Our sessions are free, open to adults, and no experience is needed. Here is what to expect, including the parts people sometimes want to know before they walk in.
What a session is like
Relational Mindfulness (RM) is the practice of paying attention, out loud and in real time, to your own experience and to the people you are with. A session usually starts with a short explanation of the exercise, then the group practices it together, with a facilitator guiding and keeping time.
The tone varies. Some sessions are playful and light, some are curious and conversational, and some get personal. You decide how much of yourself to bring, and you can start small. There is no performance, no right answer, and no need to have anything figured out.
You don't need to be spiritual, experienced, or good at talking about feelings. RM isn't tied to any religion, ideology, or identity, and everyone is welcome.
Is this therapy?
No. RM is a skill-building and community practice, not psychotherapy, counseling, or medical or mental health treatment.
Facilitators are trained in the practice of RM. Unless they tell you otherwise, they are not licensed clinicians, and they don't diagnose or treat anything.
What you hear in a session is one person's experience or reaction. It isn't clinical advice.
RM is not a substitute for therapy or medical care. Please don't stop or delay either because of something that happens in a session.
Sessions aren't designed to work through trauma or a crisis. If you're in treatment, or dealing with something heavy right now, talk with your provider about whether RM makes sense for you at this time.
Strong feelings can come up in RM, and some people find it deeply meaningful. That doesn't make it therapy, and we can't offer therapeutic support for what arises.
What are the risks?
Many sessions are easy and enjoyable. But RM asks you to notice and say what's true for you in front of other people, and to receive others doing the same. That carries real risks, and we'd rather you hear about them from us. Taking part can involve:
Strong emotions, such as sadness, anger, shame, anxiety, or grief. Intense good feelings can also be disorienting. These can arise unexpectedly or after the session ends.
Old experiences surfacing, including memories or reactions tied to past relationships, loss, or trauma.
Uncomfortable feedback. Other participants are not professionals, and they may share impressions about you that are hard to hear or simply wrong.
Effects on relationships. What you notice or say can change how you see yourself or others, including people you know in the group.
Hearing things that are hard to set down. Other people's experiences can be upsetting too.
Physical responses, like tears, shaking, a racing heart, or fatigue.
Unpredictable groups. People can misunderstand each other, break the group's agreements, or say things that hurt.
No guaranteed results. Some people find RM helpful and some don't, and we can't promise you'll benefit.
These risks exist even when everyone acts in good faith. If you have a history of serious mental illness, trauma, suicidal thinking, or substance dependence, or you're in a period of acute stress or crisis, consider whether now is the right time, and talk with a qualified professional first if that would help. You never have to tell us.
Is what I say confidential?
Not automatically. Confidentiality at Beehive House is by request. Many sessions are casual, so we don't assume everything said is private. Unless someone has asked for confidentiality, assume that what you say or do may be remembered and repeated by others.
To ask for it, tell the facilitator or the group, before or during a session. For example: "I have something to share and I’d like it to stay confidential." We recommend limiting your requests only to shares where confidentiality really matters rather than a blanket request to everything your share in a session.
Once it's requested, everyone in the room, including the facilitator, agrees not to repeat what you said or identify you as having said it outside the session, and not to bring it up with you later unless you do first. People can still talk about their own experience, as long as it doesn't reveal what you shared.
What it can't promise. This is a shared agreement among people in a community practice. It is not a legal privilege like the one between a patient and a therapist, and we can't guarantee that everyone will keep it. If you aren't comfortable relying on the group's word, hold back what you want kept private.
There are limits even with a request. We may share information if we believe it's needed to prevent serious harm to someone, including a credible risk of suicide, violence, or abuse of a child or vulnerable adult, or if the law requires it.
Your choices, and what we ask of everyone
We aim for a brave space rather than a guaranteed safe one: a place where each person owns their own choices and the group does its best to treat everyone with care. We can't control what other people say or do, or how you'll react.
You're always in charge of your participation. You can pass, stay quiet, skip an exercise, step out of the room, or leave at any time. You don't owe anyone an explanation.
You decide what to share. Share only what you're comfortable having others hear. Once something is said, it can't be taken back.
Look after yourself. Notice how you're doing before, during, and after a session. Take a break or get support when you need it.
In return, we ask everyone to respect each other's boundaries, their right to decline, and any confidentiality someone has requested. We may ask someone to leave, or not to return, if their behavior puts others at risk or undermines the practice. If something in a session concerns you, tell the facilitator or a board member.
Before you take part in sessions, we'll ask you to sign a participant agreement that covers these points in more detail, including a release of liability.