This 7-minute Google video introduces one of the most powerful tools for personal transformation ever discovered in psychology. It’s a concise, eloquent look at how we can begin to rewrite the emotional patterns that shape our lives:
Ever feel like you’re doing all the right things—therapy, journaling, self-help—but still stuck in emotional loops you can’t name?
You’re not broken. You’re simply running on an emotional autopilot that’s been steering your life since childhood.
Until you uncover it, you’ll keep reacting the same way to different situations.
That’s where Imperative Self Analysis (ISA) comes in.
What Is Imperative Self Analysis (ISA)?
ISA is a streamlined therapeutic model that identifies the 5–7 emotions that quietly dominate your daily life and reveals the hidden command that drives them.
It’s not a mindset trick or years of talk therapy.
In just a few focused hours, ISA helps you map your unconscious emotional code — the patterns that shape your reactions, relationships, and sense of self-worth.
If Freud introduced the unconscious, ISA names the commands that run it.
Your Emotional Palette
We each live with a personal emotional palette — a small set of feelings that repeat day after day.
They aren’t random; they form your emotional fingerprint.
Start by downloading and completing the Emotional States Menu (PDF):
Track your emotions for a week, and you’ll begin to see your 5–7 recurring states emerge.
Some clients like to print the list and make 6-7 copies. Every night they go over their day. They circle the experienced emotions. At the end of the week it is easier to notice their 5-7 most common emotions.
That awareness opens the door to deeper change.
Where ISA Came From
Developed in 1986 by therapist Leslie Cameron Bandler (now Cameron-Lebeau), ISA was born from two simple questions:
- Why do people react so differently to the same event?
- Why do some clients keep reliving the same emotion without resolution?
The breakthrough came with the idea of the Virtual Question — a silent belief or command formed in childhood that drives adult emotions and behavior.
What You’ll Discover
ISA helps you identify:
- Your core emotions (your 5–7 recurring feelings)
- Your Filter (the lens you see life through)
- Your Virtual Question (the silent command running your choices)
- Your Primary Obsessions (themes that pull your focus)
Most clients experience a major emotional shift within 2–3 hours — not years.
Note: I have had mixed results with clients on antipsychotic or psychotherapeutic medications, such as benzodiazepines, SSRIs, or stimulants like Adderall. Additionally, some individuals may not accurately report their true emotions.
How a Session Works
- You’ll be guided, not analyzed.
- You can say “pass” to any question.
- You’ll leave with a 40-word ISA Map summarizing your emotional program.
Breakthroughs often happen fast — and quietly.
Many clients describe the moment as: “It all suddenly made sense.”
Gentle and Non-Retraumatizing
ISA doesn’t require revisiting painful memories.
Instead, we start from your emotional strengths before the trauma and build from there.
For examples, see:
Cost & Guarantee
- Initial Session: $600 (2–3 hours)
- Follow-Up: $150/hour
- Sliding Scale: Available upon request
Guarantee:
After 36 years refining this process, if your core patterns remain unchanged after ten sessions, I’ll refund your full payment—no questions asked.
Real Client Transformations
Bill, 65:
“When I look through my old emotion list, I can’t find those feelings anymore. It’s as if I’ve been born again.”
Robin, 32:
Before ISA: Anxiety • Fear • Frustration
After ISA: Purposeful • Hopeful • Connected
“It’s crazy to see the difference. I’m so happy I no longer feel those things.”
Bobbie, 63:
Before: Anger • Anxiety • Frustration
After: Gratitude • Awe • Patience
“I was surprised they’re all so positive—and yet, it’s so.”
Take the First Step
- Download the Emotional States Menu
- Track your emotions for a week
- Contact me for a free Zoom consultation
📧 Email: Clint77090@gmail.com
(Please note: there is currently a waitlist.)
Final Thought
No one should have to have an Imperative Self.
We were meant to live by choice, not compulsion.
ISA helps you make that shift — quickly, safely, and permanently.
What You Might Be Thinking – If ISA is the best thing since sliced bread, why isn’t it a leading psychotherapy model? I believe there are five reasons for this:
- The ISA training was costly and required a significant time commitment, spanning over 24 days across several 6 weekends, with additional travel for some participants.
- The interventions to change the IS map were inadequate until the mid 1990s ( Clean Language) and required even more mostly trainings.
- Marketing a therapy model that promises significant changes in personality traits within a few sessions is challenging. The prevailing belief is that therapy should be a lengthy process. Leslie’s innovative approach was ahead of its time.
- Therapists often have established practices and may be reluctant to step outside their comfort zones to learn new methodologies.
- Successful ISA therapy often leads to the resolution of clients’ issues in a few sessions, resulting in a shorter duration of therapy and, consequently, a shorter revenue stream.