The Touchstone Program®

The Touchstone Program

Touchstone was created in the context of COVID-19, which reshaped lives in ways and at a pace that was new and unfamiliar to all. While each of our global pandemic experiences were unique, we collectively faced a number of universal impacts including a heightened sense of anxiety; disconnection or isolation from others; the uncertainty of an unfolding unknown; embargoed hopes and dreams, and the loss of ritual and routine, all of which can led to increased stress – at home, in the workplace, and in other relationships.  It also accelerated the need to advance the notion of psychological and emotional well-being at work.

Touchstone is an 8-week program with counselling support, where participants are provided with a credentialled and confidential venue for the expression of topics of personal concern and structured navigation of unchartered territory at home and in the workplace.  Your program may include counselling elements, however Touchstone focuses strongly on the achievement of tangible goals – there is a bit more ‘push’ and a lot more homework! We roll-up our sleeves a little differently with respect to investigating options, unearthing proactive personal and professional workplace outcomes, and how we use our time together for reflection, innovation, the creation of concrete and measurable action plans.

Personalized topics, goals, and priorities to be explored may include, but are not limited to:

  • Unearthing potential proactive, solution-focused positive personal and workplace goals and outcomes through reflection, innovation, and process change
  • Identifying/building key strengths, integrating core values, and reinforcing positive coping mechanisms
  • Information relating to work overload & burnout, mental health first-aid, anxiety, depression, or other aspects of mental health or well-being
  • Exploring methods in which to bring awareness, stability and build capacity
  • Constructing a custom-designed, personalized, Touchstone Plan for ongoing resilience and growth
 

The Touchstone Program is available to individuals or to groups on a workshop basis.  Available to private practice and also corporate clients as a customized human resources support/wellness benefit or to layer with other employment assistance program benefits.

         

What is a Touchstone?

Originally a method of testing the purity of a sample of certain precious metals, today the meaning of touchstone still very much retains the aspect of value. It is most often used as a metaphor to describe a constant of some kind, that keeps us on track and true to our values, inner purpose, goals, and vision of what we wish our lives to be.

A fundamental feature (and namesake) of the program is having one or more touchstones – a space of authenticity and one that symbolizes the reflective value of the intangible. It might be a technique or practice, an object, a symbol, a place or space, or even a person. Your touchstone is highly personal and need only resonate with YOU; it is what returns us to the meaningful significance of inspiration, grounding, centering, and re-calibration in those moments where we may find ourselves off our intended path.

 

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT THE TOUCHSTONE PROGRAM

“Michelle moves seamlessly between topics and connected dots in a way that previous work did not reveal.”

“Having this resource, and particularly during COVID-19, has made a noticeable difference in my overall well-being and personal strategies for myself, my work, and my family.”