Mindfulness Practices to Support System Involved Youth with Developing Healthy Boundaries, Communication, and Empathy

Ursula Elsa

Training Description

Learning healthy and direct communication, building awareness of one’s needs, and being able to assert boundaries are all important skills for system-involved youth. Building empathy supports both providers and system-involved youth to be able to listen to others, practice effective and compassionate communication, and build healthy boundaries. Through embodied and experiential practices and mindfulness activities, we will explore how to bring self-awareness and compassion to supporting system-involved youth in developing these skills. We will engage in practices to support youth in developing empathy and understanding for others and tools that can support their communication in relationships through conflict and repair.

Learning Objectives

● Explain how to frame boundaries for system involved youth from a place of empowerment, mindfulness, and self-love.

● Identify and acquire at least 2 mindfulness based expressive arts activities that can be used to encourage youth to explore self-awareness, acceptance, compassion and empathy.

● Identify and acquire at least 2 mindfulness-based activities to support system involved youth in discovering healthy boundaries and tools for communicating consent based conversations

Agenda

10:00-10:30am  Welcome: Introductions, logistics, housekeeping and opening practice

10:30-10:45am  Self Reflection - Communication Style & Relationships in your own life

10:45-11:00am  Small Group Share

11:00-11:15am Introduction to Mindfulness and Building Awareness of Needs and Boundaries

11:15-11:30am  Compassion and Empathy Building Habits and Practices

11:30am-12:30pm: Mindfulness Activities: Exploring self regulation, healthy boundaries, consent, navigating conflict and repair

12:30-1:15pm  Lunch Break (CE hours will not be offered for this time)

1:15-2:15pm  Expressive Arts Activities: Self Acceptance and Self Love, Reflection on Needs in relationships

2:15-3:00pm  Cultivating Healthy Communication tools for relationships

3:00-3:30  Facilitation Practice + Adapting Activities for Specific Participants

3:30-4:00pm  Closing: Review Participant Packet, Reflections, Takeaways and Wrap-up

Meet Our Trainer

Ursula Elsa (they/she) was born and raised in the beautiful land of the Bay Area, Ohlone Territory. She has been teaching mindfulness and nature connection to youth in the Bay Area for 8 years and is currently leading rites of passage and nature connection programming for Gaia Passages. Ursula is passionate about creating programming for LGBTQI+ and neurodiverse communities. She is also a trained doula and an advocate of parent’s rights in the birth community.

This course meets the qualifications for (5.25) BBS CE hours for LCSWs, LMFTs, LPCCs, and LEPs as required by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences & is provided by Fred Finch Youth Center, CAMFT Provider #045295.