organizations

The short answer:  Yes, there is a form of council that can benefit your group.

Our council-based programs have been used in myriad settings worldwide, including corporate, non-profit, and community organizations, law enforcement, prisons, schools, and educational facilities. Our programs are adaptable to any setting and the results and impact have been replicated time and time again.

The long answer:  Perhaps the single most challenging aspect of working with people is simple communication between them. This is true if you are working in a well-established corporate structure, a start-up managing its growth, or if you are one of a loose group of citizens interested in a community project.

This is particularly the case if you are a group or entity that has a power differential with the people you serve, such as a social justice non-profit geared toward helping a particular community, a law firm assisting those without financial means to represent themselves, or a police department patrolling a community.

While some may be eager to integrate a practice like council into their work groups or personal lives right away, others may prefer to take a more cautious approach. Council is consensual, and the silent witness seat is always honored—in other words, nobody is ever forced to share.  

Council is also not a "magic bubble" where power differentials and hierarchical relationships cease to exist. On the contrary, it is important to name the relationships we bring to council and to determine a comfortable way to include other aspects of ourselves that allow for a fuller presence in the group that is context-sensitive, appropriate, and in line with the group's shared intentions.  

​Diversity is honored in council. While some participants may feel to spend time delving deeply into issues that warrant reflection and consideration, some individuals may take longer than others to engage in council and may benefit indirectly, as the group establishes a variety of tools for appropriate and productive communication. As the culture of the group is nourished, all benefit.

The short answer:  Certified Council Trainers who have affiliated with Beyond Us and Them.

The long answer:  All trainings offered by Beyond Us and Them are led by council trainers who have completed a rigorous certification process and have affiliated with Beyond Us and Them. Often, prospective trainers who have been fully trained and are reaching the end of their certification path will apprentice or co-facilitate on workshops and trainings.  

Our team of Certified Council Trainers have logged thousands of hours in council, have varied and impressive resumes, and bring a wealth of experience and skills to their work. You are invited to explore their bios, listed on the "Affiliated Trainers" page.

The short answer: That depends on what results you're looking for...

The long answer:  In the end, the intention of all of the offerings is to teach the practice of council so that it may be of benefit. What use it is put to is up to those who take the work into their personal life, community or workplace. A grounded perspective, the capacity to regulate reactivity, communicate respectively, and cultivate skillful relationships, is intended to offer benefit to the individual, organization, or community – and the impact that has may be surprising.

In many cases, participants feel that their capacity for self-regulation, empathy, tolerance, and relationship-building is greatly enhanced by working with council. Often, unseen gifts and unexplored challenges show up. This evolving capacity can prove to be the fulfillment of a hope – or the introduction of greater complexity. And, as always, we invite participants to use discretion about where and how they bring the work of council into their lives and work, such that it aligns with their intentions and supports their growth and that of the relationships, organizations, and communities in which they function.

Council is an emergent process. Our experienced trainers offer workshops and programs that bring the practice of council to a wide variety of individuals and situations. Participation is always consensual, and the invitation is made to step into the intentionality and containment offered by each unique council in a way that serves oneself, the group at hand, and "the greater good." This is a personal process for everyone and, thus, each council experience has a unique combination of elements, like a particular assortment of ingredients adding up to a one-of-a-kind meal.

Beyond Us & Them works hard to clarify expectations and intentions for each of its offerings, whether a Public Workshop, Professional Training, or another programmatic offering. Our job is to teach the practice of council and point towards ways it could benefit one's life and work. How it is implemented is unique to each participant and varies with each group.