In school, we take Health Ed and Phys Ed! What about Relationship Ed? Of all of what’s important in school, learning about relationships is often neglected! We foster countless relationships with little preparation or guidance. The mission of TRF is to introduce respectful communication skills based on the fundamentals of Nonviolent Communication (NVC). This work empowers individuals to articulate their needs and feelings without blame and judgment and to listen empathically.
Healthy Relationships 101 Curriculum for Teachers
$125 for printed copy
$95 for digital copy
Discounts available for higher quantities
3 Main Workshop Learning Objectives
1) Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study and its impact and findings
The objective of the ACEs and their impact workshop is first and foremost to educate adults about the prevalence of trauma and the consequence of childhood maltreatment. The purpose of these sessions is to elaborate on the following:
- The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) study
- The history and the findings revealed from the study
- How to apply knowledge of the ACE study to support counselors, doctors, law enforcement, court officials, psychologists, community leaders, and forensic investigators in their work
- Designing a Trauma-Informed and Trauma-Responsive approach for families
- Building public awareness of the necessity of a safe physical and emotional environment
- Benefits of having a Trauma-Informed, Trauma-Responsive organization
- Adverse Community Experiences (ACE)
2) Neuroscience and Resilience
The objective of the Neuroscience and Resilience component of the workshop is to educate participants on the following:
- The basics of the science of brain development
- How brain architecture is affected by a child’s environment
- What happens to brain function when there is persistent toxic stress
- Strategies to diminish the effects of trauma
- Approaches to fostering resilience
- Strategic approaches to establish a sense of safety for children to develop resilience, self awareness, and empowerment
3) Nonviolent Communication (NVC) – A Universal Life Skill
The objective of the Nonviolent Communication approach in its essence is a practice of expressing one’s needs and feelings without blame and judgment and to listen empathically. It’s a collaborative approach to establishing clarity and understanding of our use of everyday language. The objectives of these sessions are as follows:
- Introducing the basic principles of the Nonviolent Communication language skill
- Defining and identifying aggressive behavior and language and how it intersects with our everyday language
- Introduce a comprehensive list of universal needs and feelings
- Define empathy and introduce the practice of empathic listening
- Mitigating and reducing the occurrence of blame, shame, and judgment
- Clarifying and describing everyday strategies that create an atmosphere of respect
- Establishing an awareness of universal needs and feelings as essential building blocks in any relationship
- Creating a Nonviolent Communication articulates community
Most people have not had an opportunity to develop a vocabulary of needs and feelings that allow for effective communication with others. NVC provides this, opening a door for children and adults to develop a high degree of empathy, critical thinking, and respect. NVC can foster greater harmony in any environment, create healthy boundaries, and opportunities to establish relationships that thrive and flourish.
Science literacy is essential to understanding the way our brains evolve emotionally. Learning involves creating new neural pathways. In contrast, there is also a process called pruning, which results in the uncoupling of established neural connections. In this workshop, we will do some simple exercises that have been scientifically shown to prune neural connections that may be in the way of self care, kindness, and compassion. Neurons are nerve cells that are electrically charged, and participants will get a delightful jolt out of experiencing the power of empathic listening.
Every day children are in the throes of trauma, crisis, and chaos. Research shows that consistent and stable relationships foster resilience. For children, one nurturing and caring adult can affect a child’s well being for a lifetime. So relationships are everything.
Our workshop helps individuals to thrive and improve their behavioral and life outcomes. We envision a nationwide movement that establishes relationship education as a core component of the learning process, creating a climate of empathic human connection. We introduce this communication skill set to help schools and social service organizations thrive and flourish, where children and adults feel safe and secure.