Labs Version 2

We have highlighted certain complex issues that are facing specific groups of people who could benefit from a safe social form that lets them share and learn. Version 2 ConversationLabs are not “therapy” but they harken back to ways humans have come together to discover new ways forward. Stories and laughter often pair up!

Whether caring for elders at home or in facilities, family or staff are taxed by the many kinds of uncertainty. Parents with children with special needs or those adults who are recovering from illness all present the caregivers with special challenges. Yet, where are we supposed to be able to talk about our experiences and learn and laugh together? Sharing stories can help personalize and dignify this often-thankless work.

The Surgeon General has announced an epidemic of pressure on parents today, and with social media, phones, and working parents are struggling with financial instability. “What does a responsible parent do in this situation?” The various harmful habits are often varied and combined: social media addiction, gaming, vaping, pot or hard drugs, gambling. Parents easily feel helpless yet ConversationLabs are not “therapy.” They do offer a place to share experiences and ideas. New perspectives and humor is welcome as experienced parents can testify! Isolation and shame are chronic experiences of parents in these situations, and it is the few whose families are not impacted by some of these harmful habits.

Whether the loss we are experiencing is loss of a job or a relationship, we need to work through a process that is painful. Whether we’ve lost someone to death or the threat of harmful habits, we feel grief. Threats of financial instability is a loss of a sense of security that was enjoyed by many in the prior decades. Loss itself is part of the human experience, and sharing stories helps us put our own situation in context and unload some of the pressures.

Balancing our professional contributions with our needs for flexibility and financial stability is facing many young and mature adults. This is not personal, but systemic and it is helpful to see how we can address our fears and enter into a positive planning orientation. Our quest for security is a shadow in today’s world. Having meaningful work that delights us or helps us feel valued is a conversation that many of us would like to join. We are not helpless!

Social media and the tech tsunami has strained adolescent-parent relationships. Conversations about “Adjusting boundaries and expectations” or “Sharing responsibility for a healthy and strong family” can be held by parents, or by teens, or by parents and teens in the same lab. We can learn from each other to strengthen our capacities to meet each other’s needs, yet we cannot do this by a simple “family talk.” Our fast-paced lifestyle and tech attractions have disrupted the forum and ConversationLabs provide a gameboard-type experience that is fun and yet provides a needed form.

Late teens and those in their twenties and thirties are facing an economic volatility that is unprecedented. The idea of getting “a job” that provides a living wage and healthy working conditions is tricky at best. Higher education may or may not provide the scaffolding needed to the work force of the future that will be able to adapt to the constant social/financial/political/cultural changes ahead. Talking with each other and even inviting elders as “guests” can help address “Taking up capacities I’ll need to build” or “Auditing and reconciling my habits.” Meaningful conversations provide nourishment for hungry young adults.

Changes in living arrangements for elders can be painful and even traumatic. Moving into a new facility requires a huge adjustment and isolation is a common defense as individuals try to adapt. ConversationLabs can be hosted by existing residents and even staff to help newcomers find their footing socially and in a living space that is unfamiliar. Topics such as subtle as “Missing my former life” and as practical as “Adapting to Mealtimes” can help newcomers begin to make friends and navigate their transition. These experiences can help people avoid retreating to Netflix in their rooms to soothe their bruised feeling life.