Here is a sampling of the workshops that Kathleen Macferran offers. These can be customized for workgroup focus. For more information contact Kathleen at:

Strength of Connection
PO Box 10009
Bainbridge Is., WA 98110-0009
(206) 780-1021 (ph)
Kathleen@StrengthofConnection.com

 

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Finding Our Strength Within

 

This workshop will explore the inner depths of our personal and collective well-being. We’ll explore what authenticity and courage mean for each of us, how we can speak with clarity and honesty, and how we can live more fully from authentic presence. In the process we’ll look at deep embodiment of the consciousness and elements of NVC, creating congruency in our internal and outer lives, transforming old pain into the vitality of the present, and how to transform conflict that manifests internally and externally. Developing greater self-responsibility and self-compassion as forces that keep us grounded and centered will be included in the experiential focus of this training.

This workshop explores:

  • Embodiment of NVC consciousness and skills
  • Development of practices for grounding and sourcing our inner power
  • How to live with authenticity and courage
  • Ways to remain centered in the midst of others’ disappointment
  • Transforming pain into power

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The Inner Path of Leadership:
Essential Qualities for Leading with Courage and Compassion

 

This workshop explores:

  • Cultivation of a variety of leadership styles
  • Accessing self-connection during challenging times
  • Acting from your deepest values
  • Resolving inner conflict
  • Maintaining self-compassion and authenticity
  • Transforming blame into connection
  • Inspiring collaboration and creativity

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Living Radical Self-Compassion

 

In this workshop:

  • Explore what ultimate self-compassion looks like for you
  • Transform stories that block self-love
  • Experience self-acceptance and self-forgiveness
  • Reconnect with your inner beauty and live from the power of that place.
  • Connect to your non-negotiable self-worth and discover what is really most important to you.
  • Explore ways to remember self-compassion when upset.

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Empathy As a Way of Being

 

Attend this workshop and:

  • Take your empathy skills to the next level
  • Increase your self-compassion
  • Deepen your own personal healing
  • Find out what prevents you from giving empathy and learn ways to maintain your presence
  • Enhance your skills for empathic connection
  • Explore street empathy for natural flow in your connections

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Living with Authenticity and Courage:
Exploring Self-Care and Life Intention

 

Is it time to step into a more authentic life? If so, this workshop is a place to get support and skills that will call your courage forth as well as gain deeper understanding for what holds you back. Within a context of empathy and support, explore the life direction that holds the most meaning for you and create a self-care plan that can sustain you as you move in that direction. Increase your awareness of what prevents you from taking self-compassion to the next level. Remove blocks to self-love, connect to non-negotiable self-worth and celebrate your authenticity.

This workshop will explore the fiery domain of authentic, respectful honesty. What prevents you from putting yourself out there and where are you sticking with agreements that no longer serve you? Learn how to express what is important to you in a way that others are more likely to be able to hear. Gain skills to hear others’ disappointment without losing your center or giving up what matters to you. Explore ways to stay in a dialog without compromising anyone’s needs. Discover ways to increase self-accountability without taking on responsibility for another, while maintaining care and respect for all involved.

Does this sound scary to imagine? If so, then we invite you join us and uncover the beauty behind the fear. Join us in the partnership of authenticity and courage. You won’t be alone.

Attend this workshop and:

  • Discover the quality of self-care that can sustain you
  • Deepen your own personal healing and connection with your life purpose
  • Find out what prevents you from caring for yourself fully and take self-compassion to the next level
  • Enhance your skills for honest expression of what is important to you
  • Enhance your ability to discern relationship dynamics that nurture you vs. drain your energy
  • Increase your capacity to hear other’s disappointment without losing your center, presence and clarity
  • Learn the how/why/when to give or receive empathy

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Introductory Immersion in Nonviolent Communication (NVC)

 

This training will include:

  • Introduction to NVC through hands-on, practical exercises and experiences
  • Living more in harmony with your values
  • Speaking honestly in ways that others can hear
  • Deepening your ability to listen to yourself and others
  • Learn skills to stay connected during difficult conversations
  • Translate judgments and demands into words that connect
  • Building trust and collaboration in your personal and professional relationships
  • Create stable agreements where no one gives up or gives in
  • Create strategies to cope with anger in yourself and others
  • Transform anger and pain into life-giving messages and personal power

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Integrating Nonviolent Communication into Every Day Life

 

In this workshop we will introduce, explore and practice skills to support you in:

  • Authentically connecting with and living from your dreams and values
  • Identifying and caring for your own needs in ways congruent with your values
  • Improving your ability to articulate and convey what matters most
  • Hearing needs behind every message and translating judgments and demands into words that connect.
  • Holding yourself with respect and compassion
  • Living congruently between your inner and outer life
  • Maintaining respectful, honest communication
  • Staying connected during difficult conversations
  • Experiencing creativity and cooperation, team learning, trust, connection and honesty.
  • Inspiring others to join you in creating the world in which you want to live
  • Connecting with other workshop participants and being aware of additional compassionate communication resources for further learning and support.

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Life-Enriching Relationships

 

  • Enhance your relationships through honest expression of what is important to you.
  • Increase your capacity to hear other’s disappointment while keeping your center, presence and clarity intact.
  • Learn how to transform blame into connection.
  • Discover what prevents you from giving empathy and expand your capacity for empathic connection, learning the how/why/when to give or receive empathy.

 

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Transforming Group Culture:
Leading with Compassion and Clarity

 

This training as an exploration of:

  • Cultivating presence, self-connection and staying centered under pressure
  • Creating a culture of trust, transparency and collaboration
  • Facilitation and leadership styles
  • Attending effectively to content and process
  • Interrupting compassionately
  • Processing conflict in a way that strengthens the group
  • Strategies for tracking, decision making, getting unstuck and dynamic flow

This workshop content specifically addresses these types if workplace situations:

  • Exploration of the conditions necessary for the building and maintenance of trusting relationships, including conditions that prevent or jeopardize trust in the workplace.
  • Learning and application of qualities of conversation that invite open communication, creativity, honesty and collaboration.
  • Integration of skills that lead to personal resilience and openness.
  • Inquiry into habits that block effective communication and create problems in the system, and transform them into skills that can be implemented to increase the effectiveness of communication in the workplace.
  • Discovery of how workplace culture can support all members of the community in valuing personal responsibility and accountability.
  • Exploration of ways to deal with conflict that restore trust, ownership and effective action.

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Transforming Conflict into Collaboration

 

This workshop will dive into how we deal with conflict and the impact it has on our personal and collective well-being. We’ll explore what authenticity and courage mean for each of us, how we can speak with clarity and honesty, and how we can live more fully from authentic presence. In the process we’ll look at deep embodiment of the consciousness and elements of NVC, power sharing, transforming old pain into the vitality of the present, and how to transform conflict that manifests internally and externally. Developing greater self-responsibility and self-compassion as forces that keep us grounded and centered will be included in the experiential focus of this training.

This training will explore:

  • NVC style mediation and reconciliation
  • Creating Restorative Systems
  • Ways to resolve conflict without seeming to do anything
  • Protective vs. punitive use of force
  • Consequences of how we use power: power with vs. power over
  • The nature and context of conflict
  • Resolving personal internal conflict
  • Breaking new ground- encouraging systemic change

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Creating Safer Communities

 

Build bridges of understanding and seek common ground in our communities through the exploration of Restorative Systems and the power of NVC. Learn how together we can transform group conflicts by seeing the beauty in each other. Create safety through connection with each other, engaging in ways that invites growth and sustenance.

Explore ways to:
Transform conflict in ways that invite growth and restoration
Community self-care
Creating Compassionate Justice Systems
Creating and Sustaining Compassionate Families

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Creating and Sustaining Compassionate Learning Environments

 

  • create safety and trust among students and between young people and adults
  • foster a culture of understanding and co-operation
  • inspire the joy of learning
  • dramatically reduce conflict
  • model and teach effective conflict resolution skills
  • create a learning environment where students enjoy their participation

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A Leaderful Life

 

In community with people from around the globe, participants and I explore our growing edges and learn new choices we have in interacting with the world.  Deepen skills and experience with authentic living. This telecourse meets every two weeks. You can participate from any location where you have phone access.