How we function in our personal relationships, the workplace and society is inextricably linked to how we think, feel, problem-solve, and communicate. Yet we live in a society that dismisses mental health. Embrace Your Humanity! teaches how to harness your innate abilities, particularly emotions, to make good decisions.

Human beings have feelings for the same reason they experience pain and hunger. They are a survival mechanism - information of a need or threat they’re overlooking. By acknowledging all your feelings (needs), where they're coming from and what’s in your control, you achieve balance - the essence of well-being.

Takeaways:

• Why feelings are practical and necessary to achieve balance and make good decisions.
• How to avoid feelings getting in your way. 
• The 3-step process for harnessing emotions in order to problem-solve.
• How to evaluate your mistakes without judgment. 
• How to deal with other people's emotions. 
• How to communicate so you will be heard.

Do you feel inadequate and undeserving, and assume others see you that way? Do you feel like a cup with a hole in it: no matter how much positive feedback you get, you need more? Do you treat others like mirrors: in other words, how you feel about yourself depends on how others react? Do you mind-read, second-guess yourself, anticipate other people’s reactions, compare yourself to others, self-criticize and overanalyze?

Working with women for over three decades, I’ve been struck by how many struggle with feelings of inadequacy. My colleagues have observed this, too. Women compensate for feelings of inadequacy by being hard on themselves. Of course, inner bullying further lowers a woman's self-esteem, creating a vicious cycle.

Takeaways:

• Overcome feelings of inadequacy and stop the people pleasing, perfectionism and self-bullying.
• Gain insights you won't hear anywhere else, based on 30 years of clinical experience.
• Stop being hard on yourself even if past efforts have failed.
• Set boundaries and assert yourself without "looking for permission."
• Stop using people as mirrors for a sense-of-self and learn how to self-validate.

One of the biggest misconceptions about anxiety is that it’s interchangeable with worry. Not so. Anxiety is an emotion. Worrying is a thought process. Anxiety is a normal reaction to feeling out of control. Worrying is a coping strategy, albeit an ineffective one. Anxiety is innate. Worrying is a choice.

• Why anxiety isn't your enemy or something to talk yourself out of. 
• The 3 types of anxiety.
• The 3 areas in your control. 
• How to reduce anxiety by problem-solving and "arming your toolbox." 
• The power of mindfulness in managing anxiety. 

Workshops and books that teach communication skills are only scratching the surface. Good communication requires an understanding of a relationship's underlying dynamics - that is, why people react the way they do. It's like learning a new language, but it can be learned! Based on 30 years of practice, Ms. Belson has developed a list of "16 Principals of Communication," that are essential in any situation, easy to understand, remember and apply. 

Takeaways:

• Ms. Belson's "16 Principles of Communication."
• Why good communication has less to do with skill and more to do with underlying dynamics.
• How to apply Principles in a variety of settings.

With a background in play therapy, I've been helping parents work smarter, not harder for over 30 years. 

Takeaways:

• What "mirroring" is and why it's integral to your child's self-esteem.
• How parenting is like a backyard fence. 
• How your relationship with your child is your most powerful tool.
• Core developmental concepts that should shape every parent's interventions.
• Techniques for fostering compliance and empowering your child to make good decisions. 
• Myths about parenting.
• Do's and don'ts of parenting.
  

Most organizations go straight to problem-solving before identifying underlying needs, creating competing agendas and personal conflicts. This workshop teaches groups how to work as a team in 4 phases: Identify Needs, where there is consensus, Brainstorming, Evaluating (including consolidating and resource assessment), and Implementation. This workshop will also cover communication tools (aka reverse psychology) for avoiding conflict, such as praising, identifying common ground, and holding others accountable.

Takeaways:

• Avoid power struggles by externalizing the problem and identifying underlying needs.
• Use a 4-part strategy to develop an action plan for success.
• Communicate using reverse psychology techniques that build trust and "disarm" disruptors.

As a Behavioral Health Officer in the Army, I handled domestic violence cases and taught anger management to Soldiers. When recounting an altercation, Soldiers described a sequence of events escalating into violence. I call this phenomenon the “domino effect.” When you push on the first domino in a row, they all fall. But remove just one and you alter the outcome. So, it is with law enforcement: most violent altercations with the public are the culmination of a series of choices.

As we study the events leading up to police brutality, there are any number of decisions – some large, some small – that, if altered, can prevent tragic outcomes. There are four factors that play a role in the outcome of a call: emotional regulation, perception of events, physical reactions, and communication. In this presentation, we look at how to train officers to de-escalate and avoid unnecessary violence using these four components.

Takeaways:

• Four factors associated with violence among law enforcement.
• How each factor plays a role in violence.
• Comprehensive approach to training to prevent and deescalate violence.