Donaldas Duškinas is a rhetoric teacher, lecturer, coach, Gestalt therapist, and meditation and conscious breathing teacher. He is the founder of Rhetoric Academy and the author of five books on rhetoric and public speaking.

He began his professional career as a theatre director, working according to the K. Stanislavski method. He later worked as a creative director in the field of corporate events and gained experience in business psychology at an international training company, both in Lithuania and abroad.

Since 2006, he has worked as a freelance rhetoric teacher, coaching and psychotherapy practitioner, and corporate consultant specialising in people management. His methodology is based on the principles of coach training: 80% of the training consists of practical exercises.

Donaldas Duškinas’ books include Rhetoric. Rhetotherapy, Afraid to Be Seen, Rhetoric for Teachers, Rhetoric for Children, and Slow Wind.

Yes. Rhetoric Academy provides public speaking and rhetoric training for companies, organisations, and teams throughout Lithuania and abroad, depending on the client’s needs. The training is delivered by rhetoric teacher Donaldas Duškinas, who has been working in this field since 2006.

• Group size: from 1 to approximately 30 participants; formats for larger groups are agreed separately.

• Languages: Lithuanian or English.

The programme is tailored to the organisation’s context and participants. The training is suitable for managers, executives, sales teams, or individual employees. Common situations covered include business presentations, conference talks, client meetings, negotiations, and internal team communication.

Rhetoric training covers a broader range of skills than traditional public speaking courses. In addition to speaking techniques, it develops argumentation, storytelling, connection with the audience, and self-awareness. Public speaking is an important part of rhetoric, but only one of its components.

Traditional public speaking courses typically focus on technique: posture, voice, presentation structure, and managing nervousness.

Rhetoric training develops not only public speaking skills, but also conscious communication, argumentation, storytelling, building a connection with the audience, and self-confidence. Participants learn to express their thoughts clearly, persuade others, manage nervousness, and adapt to different audiences and situations.

Self-awareness is an important part of rhetoric training. By gaining a better understanding of their strengths, communication style, and areas for improvement, participants become more authentic, charismatic, and confident speakers. As a result, rhetoric training helps people not only speak better in public, but also communicate more effectively at work, in business, and in everyday life.

The training is delivered by Donaldas Duškinas, a rhetoric teacher, Gestalt therapist, and coach who has been working in this field since 2006. His approach combines rhetoric and public speaking techniques with psychological work on the fear of public speaking.

Online rhetoric training takes place in real time via Zoom, Microsoft Teams, or another video conferencing platform convenient for the client. It is the same training as in person, simply delivered remotely: participants speak, complete practical exercises, and receive direct, individual feedback from Donaldas Duškinas during the session.

The same methods, practical exercises, and rhetorical tools are used as in in-person training. The content, duration, and number of participants are the same.

The only significant difference is informal interaction during breaks: online, there is no shared coffee or hallway conversation. In all other respects, the quality, content, and practical value of the training remain the same.

Rhetoric Academy also offers recorded online courses, which can be watched independently by logging into your personal account.

You can register in two ways: by emailing donaldas@retorikosakademija.com or by completing the contact form on the page of the service you are interested in.

Registration is available for:

• Corporate and team training

• Individual consultations

• Therapeutic sessions

Once your enquiry is received, we will contact you to discuss your goals, format, duration, and preferred date. The programme and price are agreed individually.

Yes. If requested by the client, certificates signed by Donaldas Duškinas are provided after the training.

Rhetotherapy is a method developed by Donaldas Duškinas that combines principles of rhetoric and therapy to help overcome the fear of public speaking and build self-confidence. The method was developed based on more than twenty years of experience working with audiences and is described in his book Rhetoric. Rhetotherapy (2019).

Rhetotherapy is based on five elements:

1. Beliefs: identifying limiting beliefs, such as fear and lack of confidence, and transforming them into supportive ones.

2. Breathing: conscious breathing to manage tension and release emotional blocks.

3. Body: a relaxed body that communicates confidence and energy.

4. Voice: developing a natural and well-trained voice.

5. Algorithms for achieving results: practical strategies for applying rhetoric in everyday communication, public speaking, and at work.

Unlike traditional public speaking courses, rhetotherapy works not only with speaking techniques, but also with the underlying causes of fear, including beliefs that may have developed even before a person’s first experience of speaking in front of an audience.

During rhetotherapy, we explore where the fear of public speaking comes from, what causes it, how it manifests in different situations, and which methods can help overcome it. Since every person’s experience and challenges are different, the process is tailored to individual needs and specific situations.

Once the causes of public speaking anxiety have been identified, practical methods are applied to help reduce tension, strengthen self-confidence, and speak more freely in front of an audience. As a result, rhetotherapy helps not only improve public speaking skills, but also develop an authentic, persuasive, and charismatic speaking style.

This is a relatively complex question. Initial results are usually noticeable after 1 to 5 individual consultations; in more complex cases, up to 10 sessions may be needed. In group training, skills can be significantly improved through intensive 1 to 2 day rhetoric training.

The time required depends on three factors:

• your starting level and previous speaking experience;

• the intensity of your fear of public speaking;

• how often you apply the tools in real-life situations.

Practice between sessions makes the biggest difference. Consistently applying the skills at work and in everyday communication helps build confidence faster than simply attending training.

Yes. Rhetoric Academy’s training is suitable for beginners who experience anxiety even when speaking in a small group or during a team meeting. The process starts with basic communication rather than speaking on stage.

Public speaking is not limited to presentations at conferences. It begins when a person steps out of their inner world in the morning and says “Good morning” to the people around them.

Training addresses different levels:

• communication in small groups and team meetings;

• speaking in professional settings and meetings with clients;

• presentations and speeches in front of large audiences.

If the fear of speaking is deeper and connected to anxiety about being seen, it may be most appropriate to start with therapeutic sessions, where the work takes place one-on-one and is based on Gestalt therapy principles. If you have a specific speech or presentation coming up soon, individual consultations are available for that purpose.

Five books by Donaldas Duškinas on public speaking and rhetoric are available in Lithuanian:

• Rhetoric. Rhetotherapy: an original method combining rhetoric with work on beliefs, breathing, the body, and the voice.
• Afraid to Be Seen: about the anxiety of being seen and speaking in front of others.
• Rhetoric for Teachers: for educators who work with audiences every day.
• Rhetoric for Children: focused on developing children’s speaking skills and self-confidence.
• Slow Wind: a guide to breathing meditations that can be useful for managing nervousness before speaking.

Among the classics, Aristotle’s Rhetoric is worth reading. It is one of the oldest and most influential works on rhetoric and explains the foundations of persuasion: ethos, pathos, and logos.

In addition to books, TED and TEDx talks are useful learning resources. They allow you to observe the techniques used by some of the world’s most accomplished speakers, including pauses, story structure, and connection with the audience.

Donaldas Duškinas’ books can be purchased in two ways: from the Rhetoric Academy online store or from bookstores in Lithuania.

When you purchase a book from the Rhetoric Academy online store at retorikosakademija.com, it comes with a personal message from the author, something you do not receive when purchasing elsewhere.

Donaldas Duškinas’ books:

• Rhetoric. Rhetotherapy (VAGA Publishing, 2019)

• Rhetoric for Children (VAGA Publishing, 2020) - available exclusively from Rhetoric Academy

• Rhetoric for Teachers (VAGA Publishing, 2021) - available exclusively from Rhetoric Academy

• I'm Afraid to Be Seen (VAGA Publishing, 2025)

• Slow Wind: A Guide to Breathing Meditations (VAGA Publishing, 2026)

Delivery: Orders are delivered to parcel lockers or by courier within Lithuania. For international delivery, please contact us at info@retorikosakademija.com.