TOP ^
Sessions
I felt like ten million bucks after our session. I've been using your technique and find it quite helpful. I just
want to express my appreciation and gratitude for your generous, kind and loving spirit. Thank you for
illuminating the world by the light that shines from within you. - L. C.
Much gratitude for your openness to my pain. I was amazed afterward at what I've internalized and not given
expression.Every day brings more clarity about the years I've spent sleepwalking assuming rather than
being. - N. G.
Thank you for speaking with me. It is always so comforting and reassuring to talk to you. You always seem to
know the right questions to ask, really LISTEN to the answers, and know the right thing to say in response.
That is really a gift my friend. Thank you so much. - K. L.
Raphael has meant more to my life than I ever would've imagined possible. After all, we've "only" spoken via email and the telephone. But the love, kindness, and support he has offered me has been nothing short of miraculous. He is an incredibly talented author and speaker, but more importantly he is a LISTENER. You know when you are speaking to him that you are being heard. You also realize how seldom that has been the case throughout your life. The healing power of that alone is limitless. By the same token, he is an incredibly powerful teacher, but more importantly he is my FRIEND. We are all in this together, and we will never free ourselves by continuing to impose hierarchies of any kind, even under the guise of "spirituality". We must join together with each other in love and respect. Raphael lives this truth on a daily basis and is an example to us all of what true Relationship can, should, and some day, will be. I feel very very blessed to be able to consider him my friend and so honored to know that he also considers me his. - J. K. I feel safe with very few people, and I feel safe with Raphael. - W. H. M. When he signs an email, "Love Raphael," you feel loved. You feel the love and you feel like I want to share that love with people the same authentic way that Raphael shares it. - C. B. I am very grateful for the chance to work with you and I very much appreciated the warmth and caring with
which you reached out to me. My time with you in Newton stands out as one of the sunny, expanded,
wonderful moments of my life that I can bring to mind to help me recall the possibility for such openness. - C. Y.
I have a very dramatic thing to report. The day after you worked with I woke up, and a huge cyst on my
thumb that I have had for years reduced in size to 1/3rd and the next day to 1/2 it's original size. I really
appreciated what you helped me with. It seemed to be really important. I'll see you again I'm sure. - A. S.
(Note from Raphael: Sometimes healings like the above do occur in sessions, even though they're not designed
or publicized as such. Full presence is the healer, though, not me.)
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The Book
"Yours is the first book I've been able to give to my non-spiritual friends, those who are perceptive enough to
not be constrained by 'religion', but still hunger for something real." - D. J.
Finally, with your book, come all the tools a person could ever need. LTQ sounds so
simple at the outset, it reminds me of a quote attributed to Albert Einstein: "Everything should be made as
simple as possible, but not simpler." Your book is so full of constant reassurance, guidance, inspiration, practical action, that I read a bit of it
every day. - B. P.
Thank you for your contribution of "Unconditional Bliss". I have read it twice, and have it close by on many
days. I love the presentation of two simple questions. My husband has picked up the book, and he too, finds
it to be such a simple concept that eliminates so much baggage.
I am a compulsive person, have a history of trauma and abuse - it is easy for me to get side-tracked, and "hook"
into people, places and things in order to "buffer" some of the pain. This book, at this point in my life was
instrumental in transitioning from following the "addiction experts", therapy, and the multitude of books often
promising "the answer. The best part for me, is living this way prevents the fall from the binge, the spending
spree, or the fix from toxic people. What a gift. Thank you. - M. R.
Your book stands out by its remarkable clarity and practicality. You offer a simple tool that allows people
from all walks of life to access their 'beingness'. This is priceless and so much needed, especially in the
difficult times that America and the world at large is crossing now. - N. A.
I am reading your book, which I just bought yesterday, and I can hardly put it down. Your writing style is
exceptionally easy to read and straight forward. It's fascinating to me, also, how my experience while reading
your book is to have lightbulb momentsWhat I think sets your book apart is the absence of doctrine as a
foundation for believing" what you present in your thesis. This is truly refreshing. - D. K.
Even though I was going through an exceptionally hard time when I read the book, and the chatter part of the
brain kept saying, (pardon me) "This is bullsh-t. No one can be in this degree of hardship and feel good." The
still intuitive voice that is always right egged me on. And it is a very, very wise and precious book and you are
doing good work indeed.
I have since loaned the book to my sister who has Parkinson's disease, who loved it, and found it very helpful
and healing, and I recommended it to an acquaintance who lost his beloved wife to a long cancer battle. I have
told several other people about your book. You have touched on something- it is something people are
struggling towards themselves- definitely part of the universal homework right now- people are trying to talk
about this- but you give them tools and a proven path .And your technique is SO simple, and the book is so
sweet, clear, and short. And it works. - A. F. Of course Raphael would be very sad that keep passing my book around and around rather than having people go out and buy it. But I have shared this with a lot of different people. It's interesting because I don't really say a whole lot about it. They just tell me what's going on in their lives that isn't right, and I tell them there is a book they should read that would help, and I hand it to them. And then two or three days later I get a phone call back, this is wonderful, this stuff really works. - B. W.
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The Process Thank you for your
practicality without dogma. - L.G.
Over the years, I've learned how I become driven by whatever I resist, however subtly. I appreciate Living the
Questions because it helps me be present to my actual experience in the moments when that's hardest to do. - T. P. As a psychologist I've been trained in many theories, and I've done a lot of my own personal growth and what I've found is that Raphael's two questions and the way they're asked always get to the heart of the matter, especially with the most core issues. So I refer his book to many of my clients, and I have received so much positive feedback from them.- M. M.
Living the Questions is so wonderful because it helps you become aware of how you truly feel about things. You become open, accepting of others just exactly as they are. It's a wonderful release and it makes your life so much more enjoyable. - P. S. Living the Questions gives me the opportunity to get out of catastrophising my life. - W. H. M. Living the Questions helps all of us learn how to be authentic. - J. J. I would say that there's not a single soul that it couldn't benefit. I've actually introduced a lot of friends to it. And my daughter-in-law, in a time of great trouble came to it, and was intrigued by it. Her oldest child is nine years old, and has problems with embarrassment and lack of confidence. He was having a sort of emotional breakdown over something going on in a baseball game. Usually when these things happen for him, he gets kind of a hysterical. But my daughter-in-law sat him down and lived the questions. He totally clicked in. He said I'm feeling embarrassed and frightened. We were just all blown away that this is even accessible, without training, to a nine year old boy in emotional pain. - C. M. I have used the questions with my mother, and they worked. There were no bells and whistles, just a simple drop-by visit when I didn't bring any expectations to be dashed. It was okay. I left peacefully. They have worked for me in other situations as well. Thank you for sharing this simple, effective tool. - T. G. Living the Questions has benefited me both personally and professionally. I've used it with students and clients as a way of helping them get in touch with what they're feeling and what their concerns and fears are. - C. B. Living the Questions is the most elegant and practical process I have ever experienced for achieving a
grounded sense of well being in the midst of intense emotional reactions. I use it regularly. I consider this
technique one of my best tools for clear thinking and decision-making as well as optimal health. - O. L. This process is so portable and so understandable that it is something people can take with them, that they can use anywhere, at anytime, that is invisible to other people, and yet it is so powerful because it comes from within. - C. B. LTQ filled a hole that had not been filled in before by anything else that I had done or read about. Raphael has offered me a tool to be able to move beyond where I've ever moved beyond before. - B. W. Living the Questions has meant a great deal to me. It's given me access to my emotions on an at will basis. I think most of us don't realize what we're feeling emotionally most of the time, so it's like a tool that's standing right there when I'm in pain, or I'm confused, or I'm frustrated. - C. M. I would say if your life is less than joy-filled as you would want it, if you are looking for unconditional bliss, look at Living the Questions as a way of getting there. - J. J. Living the Questions helps me get clear about what I'm fearful of. I can find a way to move forward without having to hold on to the controls so tightly. Those of us that are controllers often try to drive our external world, when in fact all we can really control and be in touch with is our internal world and then just be flexible enough and big enough to embrace, and to be with those things that are most scary to us. And then we can let go of it and get on with it. And that's really been the most helpful thing to me personally. - C. B. I really think God meant us to have a good time on this planet and we haven't been doing it. And this process is one of the ways to get there. - B. W. TOP ^
Therapists
Raphael Cushnir gives us additional skills to help our clients experience more joy in life. "Living the Questions"
provides a framework for people to get clarity on feelings and the moment, and then possess the possibility of
greater connection and even spiritual growth. - Joseph E. Siegler, MD
The Living the Questions process outlined in Unconditional Bliss has been of great benefit to my clients. It
helps them to feel their emotions, to own them, and to recognize both who they really are and what they're
capable of becoming.
I use the process personally as well. In addition to its practical aspect, I find that it has a profound spiritual
component. It enables me to open more fully, go deeper, and transform. - Joseph Petzel, Ph.D. professor, John F. Kennedy University
Raphael Cushnir has provided us with a gentle tool that everyone can use. As clients practice his technique,
they are able to climb out of the mind chatter and drop back into their hearts. A loving gift for all of us to
utilize. - Teyani Rain Whitman, M.A., CMHCC
Many of us on the path of self-growth and transformation know that Self-Inquiry is THE tool and entering the
Present is THE answer. Raphael's book delivers BOTH. Using his two (and only two questions) helps me wake up
-- fast and simple. Embedded in this book is a core awakening process that I enjoy practicing, and highly
recommend to my clients. - Frederic Weidemann, the Unifying Fields Foundation
"Unconditional Bliss" is a lovely handbook which will help clients realize the power of "living the questions." It's
simple, clear, accessible and inviting. It offers a wonderful introduction and guide for the process of inquiring
within. - Jett Psaris and Marlena S. Lyons, Co-authors, "Undefended Love"
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Clergy
You present your work with clarity and warmth. The people at the workshop found it, and your book, to be
both powerful and helpful. - Reverend Ed Townley, Unity in Chicago
Raphael blends a mixture of warmth, humor and compassion to teach his simple yet profound process. We
thoroughly enjoyed his workshop and endorse it without hesitation. - Reverend Maureene Bass, Unity San Francisco
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