As Bond girl Caroline, it was Serena Gordon's job to analyse 007 and evaluate him in the field.

In real life, it is her husband Tim Laurence who examines the behaviour and psychology of the stars of stage and screen who flock to enlist on his personal development course.

Serena played MI5's resident psychologist in the movie Goldeneye in which she is sent out to observe James Bond and determine if he has been emotionally disturbed by the death of another agent - until Bond seduces her in his trademark fashion.

The former Bond girl is among many celebrities who have signed up on her entrepreneur husband's course.

Tim runs his eight-day residential course, called the Hoffman Process, in Seaford.

He is duty bound to keep the names of his clients confidential but they have included pop stars and other celebrities.

He hopes a book on the process, You Can Change Your Life, will give everyone the chance to improve their lives.

It discusses the course, which Tim says can help overcome stress, depression, anger and grief.

The Hoffman technique, labelled the Rolls-Royce of personal development courses by the book's publisher, helps participants explore their past relationships to improve their present ones.

It has already gained national recognition after celebrities from The Priory Clinic, the renowned centre frequented by the rich and famous, completed the course.

Tim said: "The course is a bridge between the established theory that we are a sum of the behaviour patterns we learned as children and our potential as human beings.

"What we aim to do is help people step out of the role they have been assigned by their family - be it the scapegoat, the black sheep or the perfectionist - so they can see who they are behind that facade."

Tim established the course in 1995 after meeting its founder Bob Hoffman while living in the United States. He has since become one of the Hoffman Institute's three directors.

Serena, who has two children with Tim, completed the course in 1995 and says it has changed her life.

She said: "When I was growing up I was always told I couldn't spell, so I never wrote. Doing the course made me realise I could write and now I am developing a script for a television series."

The book, published by Hodder, is due to be released in April.

Tim said: "It is for any normal neurotic - someone who feels there is something missing in their life but cannot quite put their finger on what it is."