Are there areas in your life where you feel stuck — your job, partnerships, health, family or friendships? Or know people who feel that way? You are not alone, and you don’t have to stay stuck.

Join social therapeutic practitioners Lea Csikós and Elyse Mendel for a 4-session journey where you will explore how you can build a team in your life and create your next moves with others.

Whether you're navigating a transition, seeking change, feeling stuck or simply curious about new ways of living and growing — this gathering is for you, your friends and family.

This offering is a part of Developing Across Borders (DAB), a program of the East Side Institute. DAB offers multiple weekly international online groups that, using the social therapeutic method, connect people across cultures, generations, and life circumstances to build community.

DAB is a solidarity-based practice, making participation accessible to all by allowing people to pay what they can to support one another.

Attendance of all 4 sessions is required.

Zoom Meeting Dates:

Sundays, 10:00am-11:30am Eastern US - (Click links below to see the time of each session in your part of the world)

October 5th, 12th, 26th, November 2nd (See note below)

NOTE TIME CHANGE IN EASTERN US AFFECTING NOV 2ND SESSION - This session may have a different start time for you depending on your part of the world.

Leader Biographies

Lea Csikós is a social therapeutic practitioner, developmentalist, intercultural trainer, and community organizer from Novi Sad, Serbia. With over 20 years of experience living and working across Europe and now based in Antwerp, she leads Developing Across Borders groups at the East Side Institute, exploring health, life teams, grief, relationships, cross-cultural resilience, and more. A co-founder of the Volunteers Centre of Vojvodina, she has created programs that have reached hundreds of youth and communities. Today, she draws on her combined expertise and experiences to design spaces that are engaging, transformative, and human-centered. Lea brings curiosity, warmth, and a love of travel, the sea, animals, improv, and cycling into her work—because, as she jokes, growth is serious business, but it should also be joyous.

Elyse Mendel is a social therapeutic practitioner, educator, community organizer and activist with years of experience working in multicultural communities. Elyse is a staff member with the East Side Institute (ESI) and leads weekly, international, emotional development groups with Developing Across Borders, a program of the ESI. She has served as a Director of career services in higher education institutions, pioneering the use of improvisational play and group-building. Elyse is passionate about using conversation, listening and play to help people explore new possibilities in their lives.