Developing Across Borders - An Introductory Group

With the support of social therapeutic coaches Lea Csikós and Elyse Mendel, group participants will meet over three weeks to build spaces to play and perform with the diversity of their histories, traditions, social identities and language. You will learn to speak more honestly, actively and directly — to give your emotionality in new ways— and in so doing, transform your emotional pain and produce new possibilities for yourself and their community.

• Experience how multiculturalism is good for your mental health!
• Play with the relationship between personal growth and community building.

Sessions held virtually, on Zoom, on Saturdays, April 9th, 16th and 23rd (at 1:30PM Eastern US Time - click dates for times in your part of the world)

THIS GROUP IS OPEN ONLY TO PAST REGISTRANTS OF CHOOSE A YEAR OF DEVELOPMENT

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LEADER BIOGRAPHIES

Lea Csikós is a social therapeutic practitioner, a developmentalist, an intercultural trainer in non-formal education, community organizer, mentor, activist and a world traveler. She was born and raised in today's Serbia, Novi Sad, and has lived and worked all over Europe, currently residing in Antwerp, Belgium. Lea is a staff member and an associate of the East Side Institute (ESI), an alumna of the International Class and a graduate of the Social Therapist leader study program with ESI. She leads and co-leads several Developing Across Borders groups weekly. Most recently exploring the topics of health and life teams with her clients and on building life with grief. She is one of the founders of Volunteers Centre of Vojvodina, an organization based in Novi Sad, Serbia that has been working to bring opportunities for development to communities and youth in the region since 2004. She is a member of the trainers pool of the French-German Youth Office, has studied Environment and Romology and is a Veterinary nurse who loves the sea and riding bikes.

Elyse Mendel is a social therapeutic coach in the East Side Institute’s Developing Across Borders emotional development groups for people across the globe. She has 40 years of experience as a community activist with the All Stars Project, a national nonprofit that uses the developmental power of performance to transform the lives of youth from poor and underserved communities. Last year, Elyse retired from her position as Director of Career Services at Baruch College where she utilized improv and group building approaches with graduate students. She has a master’s degree in education from Baruch College/City University of New York.