The quality of virtually every relationship in our lives – family, friends, co-workers, neighbors, and more – is greatly influenced by how skillfully we listen and speak. For many of us, mindful communication can be a challenge as well as a source of suffering for ourselves and others. Leaning to listen and speak wisely can greatly enrich and bring healing to all of our relationships. 

Our learning objectives in this workshop are to cultivate speaking and listening with presence and caring, incorporating the following six guidelines of ATTUNE which have been developed by instructor Angie Parrish in her work in Mindful Communication:

• Aspire to enrich relationships through the practice of mindful communication
• Tune in, letting go of thinking and using mindful breathing to shift into greater awareness of the present moment
• Trust that we can allow meaningful dialogue to unfold without trying to control the outcome or force an agenda
• Understand what is arising in ourselves and others so that compassion may take the place of anger or fear
• Nourish with deep listening to truly hear the other and create space for communication and relationship to deepen
• Express with HART, with kindness, honesty, wisdom and an intention for our words to be of benefit to others

Together, these guidelines offer essential support for awakening amid the rich challenges of interpersonal encounters.

The workshop will include meditations, instruction, and practice opportunities through interactive exercises.

The workshop will be held at the FCM Practice Center, 6501 N. Nebraska Avenue, in Tampa from 8:30 am to 3 pm on Saturday, June 29. The cost is $60, with a reduced rate available for those needing financial support. If you have questions, please email us at info@floridamindfulness.org.

Workshop Leader

We want to be happy. To enjoy our life, our relationships, our work, our time off. Yet, in spite of our best intentions, ease turns into frustration and confidence turns into anxiety. So, what’s going on? Where is this misery coming from?

Class participants will learn:

• The mind is the source of our experience;
• How past conditioning arises in mind & develops into positive or negative mind states
• How to use feelings as indicators of the presence of conditioned reactive states
• How to recognize the choice point where new behavior is possible
• Specific mindfulness practices for:
  - Recognizing & stabilizing negative mind states 
  - Recognizing & nourishing positive mind states.

This class is approved for 5 Continuing Education Credits for LMHC; LCSW; LMFT 

Workshop Leaders

Darlene Stewart, LMHC, is a retired Florida Licensed Mental Health Counselor.  She’s worked in counseling psychology since 1970.  She specialized in providing trauma services for children and adults suffering from the effects of childhood abuse & neglect.  She’s incorporated mindfulness into daily life and work since 1997. 

Charles Stewart, LMHC is a retired Florida Mental Health Counselor.  He’s worked in counseling psychology since 1970.  He specialized in providing substance abuse & mental health counseling for people suffering the effects of chemical addiction.  He’s incorporated mindfulness into daily life & work since 1997.

Digital Detox

Save the date!

More information to come in early 2019.