The Radical Honesty Institute was founded in 2021 by a collective of Certified Radical Honesty Trainers to carry on the teachings of Brad Blanton, PhD.

Dr. Brad Blanton trained in Gestalt therapy under Dr. Fritz Perls and worked as a Washington, D.C.-based psychotherapist for thirty years. He discovered from his clients that most stress and most depression was caused by lying and withholding. In the 1970s, Brad began leading groups based on the premise that sharing honestly with others relieves this suffering, brings present-moment awareness and aliveness, and creates deeper connection with our fellow human beings.

Brad wrote a book titled “Telling the Truth” which didn’t sell many copies. He re-wrote the book and published it under a new title. After Radical Honesty: How to Transform Your Life by Telling the Truth became a New York Times® Best Seller in 1995, he formed Radical Honesty Enterprises, a company that oversaw the publication of seven more titles by Dr. Blanton, as well as his Radical Honesty weekend workshops, retreats, and 8-day “Course in Honesty” held worldwide.

The company grew as Brad continued to write books, give talks, lead workshops, and certify trainers. With co-leader Taber Shadburne, Brad was holding up to six 8-day workshops a year, often in his Stanley, Virginia home throughout the 2000’s and 2010’s. Also during this time Brad co-authored a book with Neale Donald Walsch, attempted a run for U.S. Congress in 2006, and in 2014 he gave a TEDx talk in Cluj, Romania titled “How to Get Over Shit and Be Happy”.

At 80, Brad declared his wish to retire and pass the company along to the folks he certified as Radical Honesty Trainers—the teachers of his framework. A group of active Certified Trainers came together in 2020 and one year later, after much wailing and gnashing of teeth, Brad sold the company and the Radical Honesty Institute was born.

The purpose of the Radical Honesty Institute is to use our creativity, honesty, integrity, curiosity, boldness, and clarity of mind:

• by engaging in creative projects that bring awareness of the practice of Radical Honesty to the world 

• by becoming a model of transparency and integrity and honesty for the future of organizations, 

• by training others in the life-changing practice of Radical Honesty and empowering them to share the practice with people in their lives, 

to bring about a world in which:

• people may build and live in collaboration, using conflict as a co-creative tool 

• relationships are connected and raw and founded on open, honest, direct communication, grounded in what’s real and present, now 

• creative projects are a source of joy 

• sex and romantic relationships are connected, playful, explorative, and a source of nurturance 

• lives are designed creatively 

• health is valued over profit 

• experimentation is valued over certainty 

• respect for the well-being of all living things and their environments informs decisions

• children thrive and play and are nurtured by a network of individuals that supports them in directing their own education and personal development 

• and where groups of people support each other in the continual process of awakening.

This mission statement was developed following the model of Life Purpose creation taught in Radical Honesty 8-Day Intensive Workshops.

Click Here to learn more about the 8-Day Intensive.