Gay Hendricks
Gay Hendricks is an American psychologist, author, and teacher who has spent more than forty years working in the fields of body intelligence, relationships, and the psychology of personal transformation. He holds a Ph.D. in counseling psychology from Stanford University and is the founder of the Hendricks Institute, which offers training in conscious living and leadership. He and his wife, Kathlyn Hendricks, are co-founders of what they call “conscious loving” — a relationship framework that has influenced couples therapy and personal development training internationally.
Among his most influential books is The Big Leap: Conquer Your Hidden Fear and Take Life to the Next Level (2009), which introduced the concept of the “Upper Limit Problem” — the psychological tendency to sabotage one’s own success and happiness when things are going well, as a way of staying within a comfortable “zone of excellence” rather than moving into what Hendricks calls the “Zone of Genius.” The book has become a staple of executive coaching and personal development curricula.
Hendricks has written more than forty books, including Conscious Loving: The Journey to Co-Commitment (co-written with Kathlyn Hendricks), Five Wishes, Conscious Living, and The Genius Zone. He has also written detective fiction under the pen name Tinker Lindsay. His work in body-centered therapy and breathwork has been influential in the somatic psychology movement.
He has appeared on television programs including Oprah, CNN, CNBC, and 48 Hours, and has been a speaker at leadership conferences worldwide. He continues to teach, write, and coach from his base in Ojai, California.
