Conscious Communication for Social Justice
Transforming and fostering relationships, groups, & communities one conversation at a time
This 6-part Conscious Communication workshop series is for people who intend to create and sustain meaningful, emotionally safe, deeply trusting, and connected relationships while actively dismantling racism/sexism/homo/transphobia/xenophobia/ faith-Islamaphobia/abelism/patriarchy/colonization.
The sereis will teach you:
-Isms 101, Systemic Oppression, Identity, Privilege, and Self-Awareness, Colorism, Internalized Oppression, Implicit Bias and Microaggressions, & Conscious Communication (Theory)
how to support, affirm, and create a safe, diverse, and inclusive community (Theory)
the PRACTICAL verbal and non-verbal communication tools that are needed to sensitively navigate challenging “unconscious power dynamics” related to issues of race, faith, ability, TLGBQIAGN and/or class inequity (Praxis)
how to foster safety, trust, and authentic connection bravely and with dignity (Praxis)
how to kindly and bravely explore, deconstruct, and deescalate conflicts and triggers without attacking, alienating, or shutting down people (Praxis)
how to account for each other while holding each other accountable safely and positively (Praxis)
“High quality relational skills are at the heart of all successful and thriving relationships, groups, and communities.”
You will be introduced to a time-tested mind-body-emotional regulation & a relational framework that provide guidelines for embodying the above work.
The results of this kind of praxis are greater sense of safety, connection, healing, trust, and meaningfulness rather than frustration, breakdown, regretfulness, judgment, blame, and shame.
Some questions that will be explored, but not exclusive to this list:
1 How to use communication to dismantle racism/sexism/homo/transphobia/xenophobia/faith/Islamaphobia/ableism?
2 How to build bridges in a way that is safe, brave, trustworthy, effective, and therefore, sustainable and authentic?
3 How to become conscious of privilege and power dynamics in relationships/conversations?
4 How to offer support around past hurt w/o patronizing/fetishizing/blaming/shaming /judging/etc.?
5 How to ask for support from people in our lives without entitlement/expectation/demand/etc.?
6 How to take care of ourselves when conversations get too hot to handle?
7 How to inspire and influence our relationships without manipulation and other colonizing tactics?
Why Conscious Communication?
For many of us, it can feel hard connecting with people who are different than us (or even people in our daily lives like our partners/relatives/co-workers).
In our intention to create a more proactive, inclusive, affirmed, kind and connected world, upgrading our communication with each other and especially with people who are different than us becomes imperative. This can feel especially challenging for some of us who are used to interacting with mainly our “own kind” on a regular basis. The politically tough times we are currently in encourages many of us to forge relations with people that are different than us. However, it can feel daunting to know where to start and how to do it effectively and productively. This workshop is created in response to this reality.
A safe relationship environment is made possible through training your nervous system and your brain to stay conscious. It is important to know how to stay in the neocortex function of your brain (rather than dip into the emotional/reactive/unconscious brain) in real-time, especially during sensitive and tough conversations.
Therefore, in this workshop series, facilitator will cover the communication strategies that help you to stay in the neocortex so that you may feel effective in your communication with everyone you wish to build healthy, sustainable, trustworthy relationships with.
We will be introducing advanced tools designed for navigating certain challenging and triggering conversations that will be built on the foundations covered in the initial workshop.
Everyone is invited to bring their questions/communication challenges to this workshop so that you may be supported.
SAMPLE Session Outline:
Session 1: Introduction workshop: We will discuss how past painful experiences may get in the way of how we communicate today, how we hear messages, how we express ourselves, and what is needed to better respond to misunderstandings and reactions known as “triggers”.
Session 2: Deconstruct the “social playing field” context. Introduce the “spheres of influence” and “system of oppression.” Explore what is needed to level the oppressive dynamics and the imbalanced playing field in real-time no matter who you are interacting with.
Session 3: Discuss how to build trust and rapport with sharp and effective listening skills. Learn how to navigate the judgments and misinterpretations that creep into your mind while listening to the other person.
Session 4: Discuss the importance of sender responsibility and how to speak with awareness as a person with certain privilege/s. Discuss (practice) how to build/express the vulnerability muscle.
Session 5: Learn what and how to develop deep relationships/bridges that can withstand bumps along the way. Learn where to begin healing/repairing damaged relationships once triggered/trust is compromised.
Session 6: Group activity: Conscious communication skits. Group feedback activity/celebration.
Benefit of Practicing and Embodying Conscious Communication:
Enjoyment of relationships where all parties feel safe, compelled, and respectful of each other
Foster meaningful connection with each other while enhancing self-awareness and inner-calmness
Eliminate patterns of judgment, blame, shame, defensiveness, or chronic misunderstandings
Transformation and repair of chronic dynamics of emotional stress/damage/prejudice/discord
Trianing Program -Single Person:
6 sessions series: 2 hrs. each session
$65/workshop session/person or
$300/one time payment for entire series
3% tax is applied to each payment.
No make-ups or refunds available for missed sessions
If you are interested in the workshop, please email with your interest to: Class@sustainable-wellness.com
Class is offered in Decatur, Atlanta.
Training Program -Small Group/Orgnization (2-10 Participants):
10 workshop series (20 hrs. total) over 5-6 months: 2 hrs. each session
First four months: 2 sessions per month. Last two months: 1 session per month
Total training cost: $5000.00
50% payment required two weeks prior to first session