T E S T I M O N I A L S
Truehome technology has been a decade in development.
Many homes have been designed and built using this method. Images of those
homes are used throughout this website.
A few of those success stories are printed at the bottom
of this page.
Here’s
what clients, real estate agents, architects, psychologists, and academics have
to say about Truehome
Real
Estate
Professionals
"I
felt like a participant in the process, not just a client. I discovered the
true depth of my value for, and attachment to, my home."
Frank
Johnston,
Owner Heritage
"Selling
real estate is about listening and developing trust. Truehome asks all the
questions up front that top producers have learned to ask their prospective
buyers, because top producing Real Estate Professionals helped develop it.
Truehome helps us understand what properties might truly be a match for our
clients, even when they are not sure themselves. That saves us time, and helps
them understand we are listening and doing our best to serve them."
Sandy
Reed,
Psychologists and Academics
"Truehome is a credible tool that seeks out the design
that will prove to be nurturing to our needs, allows us to heal when necessary,
to take refuge from the stresses of work and the world at large, and to regain
our equilibrium. Clinical intuition supports Travis' work in this regard but,
more importantly, the behavioral and brain sciences both lead me to believe it
will be effective as a strategy for the design of positive, progressive,
healing environments for living."
Cecil Reynolds,
Ph.D.,
Internationally known expert in
psychological testing and assessment, author of The Handbook of School
Psychology, and the Encyclopedia of Special Education, Past President of the
National Academy of Neuropsychology and the author of many psychological tests
including the Test of Memory and Learning (TOMAL) and the Behavioral Assessment
System for Children, one of the most widely used psychological testing tools in
the United States.
“I have been particularly impressed by how Truehome was
built with a sophisticated psychological theory at its core to create a set of
exercises that are engaging and intuitive without sacrificing rigor or depth. I
believe that Truehome, more so than any conventional design process, will help
clients create spaces that match their personalities, ultimately resulting in
happier, healthier lives."
Sam
Gosling, Ph.D.
University of Texas
behavioral psychologist, research scientist and internationally known expert on
personality. Author of The Secret Language of Stuff.
“People mostly look upon
their homes as structures in which to live. But what if the home was much more,
a living extension of the people living in it? What if the home could adapt to
the physical, emotional, and physiological needs of its occupants? Wouldn’t we
all be happier if our homes served us, rather than the other way around?
Truehome is an innovative approach to home design and remodeling that
incorporates cutting edge cognitive, ecological, and physiological principles
in a way that puts the homeowner in control of the place she inhabits.”
J
Scott Turner
Associate Professor of
Biology,
"Chris Travis has
uncovered an often overlooked factor in home building and remodeling; that each
project is to become the home of a living, breathing, feeling family. A home is
not just boards and nails...it cradles a family."
Jack Greeson, Ph.D.
Clinical
Psychologist, Jack Greeson and Assoc. (Also
Truehome Design client)
"The
Truehome Workshop and training manual are excellent practical tools."
Oladele A. Ogunseitan, Ph.D.,
M.P.H. Department of Environmental Health, Science, and
Policy,
ARCHITECTS
"We
were the beta testing site for Truehome. It lowered our production costs
radically. Our clients love it and it makes our job much easier. It allows you
to tailor a home to a family system. Environmental psychologists and
practitioners have talked about merging psychology with architecture for
decades, but these guys have actually done it. It's a tool that really
works!"
Robert Brett Pitt A.I.A.,
Sentient Architecture, LLC
As an
architectural programmer and planner, I have long thought that a project could
be raised to a higher level of success and satisfaction if a client had an
awareness of various factors that influence his architectural sensitivities and
decision making. I certainly agree with the Truehome Workshop that the
resultant design can be enhanced if a client's DREAM can be understood,
developed, and reflected in the final programmatic product.
Via your 'journey,' the
client is focused, fully invested, will probably make some interesting discoveries
about himself…and the designer will get a magic glimpse inside his
cabeza."
Harry
Harwood,
Architect
Design
Clients
"As a
'graduate' of the Truehome Workshop, I can tell you now that we are in the
house, the method has worked beautifully for us and we are total believers.
Sitting in those window seats is a joy!!! I feel like I know every nook and
cranny, and it is all so familiar. The whole process has been so good for
us."
Executive New
Home
"I love my house and the history it represents.
Chris instructed me to design a dream home I knew I could not afford…after a
while a pattern begins to evolve. To me, it was very relaxing."
Carol Doell, Historic
Restoration,
Executive New Home
“Truehome truly guided us and created a home about who WE
are, not someone else’s perfect home. We are delighted by our floor plan that
would have not been nearly as successful without this program, and look forward
to many happy and nurturing years in our home.”
Sarah
Chisholm,
Executive New Home
Only after working through the entire process did we have
clarity on our dreams for our home. This house has been in our family for over
60 years. Our home renovation was completed last week and we love the light,
the space and the way we feel when we walk in the front door. This is our
TRUEHOME!
Laurence
Dempsey,
Major Remodel of Family
Home
"You made us think about what we wanted before
construction began. If you hadn't made us sit down and consider lifestyle,
living spaces, furniture etc., we wouldn't have ended up satisfied. By knowing
beforehand our personal needs, we were able to reduce future stress."
Harold Yarnold - Major Remodeling
Project,
Executive New
Home
"It was smooth from design to building. I was 700
miles away so this was a big advantage. (The greatest benefit was) …making the
lists of what I must have, and what I would like to have if money was no
object. Both lists were fulfilled. I got exactly what I wanted and much more.
For me, it couldn't have been better."
Mavis
Executive New Home
"Considering that we
began by describing our needs as a simple restoration, and ended up redoing
everything and adding 2000+ sq. ft., I would describe the benefit of doing all that
homework as paramount. Of greatest value was our recognition of our need for
large porches…nothing short of a miracle!"
Lynda
Adams,
Remodel of farmhouse w/additions,
Executive New Home
“We participated in Truehome and learned a lot about
ourselves. We always expected to realize our dream of wintering in
John and Linda Dickey
New Home
“Your process really saved
my life and opened (my husband’s) eyes so that he has begun to work with me on
my healing journey instead of against me. How does one say thank you for that?”
Rosemary
Burkhard
Research Client
"If the client takes
the time to participate seriously in the process, they will not be disappointed
in the results."
Bruce Frenzel - Befco
Engineering,
Executive New
Home
SUCCESS
STORIES
(Note: The names of those involved in
case studies are changed to protect their privacy.)
Carolyn
Carolyn
was a busy advertising executive and professional events manager seeking to
build a new home that catered to her tastes and lifestyle. Through her
experience with Truehome, Carolyn discovered how some issues from her childhood
had greatly affected her feelings and goals for her ideal home - and indeed,
her decisions about her life.
Carolyn's father's alcoholism often turned family
gatherings around the dinner table into unpleasant experiences, and as a child,
she deeply resented this intrusion into what was in many ways a pleasant family
life and she felt that she had no control over the situation.
Carolyn learned through
the Truehome exercises that she had carried forward into her adult life an
adaptive strategy that was an unconscious response to the situation. She had
become a social butterfly, a polished hostess who put enormous energy into
entertaining and creating pleasant social occasions for family and friends. She
was essentially trying to control in her adult life what she had been unable to
control as a child.
As a result, Carolyn's Truehome was designed for entertaining,
which not only fit her lifestyle but also allowed her to feel relaxed and in
control of her environment.
Carolyn was raised on the West Coast, and had happy
memories of her years in
As a result, Carolyn's Truehome contained architectural
elements which reminded her of both
Mr. and
Mrs. Baker
In the process of designing a new home, Mr. and Mrs. Baker
were at loggerheads because Mr. Baker had become very attached to a particular
design solution that involved what he called a basement. The building site was
on the side of a hill and he wanted the first floor to be partially below
grade. Mrs. Baker emphatically disliked this plan. They found themselves at a
standstill, unable to resolve their conflict. He thought she was being
unreasonable, and she thought he was being stubborn.
Then, through the
exercises in Truehome, it became apparent that Mrs. Baker had actually suffered
a serious childhood trauma with which she associated enclosed spaces. Her
association was so strong that she could not enter any enclosed area without
feeling intense anxiety. Her current home had a walk-in closet, and she
literally dashed into it to get her clothes while holding her breath, and ran
out as soon as she could collect her things.
Upon completing the Truehome process, Mr. and Mrs. Baker
had designed their Truehome, which contained no walk-in closets or other
enclosed spaces, and no basement. What it did have, however, was an expansive
back porch that reminded Mr. Baker of loving times with his mother when he was
growing up; lots of windows, open to the sky so he could see the stars; and
architectural cues throughout that Mrs. Baker associated with being safe and
secure.
Thanks to Truehome, Mr. and Mrs. Baker were better able
to understand each other's needs. They were able to create a home that truly
nurtured and inspired both of them and their marriage.
Anita: Self-Care
Breakthrough
Anita and
her husband were in the design stage of building a new home. Anita was
responsible for the care of her disabled husband, who was unable to participate
in the decisions surrounding the design of the home, because a stroke had left
him unable to communicate.
Naturally, their home design needed to meet his needs;
however, nothing about the home was "hers." Anita was completely focused
on creating a home that met his needs, and in the process, was ignoring her own
needs.
Through
the Truehome process, Anita realized that her parents' attitudes about
martyrdom, condemnation of selfish behaviors, and conditional love had been
instilled in her. Now, in middle age, she was unable to make her own well-being
a priority because of her past. Truehome helped her to recognize this pattern,
and as a result, Anita was finally able to work with her design team to create
a home that met both her needs, and her husband's, and nurtured them both.
Mr. and Mrs.
Smith
Mr. and
Mrs. Smith had hired an architecture firm to build their dream home. However,
Mr. Smith had strong aversions to any design element of the home or yard that
might possibly involve maintenance. His aversion was so extreme that he
actually planned to cut down a beautiful grove of pecan trees on the property
because the trees periodically lost limbs.
Through the Truehome process, it became clear that Mr.
Smith's strong reaction to anything requiring maintenance stemmed from
attitudes and requirements projected by his mother around her visions about how
a "good and productive man" cared for his property.
Not only had Mr. Smith
internalized an aversion to doing household maintenance, he felt inadequate and
insecure about it when maintenance chores needed to be done. He couldn’t relax
and feel comfortable in his home for fear that something would require his
attention. Learning this information about Mr. Smith was an eye-opening
experience for both him and his wife. The new home was moved to a site away
from the grove, and the pecan trees were saved. It did wonders for their
relationship - and for the Truehome they built, which was designed with very
few maintenance requirements.
