Breakfast Speakers

Each month at the WBE Breakfast we have an inspirational speaker. Thank you to all of our speakers!  Our speaker for October 2008 was:

Janice Eng

Getting to the Heart of the Matter

Communication is at the heart and soul of every relationship. Whether a terse exchange with a next-door neighbor, a stand-off with your fifteen year old, or an airing of personal differences with a workplace colleague, the words that come out of your mouth can, in that instant, change the quality of your future relationship.

In that heat of the moment or in a period of painful difficulty, it is essential to speak in a way that builds healthy relationships. How do you have compassion for someone when it seems as if they are making your life worse? How do you see someone’s humanity when their actions are triggering anger or resentment? How can you communicate in a way that leaves you feeling empowered and free?

With speaker Janice Eng, we will go beyond the oft-taught conflict resolution elements of collaboration and compromise and step into the power of compassion.

A trainer in Nonviolent Communication and one of the founders of the Freedom Project, an organization that works in prisons, Janice will share her process for using compassion to diffuse attacks and step into one’s power. Starting in 1999, she teamed with three others to pioneer a unique program to the prison community, when Marshall Rosenberg, founder of the Center for Nonviolent Communication gave a workshop there. Since then, she has worked tirelessly and creatively to transform prisoners into peacemakers and build stronger communities.

Janice currently teaches in two prisons, and has herself broken free from the ‘prison of fear and anger’ to continue this work from a place of strength and courage. We hope that you will join us on October 9th to hear her amazing story and the techniques she employs to bring compassion to all her relationships.

Biographical information about Janice Eng:

Janice Eng is a founding member of Northwest Compassionate Communication and of the Freedom Project, a non-profit organization that strengthens our community through supporting the transformation of prisoners into peacemakers. She has served organizations such as Women of Wisdom, Evergreen Monthly, Cascade People’s Center, Asian Counseling and Referral Service, schools, diversity groups, parenting groups, as well as prisons through the Freedom Project.

Growing up as part of a large traditional Chinese family in a predominately Caucasian and Hispanic community, Janice is keenly aware of issues of racism, sexism, prejudice, and diversity. Whether it is through individual consultation, workshops, or ongoing classes, her passion is to bring out voices not normally heard, to build bridges of understanding, and to develop thriving relationships, communities and organizations, all of which are built on compassion and trust.

Janice has a degree in Applied Behavioral Science from the Leadership Institute of Seattle at Bastyr University. She has been in the holistic healing field for more than 25 years as a licensed massage practitioner and registered counselor. She employs many healing modalities to help people break free from pain or negative patterns, whether physical, mental, or psycho-spiritual.  She has certification in Neurolinguistic Programming, Hypnosis, various Energy Psychology techniques, Reiki, and Applied Kinesiology.