Workshops
Soft skills are undeveloped and overlooked in our society. The need for these skills goes hand-in-hand with self-care. I created these workshops to help people recognize the importance of self-care by setting boundaries, goals, and protection. It is about defining who you are, why you are here, what you believe, what you want to do, and where you want to go. When you define what you want others to know about you, you are using your voice to define your own narrative. This workshop is designed to help you find your voice to define your narrative. It will teach you to set boundaries and goals to protect yourself from the judgment of others, and to protect yourself from your own judgment, as we can be our worst critics. This workshop uses specific memory triggers (plate/ladder/circle) to guide you through the process of decision-making and protecting yourself, regardless of the situation. By using these simple concepts, decisions are made using sound reasoning and judgment at that specific moment in time.
The Plate
Boundaries, time management, saying no
The Ladder
Goal setting, decision making, facing fears
The Circle
Protection, trust, handling criticism
I offer my workshops as 1 hour, 1 day, and 2 day seminars in person or via Zoom. I can tailor the focus based on your needs:
- Empowering people to take control of their lives through time management, boundary setting, goal planning, and protection from judgment, using sound decision-making strategies
- Promoting understanding of how self-care and decision-making strategies define our narratives
- Offering personal, professional, and team development and skill building
Testimonials
It’s easy to lose a sense of self and community for those of us who have suffered trauma. A natural reaction to pain is to withdraw, and put up barriers. Unfortunately, these actions can lead to feelings of isolation and being closed off from loved ones. Plate, Ladder, and Circle is a therapeutic workshop designed to help you open back up and understand what, and who, is truly important in your life. The instructor, who has suffered trauma herself, guides you through exercises designed to enlighten your thought processes. Realigning thoughts to what’s truly important to our individual situations allows us to focus on the positive and start to heal from within.
Kathleen Hambrick, LadyJusticeMyth.Blog
The workshop helped me with self awareness and reflection. It motivated me to take control of my own decisions and direction in life. I learned that negative experiences can be reframed into positive learning lessons. This workshop reminded me that I need to take care of myself, so that I can help others. Difficult experiences can be used to help us grow, evolve, and help others. It's all based on the perspective we have or take on, and our perspective is something we can control. Thank you, Pammy, for the hope you provide to people.
Aracely - Citizens Against Government Entrapment (CAGE)
I attended a seminar given by Pamela Desin and realized how many bad decisions I’ve made through the years. Listening to Pamela explain how the Plate, Ladder, and Circle can work for us makes so much sense. It is an antidote to the worries and cares of an anxious world. Pam’s workshop shows us a way to live in a hopeful, loving world, free of discord and indecisiveness.
G.R
Taking Pamela's workshop on Plate Ladder and Circle was just what I needed during a point in my life of trauma and confusion. Pamela offered me suggestions and solutions all in a way that I could fit into my own personality and ways I relate to people, not all of whom fit into "my circle" or on "my plate." Thank you Pamela for your empathetic and understandable presentation to our group that gave me much clarity at an unclear time of my life!
Ann Smith
I had the rare opportunity to attend a seminar, given by Pamela Desin, one night in the summer. She gave me clarity on my feelings about myself and validated my feelings in uncomfortable situations. “It happens FOR you, not TO you” is a common quote of hers and it gave me a new perspective on this journey called life. She gave new meaning to a plate, a ladder, and a circle and how each of those items relates to each of us differently. She shows us how we can better ourselves and those around us every day by doing the techniques she teaches. She also spoke about an egg, a potato, and a coffee bean, asking which are you? It gave me a different way of looking at myself and my surroundings. I plan to attend either the one-day or the two-day workshop she has created. I am excited to see the workbooks and to do the exercises she has spoken about, but on a deeper level. I believe this is a soul-inspiring journey that everyone should take.
L. C., Fairview, PA
Pamela’s Plate, Ladder, Circle analogy is such a simple yet powerful way to understand boundaries, goals, and protection. By connecting these ideas to everyday objects, the plate for boundaries, the ladder for goals, and the circle for protection, she makes it easy to visualize and apply in real life. What really stood out to me is how practical this is. These are things we all deal with, but the way she explains them just makes everything click. It’s a reminder that I have control over my own life, who I let in, and what I focus on. Listening to Pamela present this was so engaging. She has a way of making things clear and relatable, and her real life examples bring it all together. You’d think this would be common sense, but the way she breaks it down puts everything into perspective in a way that actually sticks. One of the biggest takeaways for me was when she said, “Accept people as they are but place them where they belong”. That line alone is gold. It’s such a freeing mindset shift to realize that I don’t have to change people, but I do get to decide how much access they have to me. This analogy is simple, practical, and honestly kind of genius. It’s something I know I’ll carry with me, and I can already see how it’s changing the way I think. If you’re looking for a way to set better boundaries, stay focused on your goals, and protect your peace, this is definitely worth learning.
Tiffany Briggs
After listening to Pamela give her presentation on plate, ladder, circle I realized that even though she gives simple tools, the complexity of applying them to my life meant I needed to make some changes. Not just about deciding who would be in my circle but where exactly within that circle they would fit. I learned not everyone needs to be on the “inside” of my life. This workshop is valuable in many ways! Thanks Pamela for your hard work.
Betty Brand
The Circle, Plate and Ladder presentation was time well spent. Pammy's approach offered a uniquely powerful and practical way to choose how to prioritize time and emotional bandwidth to manage overwhelming and demanding life circumstances and challenging problems. Highly recommend!
Danell Puglisi-Knutson
I had the opportunity to attend two of Ms. Desin's Plate, Ladder, and Circle Workshops. The first workshop was presented at a large conference and the second for a small non-profit. The concepts taught in both workshops are critical to an individual's success, both in business and in life, with an emphasis on achievable goals, time-management, prioritization, conflict resolution, and setting professional and personal boundaries through easy-to-follow memory triggers. It's brilliant in its simplicity! After the conference workshop, a significant number of attendees stayed to talk with Ms. Desin. To my astonishment, several attendees had tears in their eyes because of the profound effect of her workshop. This workshop has been life-changing for me and I have adopted it as a professional and personal lifestyle. I now find it easier to prioritize my activities, have learned how to set boundaries, and how and when to say "no" in a professional manner without alienating others. The "Circle" memory trigger has helped immensely and I now have a clearly defined circle. I have learned how to extricate myself from organizational conflict and no longer dwell on criticism or conflict by those who are not in my circle, professionally or personally. I now have a regimen of self-care which has kept me from burnout without compromising my effectiveness; in fact, I am more effective than ever. I unequivocally recommend the Plate, Ladder, and Circle workshop for your employees and for you.
Elena Altevogt, retired IT Business Development Professional