The betterplace well:being program is a project of the betterplace lab and is supported by BKK∙VBU, pronova BKK and Salus BKK. The workshops are free of charge for participants who are active in civil society on a full-time or voluntary basis.
betterplace well:being - The workshop series
5 arguments for a workshop visit - that's why it's worth looking inward:
- In order to tackle social challenges, it is necessary to first initiate a change in the inside.
- You strengthen your self-contact and learn to perceive and communicate your limits.
- If you know yourself well, it will be easier for you to work with others. And if you are "good with yourself", you can shape your environment in such a way that it is purposeful for you and others.
- You come into contact with people who stand behind what they do just as much as you do. This creates special connections that inspire.
- A workshop gives you a "break" from the daily work routine - a pause to feel what works and what does not. Take the time to engage with yourself and strengthen your self-contact in a sustainable way.
Our approach
Anyone who decides to face the global challenge of our time, either full-time or on a voluntary basis, needs a good amount of inner stability. External structures that give us humans a great deal of security are increasingly dissolving. The world is becoming more dynamic and complex - developments such as digitization and automation are contributing to this.
In order to be able to deal with uncertainties in our increasingly complex world, to develop the necessary creativity and to muster additional resources for collaborative processes, we need to invest in our personal wellbeing.
By wellbeing, we mean the ability to deal mindfully and consciously with inner tensions that arise from increased complexity and uncertainty. This includes developing a new balance between our basic needs of security and freedom.
With our workshop program, we want to support the ones, who are committed to change. The five beginner workshops take place mainly online. Each workshop lasts three hours and contains a mixture of impulses from the trainers, reflection exercises in small groups and elements of bodywork. How all this works? Here you can find an experience report. You can either participate as a single person or you can pack your whole team and go on a journey together. The individual workshops build on each other in terms of content, so it makes sense to attend them one after the other.
Meet Yourself! (workshop 1/5)
Strengthen self-awareness on a mental, physical and emotional level
Only when we are in contact with ourselves can we make contact with others. Self-contact has at least three qualities: it is physical, emotional and mental. In the first part of the workshop, participants practice perceiving themselves on all three levels. Then, participants look at their relationship to two of the most important basic human needs: On the one hand, we need a sense of belonging & security. On the other hand, we need autonomous self-expression and with it the feeling of innovation and change. In everyday (professional) life, inner tensions often arise, for example when our sense of security is shaken by a challenging project.
Here you learn to...
- perceive yourself on all three levels (physical, mental and emotional)
- find out how this perception changes in contact with others
- give a name to experienced sensations and to understand them better through well-founded psychological concepts
- name/describe the inner tension that arises when the basic needs for security and change come into conflict with each other
The right to exist (workshop 2/5)
Uncovering unconscious thought structures and pressure to perform in order to move from a more relaxed attitude into action.
In our society, we are used to defining ourselves by our "doing." We subconsciously believe that we are valuable or deserve to belong to a group if we achieve something. This often results in a demand on ourselves that is almost impossible to fulfill. In the work context, for example, this can manifest itself in the fact that we want to prove ourselves to colleagues and put ourselves under unnecessary pressure. But what happens when we really understand that we have a right to exist as human beings? That we are allowed to "be" even without achieving anything. From which motivation and attitude do we then act in the world?
Here you will learn to...
- uncover unconscious thought structures with regard to your striving for achievement
- create space within yourself to perceive that your right to exist is inviolable
- strengthen your contact with yourself in order to come into action from a relaxed attitude
Say no (workshop 3/5)
Better decisions through more contact with one's own will and "gut feeling".
Making decisions can sometimes be quite difficult. In order to know how we want to decide, we should know what we want. But how do we best find that out? How good is our connection to our "gut feeling"? And what happens when we actually feel that we already have enough to do, but colleagues ask us for a favor? Do we manage to refuse in a friendly way or do we go beyond our own limits? In this workshop, participants will improve their decision-making skills.
Here you will learn to...
- find out how easy or difficult it really is to say "no".
- how to make better decisions
- strengthen the contact to your will
Embodiment (workshop 4/5)
More energy and better decisions through a more mindful awareness of your own body.
Our body gives us strong signals and direct feedback on our behavior every day. Through it, we perceive how we are feeling at the moment and what we need. We do not always succeed in listening to our body's signals in everyday life. For example, we often smile even though we don't feel like it. This costs energy. In this workshop, participants will learn through various exercises how to show their inner authentic state to the outside world through good body awareness. This leaves more energy for the important things.
Here you will learn to...
- listen better to the signals of your body
- increase your energy level
- make decisions more easily
Meditation (workshop 5/5)
Get to know different meditation techniques and choose the one that suits you best.
Meditation is an often used tool of self contact. Because in silence we find back not only to ourselves, but also to what motivates and inspires us. Connecting deeply with ourselves in mindfulness offers the possibility of regulating our own nervous system, connecting more deeply with our own momentary experience, and thereby experiencing more inner focus and clarity. For many people, this is empowering. Participants* in the workshop will experience different meditation techniques and learn how to anchor them in their everyday work.
Here you will learn to...
- get to know different meditation techniques: breathing meditation, presence meditation, walking meditation
- choose the right meditation technique for you
- share with others the difficulties you may encounter while meditating
Once again at a glance:
- 5 beginner workshops for inner strengthening
- free of charge
- open to all participants who are engaged in full-time or voluntary work
- in German language
- Duration of one workshop: 3 hours
- period for participation in all 5 workshops: approx. 3 months
- workshops will be repeated more often, so that a longer period for participation is possible
- in the next months digital, if possible also analog again in the bUm - space for engaged civil society
How can I stay up to date?
If you are interested in the workshop program, you can sign up for our info letter. We will then inform you about the latest developments of the program and the upcoming dates.
FAQ
How can I participate?
The basic workshops are free of charge and open to all participants who are engaged in full-time or voluntary work. Each workshop lasts three hours and contains a mixture of impulses from the trainers, reflection exercises in small groups and elements of bodywork. In the coming months, the workshops will be implemented as digital formats in German and partly in English. The minimum number of participants is 12. Registration takes place via Eventbrite.
Do I have to attend all the workshops?
The five workshops build on each other in terms of content. This means that Workshop 1 is a prerequisite for Workshop 2, etc. Over the course of the next two years, the workshop formats will be repeated several times so that participants* have the opportunity to start the program and continue workshop content at different times.
Will I receive a certificate of participation?
We will issue you with a certificate of completion after you have participated in the full program, attesting to the skills you have learned.
Team
Projektleitung: Lisa Bogerts lisa.bogerts@betterplace-lab.org
As a freelance coach, trained psychological counselor and alternative practitioner of psychology, Bettina Rollow brings a great deal of experience in translating wellbeing approaches for everyday professional life. Through her trainings in Thomas Hübl's "Timeless Wisdom Training" and in Gestalt therapy, she has also gained several years of experience in guiding self-awareness. Together with Joana Breidenbach, she shows in the handbook "New Work Needs Inner Work" that every external change of structures and processes must necessarily be accompanied by an inner transformation.
Anjet Sekkat is a certified midwife and alternative practitioner of psychology. In her work as a trainer for Transparent Communication according to Thomas Hübl, she has been leading groups in self-awareness, meditation, communication and self-care since 2014. Furthermore, she has deepened these competencies in assisting the 3-year Timeless Wisdom training. She has been working as a mentor, coach and supervisor for different online programs (Conscious-U and Academy for Inner Science) since 2015. Furthermore, she has built up and is running a training and further education series for therapists* and coaches since 2015.
Jana Schmitz has been working as a psychologist, coach and trauma therapist (NARM) in her own practice since 2021, where she focuses on accompanying individuals as well as teams and groups. She is trained in Transparent Communication according to Thomas Hübl and has built up her knowledge of consciousness and personality development as well as meditation in many seminars, workshops and trainings. She has also acquired a deep therapeutic knowledge during her many years of work at the Heiligenfeld clinics. The topic "Inner Work" is very close to her heart, not only since her training in New Work, which is why she recently published an online course "Inner Work Intensive" with her colleagues Joana Breidenbach, Bettina Rollow and Anjet Sekkat. She has been living in her hometown Berlin again since 2017.
Sucha Gesina Wolters holds a degree in education and has worked for many years as a lecturer and social worker in adult education. She is a trainer for communication in community building processes and trained in transparent communication according to Thomas Hübl. She works in her own practice and in a psychosomatic clinic as a SE therapist / trauma counselor according to Peter Levine and assists in SE training. She also works as a coach and supervisor for individuals, couples and groups.
Rivka Halbershtadt is a qualified somatic trainer with over 15 years of professional experience. She works with individuals, groups and teams to facilitate change in all areas of life. Through various approaches to bodywork (Biodanza, Shiatsu, Tui-na) Rivka's work aims to expand her clients' freedom of choice so they can discover and live out their potential. Her coaching sessions have a strong transformative character - both on the physical and spiritual level - and enable participants to integrate her insights into their everyday practice from the very beginning.
Rainer Höll is an executive coach, organizational developer and one of the pioneers of social entrepreneurship in Germany. He has worked in social change for 15 years and has personally advised and supported more than 100 social entrepreneurs all over Europe. Coaching clients typically work with him on difficult decisions, overwhelm, existential crisis, being on the brink of burnout, self-exploitation, conflict with their colleague, investor, the team, their co-leader.
Background: https://www.rainerhoell.net
Picture lighthouse: Simon Kiepe