FROM SCHOOL LEADERS & EDUCATORS:
"Alison was a godsend to our school."
~ Public high school principal who brought in Alison to do weekly coaching with teachers and administrators
"It was truly energizing to work with someone as knowledgeable and passionate as you are."
~ High school teacher who received weekly instructional coaching from Alison
"Alison, you are the best. It is hard to describe the tremendous impact working with you has had on me this year. Thank you for your patience, cheerfulness, encouragement, and support."
~ High school teacher who received weekly instructional coaching from Alison
“I found that a focused space [mindfulness for teachers workshops] in which to practice being a more mindful person helped me re-examine my teaching practice many times this year…I moved from teaching 9th to 12th grade, and I found the shift to be difficult at many points. [Mindfulness] helped me to be more present with myself and my students. I also found application for the strategies…in my personal life, which also has impact on my classroom. A teacher…better able to mindfully process her emotions in all areas of life is better able to serve her students.”
~ Teacher who regularly attended Alison's weekly mindfulness group for teachers
"The mindfulness lessons were all very successful in that I think they led to more conscious and thoughtful students overall, especially breath and heartfulness [lessons]. [Mindfulness] helped improve my patience with students and helped me personally deal with anxiety. It helped in self-care and finding kindness for myself...I am so grateful to Ms. Cohen for bringing mindfulness into my classroom and my life!"
~Teacher whose tenth grade classes received the 8-week mindfulness curriculum
"The case examples...were great. The points about using (or not using) specific language with students will really stick with me!"
~ Teacher who attended Alison's professional development workshop "Mindfulness and Test-taking Anxiety: How Mindfulness Strategies help Students (and Teachers) Succeed"
"I am trying to implement that [mindfulness practice] in my day to day life. It really helps to ground and center me."
~ Teacher who attended Alison's introduction to mindfulness practice for teachers in the Schusterman Foundation's REALITY program
"Heartfulness and labeling of emotions...gave our class a shared vocabulary. I think they helped improve the relationships and communication in our class. {Mindfulness] has increased my patience. It has benefited my overall sense of contentment and well-being and created a nice sense of community with coworkers I don't normally get to work with."
~Teacher whose tenth grade classes received the 8-week program and who regularly attended Alison's weekly mindfulness group for teachers
FROM HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS:
“Mindfulness has helped me when I was upset that I wasn’t performing as well as I should be in school, so I directed mindfulness to self to stop criticizing myself and directing more attention to my goals.”
“I was having a scary moment at home that involved my mom and her well-being. I was panicking and crying and I used mindfulness to calm down, come back to the moment and make a decision about what to do next. Because of this, I was able to help my mother...”
“A teacher got me very angry. I was debating if I should curse her out or just stay quiet. I took a few breaths and centered myself."
“You have truly helped me in finding myself as a person. Before mindfulness I was very nervous all the time about my sports, but now I encourage myself and tell myself that I can do it.”
“I also think everyone else should learn it because I know there’s a lot of people out there who need it desperately. Adults do need it…it’s just really good to make yourself feel better- it’s like taking all of the stresses of your life and putting it to the side for this moment…takes the sadness out of their head and puts some happiness into their lives.”
"Our teacher…every time one student does something to get her mad…before [mindfulness] she would scream at him, but now, this mindfulness, you could see her, she is in control of her mind…”
"Mindfulness makes me feel loved."
“With this mindful class, I’m able to realize when I am doing this or doing that…most of the time I’m just doing something, my mind’s not even focusing on the thing that I am doing…I just realized that when I eat food, my mind is not entirely here…”
"In conversation…I’m usually just thinking about something else more interesting…I’ve learned to just concentrate on what the person is saying to me.”
“Every teenager needs this, trust me - being a teenager is hard."
FROM SOCIAL SERVICE and MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS:
"The mindfulness training was huge for me! I found Alison inspiring from a professional and personal perspective. I hope to integrate some of her tips into my personal life and use them to create a more mindful relationship with my clients."
~ Social service professional who attended an introductory mindfulness workshop offered by Alison
“Alison’s kindness, warmth, and acceptance have been helpful in itself – the practice has just been extra!”
~ participant in Alison's course for counselors who work with youth
"This is a great class! I really appreciate Alison's very careful and intentional use of language, along with her validating each person's experience as normal and her clear social justice orientation."
~ participant in Alison's course for counselors who work with youth
"Thank you for your openness while teaching the course. It allowed myself and others to be vulnerable to the process."
~ participant in Alison's course for counselors who work with youth
"This was beneficial beyond my expectations, professionally but more importantly, personally. Thank you so much!"
~ participant in Alison's course for counselors who work with youth