NNC Consulting: Keeping our spaces safer in online offerings in Mindfulness
By Dr. Jackie Gardner-Nix
July 2020
The world is in high gear in online offerings, whether for professionals, clients/patients, or general public. Mindfulness is increasingly being offered in this space, too. But “on-site” does not translate seamlessly to “online”: How do we keep this “container” safer?
It can be unsafe for those who become triggered into such difficult emotions from an insight that arrives without warning and can shut a person down emotionally or rev them up into agitation. It may not just pass in a short time, or on its own: A visit to a therapist may be needed. We cannot predict the impact we may have through a meditation given with compassion, a presentation we are sharing with passion, or a discussion which seems engaging and exciting.
Mindfulness practitioners have a sense of what might be triggering and what may be frankly unsafe in online public forums, therapeutic groups, and “drop in” formal practice sessions open to anyone. Safety, however, may be a new consideration for those organizing such events.
There are strategies to keep audiences safer, such being well-trained as a facilitator, aware of trauma-informed languaging as a presenter, registering participants even for public forums, and obtaining insurance to protect those delivering these well-meaning offerings.
At NNC, we can help review what is planned and advise on how to increase safety. Contact us at team@neuronovacentre.com.