fostering wellbeing,
compassion and
social connection
Beyond Us & Them offers practical, evidence-based solutions to enhance wellbeing, disrupt division, nurture relationships and deliver tangible results.
Beyond Us & Them envisions a culture of social connection, engagement and resilience that promotes mutual respect, wellbeing and care and dismantles systems of oppression, exclusion and racism.
combatting isolation, fear and loneliness and improving wellbeing, resilience and community engagement
We are committed to transforming systems by training law enforcement officers, healthcare providers, educators, policymakers and community based organizations -- among other populations and individuals -- to cultivate wellness, relationality, compassion and resilience.
Click on the boxes below to see our work in action.
our programs
what we do
supporting individuals and communities
Our work focuses on the individual, as well as the collective. Mindfulness practices, compassion-based communication exercises, and training in self-awareness, resilience and self-regulation increases not only personal wellbeing, but group wellbeing, as well. These practices support a deep sense of community and foster recognition of a shared humanity and interconnectedness.
how we do it
evidence-based, compassion-focused methodology
The evidence-based methodology in our award-winning programs focuses on developing the following core capacities:
- mindfulness and awareness of self and others
- wellbeing and self-regulation
- authentic and compassionate communication
- social connectedness and team cohesion
- creation of structures of belonging
our impact
disrupting division; ensuring every voice gets heard
Attentive listening and authentic expression builds positive relationships and neutralizes hierarchical dynamics formed by the inequality of status, race, or other social factors. It is critical that individuals give voice to their stories, develop mutual respect, cultivate a compassionate response to anger, defensiveness, and violence, as well as strengthen emotional health and resilience.
Our programs and training are designed to resource individuals and organizations in self-awareness, self-regulation, effective communication and embodied compassion.
our mission
The mission of our work is to promote structures of belonging, utilizing council and other practices to encourage social connection and wellbeing for first responders, system-impacted individuals and other populations.
a solution in a time of crisis...
a message from executive director jared seide
We live in a time of overwhelming challenges.
Amidst widespread economic, socio-political and environmental crises, the U.S. Surgeon General issued an advisory in 2023 concerning "Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation." Human beings are built for social connection, but we have become increasingly isolated over time; 50% of Americans report feeling lonely. Studies show that loneliness results in significant increases in functional decline and greater risk of premature death. Our health and wellbeing is suffering as a result of diminished social connection and our communities are painfully divided, rife with rampant othering. The social fabric is frayed. Rather than embracing our rich diversity, we are becoming more isolated and adversarial. Rather than respecting our commonalities and shared values to engage together in the hard work of reforming our institutions and American society, we increasingly blame, vilify and harden toward those we perceive to be on the other side. And we isolate, which has a profound impact on our mental, emotional and physical health.
First responders and public safety agencies are overextended and underprepared and police-community relations are broken. Educators are overwhelmed and under-resourced. People of Color and other marginalized individuals feel unsafe. Burnout and attrition is rampant in the law enforcement and healthcare sectors. Calls for transformational change of systems, policies and practices have reached a tipping point. The American public and its public safety institutions are in crisis. Simultaneously, close to 2 million Americans are incarcerated, over 60% of whom are Black, Indigenous or People of Color. While 95% of incarcerated individuals will be eligible for release at some point, 44% will return to prison within one year, demonstrating the insufficient support for their transition to healthy functioning lives in their communities.
There is an urgent need for transformational change in the institutions we depend on for education, wellbeing and public safety. This historic moment demands a critical assessment of systems and structures that dehumanize and devalue individuals, demoralize agency staff and that perpetuate oppression, marginalization and racism. Together we must lead the creation of new programs and practices that generate respectful dialogue and creative solutions to our collective challenges. Changes in systems and structures can only be achieved and sustained if we work to transform and resource individuals and the cultures in which they interact. This moment demands innovation, action and leadership in the way we train and structure the work we do on the front lines of social justice, as well as public safety.
The work of Beyond Us & Them creates structures of belonging and provides a platform for easing suffering, cultivating wellbeing, increasing engagement and flourishing together as a community at a time when this is desperately needed.
We welcome your support!
Jared Seide
Executive Director
Beyond Us & Them
APRIL 2024
Beyond Us & Them featured in Psychology Today
Jared Seide, Executive Director of Beyond Us & Them, and our Chief Medical Advisor and physician Dr. Ann Seide spoke to Psychology Today to discuss how the practice of council can be used to overcome divisiveness and disconnection.
In the article, enititled "Using the Empty Chair to Move Beyond Us-and-Them Thinking," journalist Stephanie Sarazin dives into the epidemic of loneliness and isolation highlighted by US Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy -- and how Beyond Us & Them is utilizing the practice of council to help solve it.
Read the full Psychology Today article.
ushering in a new era
Beyond Us & Them has now absorbed all of Center for Council's operations and program activities; moving forward, all programming previously undertaken by Center for Council will take place under Beyond Us & Them.
Beyond Us and Them is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and we're excited to continue the transformative work that Center for Council has been innovating and developing for over a decade.
We invite you to explore our new website, read about our vision and mission, find out more about our transformative programs and public trainings and please consider supporting our work.
Our work cultivates mindfulness and encourages speaking and listening from the heart, which has a transformative impact on individuals, communities and systems.
When we speak authentically and listen to one another from the heart, we hear the stories that make us human and we inevitably recognize the joy, pain, fear and love that mark our shared journey. We affirm our interconnectedness and commonality and we see that we are all in this together. We build resolve through our commitment to practice and we learn to trust by experiencing our shared vulnerability.