Education and Training in Relationship Skills for Individuals and Teams
Relationships occur in three domains—within (your relationship with yourself), between (your relationship with others) and among (your relationship with the context—the challenges of your profession and the system in which you work).
Whenever we engage with an individual or a team of individuals, we try to keep the dynamics between these three domains in mind. Each of these domains has its own unique needs and desires, and these competing demands (between the needs or beliefs of oneself, of others and of the system or context) are frequently at the root of many disagreements or challenges.
Our process involves education and training so that individuals and their teammates develop awareness of the presence of these competing demands and the skills to manage them.
This kind of work takes Curiosity, Openness, Acceptance and Loving compassion (COAL) for oneself as someone who is willing to learn and grow. We see each other as verbs—constantly in the action of evolving, rather than as nouns—static and stuck; labels not capable of change.
We believe that from our earliest days of life, we all yearn to be seen, heard, understood, and valued. We all long to be in relationships where we feel soothed and safe. Our training aims to help our clients create that kind of security “within, between and among” so that they can make choices that create a culture that feels flexible, adaptable and stable; and that integrates the needs of the individuals and the system by linking the differentiated parts into a coherent and energized whole (which is what the integrated part of our life skills is about). The ultimate outcome is creation of a sense of security, value, meaningfulness and authenticity.
In the past (prior to Covid) we were accustomed to coaching in person. As coaches, we are both somatically trained to be attentive to energy, body language and other factors that cannot be conveyed by telephone. As we have become more facile (due to Covid) with using zoom, we have found that zoom provides an adequate platform for coaching (although not as good as in person). Because of its convenience, particularly for clients who are located outside our immediate area, we are very happy to provide coaching by zoom at a time and date that is mutually agreed upon between us and the client.
We generally offer a preliminary session at no cost to assess whether or not we feel comfortable with the issues and to also enable both us and the client to determine if there is a good “fit” for the process. At that time, we can better determine the cost based on the issues and the amount of time we project might be needed to achieve mutually agreed upon goals.
Human Factors Consulting for Healthcare Teams
We have worked with numerous healthcare professionals (including medical students, residents, faculty, nurses, APP providers), multidisciplinary teams, and healthcare organizations both private and academic. Our backgrounds and experience make us unique as consultants because we combine our knowledge of context with our extensive training and experience in both relationship skills for improving teamwork, our work with leaders in helping them create resonant and whole brainÒ leadership styles (see publications on this topic under the publications tab in this website), and our ability to work with multidisciplinary teams to help them craft their shared commitments, discover impeding competing commitments, and create processes for getting “unstuck.” Our consulting work has many pieces and requires a thoughtful exploration of the issues, the desired outcomes, and who will be “owning” the process. In general, our consulting will usually involve aspects of teaching, training and on-site work.
It is imperative that an organization that chooses to work with us understand that our focus is to provide growth and learning in the service of restorative work, and not to find fault or assign blame to an individual or group. It is always our hope that an outcome from our work will be greater understanding and articulation by the members across the organization of what they are all are committed to; identification of what gets in their way of achieving their desired outcome and how can they create small modifications (in behavior or processes) through courage, imagination and practice that can invite and foster the change they yearn for?
We also provide teaching and training in the form of engaging didactic presentations as well as limited experiential workshops and retreats to help individuals learn skills related to teamwork, conflict management, and resources to help manage the consequences of burnout, moral injury and cognitive overload. It is often an outcome from these workshops and educational seminars that some individuals choose to pursue more intensive coaching or counseling.
In order to consult for your organization, we need to know the hopes and goals so that we can determine who we need to work with and which of our services will be needed.
We also provide teaching and training in the form of didactic presentations as well as limited experiential workshops to help individuals learn skills related to teamwork, conflict management, and how to better integrate the workforce into one that is Curious and Non-Judgmental, as well as Flexible, Adaptive, Coherent, Energized and Stable.
Education, Training and Counseling for Partners and Spouses
We are known for our work teaching relationship skills for couples (spouses, partners, people in committed relationships). The relentless demands of a professional life devoted to healthcare can contribute to stress that often overflows into the relationship between couples. The resulting consequences can also affect relationships with all members of the family. Jamie has spent a career working with couples and helping them develop resources for managing the demands of their relationships. Ross is a presence-basedÒ coach (2006). Both Jamie and Ross have training in multiple areas including IFS (Internal Family Systems), Satir Family Systems, Spiral Dynamics, Appreciative Inquiry and Collaborative Couples Therapy. They have also received training from John Gottman, Dan Siegel, and Lou Cozolino. Jamie has additional training in Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), Practical Applications of Intimate Relationship Skills (PAIRS), Sensory Motor Psychotherapy and adult attachment. Jamie is also a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) in North Carolina and has decades of experience working with couples—many of whom have worked in healthcare. Most importantly, they have lived the life of marriage against the backdrop of a career in healthcare and have first-hand experience of the stresses created by the demands of this career and how they contribute to the challenges of marriage or partnership.
Couples work can be extremely rewarding as partners learn new ways of connecting and appreciating one another as well as skills for managing old and recurring problems. As they learn and practice these skills, change occurs. We have found that an important underlying requirement for this type of work is commitment to one another and to the relationship, as well as the ability to turn towards one another and to want to see each other as friends.
We are available for creating educational and training workshops in professional settings. Couples who are interested in doing more intensive relationship work with us can apply for and attend one of our weekend couple’s retreats at our home and retreat center in Bermuda Run, North Carolina. Details are available upon request.
It is imperative that an organization that chooses to work with us understand that our focus is to provide growth and learning in the service of restorative work, and not to find fault or assign blame to an individual or group. It is always our hope that an outcome from our work will be greater understanding and articulation by the members across the organization of what they are all are committed to; identification of what gets in their way of achieving their desired outcome and how can they create small modifications (in behavior or processes) through courage, imagination and practice that can invite and foster the change they yearn for?
We also provide teaching and training in the form of engaging didactic presentations as well as limited experiential workshops and retreats to help individuals learn skills related to teamwork, conflict management, and resources to help manage the consequences of burnout, moral injury and cognitive overload. It is often an outcome from these workshops and educational seminars that some individuals choose to pursue more intensive coaching or counseling.
In order to consult for your organization, we need to know the hopes and goals so that we can determine who we need to work with and which of our services will be needed.
We also provide teaching and training in the form of didactic presentations as well as limited experiential workshops to help individuals learn skills related to teamwork, conflict management, and how to better integrate the workforce into one that is Curious and Non-Judgmental, as well as Flexible, Adaptive, Coherent, Energized and Stable.