The Listening Lab Method: Facilitator Certification

Master the Tools to Cultivate Belonging in Your Organization in One Day

What If One Day Could Change the Way Your Organization Connects Forever?

Loneliness, disconnection, and division are everywhere—from college campuses to corporate teams. You’re here because you know your community needs something deeper. Something lasting. Something real.

Whether you’re a college administrator, people manager, or organizational leader, this immersive certification training will equip you with the tools, support, and confidence to build spaces of radical listening, connection, and care—not just once, but again and again.

One Transformative Day. A Full Year of Support.

📍 June 13, 2025 | 🕙 10:00 AM–5:00 PM | 🗽 New York City

Led by Yael Shy, creator of Listening Labs, Isabel Mata, lead trainer, and special guests, this intimate, high-touch training will guide you through the full Listening Lab methodology, with hands-on practice, real-time coaching, and a clear plan to bring it home to your organization.

Some of our amazing Listening Labs leaders at NYU got the chance to meet with two-time US Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy, and talk about the power of Listening Labs to alleviate student loneliness and deepen connections on campus.

What Is the Listening Lab Method?

The Listening Lab method is a five-staged process of guided, structured sharing where participants can be heard, strengthen their listening skills, and connect with one another. Listening Labs was the winner of the National Student Affairs Professional Association gold award for Excellence in Programming in 2025, and have been rolled out at universities and community organizations across the country, including New York University, Quinnipiac University, University of Hawaii, Limmud Seattle, Wing Luke Museum, and beyond. 

Our data from hundreds of Listening Labs across the country reveal a significant drop in participants’ feelings of loneliness, stress, and anxiety after completing a Listening Lab and a significant rise in feeling heard, connected, and understood.

To watch a short video about Listening Labs, click here.

What You’ll Walk Away With

This isn’t just a one-day training. It’s a certification program and year-long support system that will transform the way you lead.

Your Registration Includes:

Official Certification in the award-winning Listening Lab Methodology

1 Year of Access to our exclusive Listening Lab Portal, including:

  • Training videos, facilitation guides & assessments

  • Dozens of plug-and-play activities

  • Hundreds of curated prompts

  • Access to Live Monthly Office Hours with the Listening Lab team 

  • Marketing and implementation tools to bring Labs to your community with confidence

  • A National Network of mission-aligned leaders building belonging where it matters most

By the end of the training, you will:

✔️ Be a certified Listening Lab Leader, empowering you to implement Listening Labs in your organization
✔️ Gain access to the Listening Lab Portal, which includes assessment materials, training materials, dozens of listening activities, hundreds of ready-to-use prompts, and a community of other Listening Lab Leaders
✔️ Build connections with professionals committed to fostering belonging and engagement

Registration Details

Cost: $2200* registration deadline: Jun 1, 2025

*$2000 early bird when you register by May 10, 2025

Includes full-day NYC training, certification, and one-year of access to all Listening Lab resources and community support.

Need financial assistance? Interested in bulk registrations? Contact us at info@mindfulnessconsulting.net to inquire.

What You’ll Experience

  • Participate in multiple Listening Lab immersions as a listener and a speaker

  • Learn transformative deep-listening activities for fostering connection and belonging

  • Practice real-world scenarios through interactive role-playing with established Listening Lab Leaders

  • Step-by-step guidance on how to implement and lead your own Listening Labs

  • Break bread and connect with a room of like-hearted professionals

Here is what past participants have said about The Listening Lab Method: Facilitator Certification

  • “The Listening Lab Leader training has definitely taught me to be a better listener and I think it’ll have a positive impact on the students. What I learned about these labs was that you don’t have to say you agree with the person to let the other person know that you are listening. You can instead repeat back to them everything they’ve sharper to you which shows that you were actively listening to them.”

  • “Yael was a great facilitator. She was able to make this space very comfortable and safe. I enjoyed being able to talk to others without fear of judgment and I was able to form deeper connections that will help me as a leader on campus.”

  • “The training helped me feel more confident and prepared for the role. The training emphasized the importance of active listening and gave practical, hands-on strategies for engaging with peers in a supportive and nonjudgmental way.” 

  • “The role-playing exercises were particularly valuable in helping me practice responding to different scenarios and understanding the nuances of empathetic communication.

  • “The training did a great job of outlining the ethical and confidentiality guidelines that are crucial in a peer support role, which reassured me that I would be equipped to handle sensitive conversations with care.” 

  • “The opportunity to hear from current or former Listening Lab leaders provided invaluable insight into the day-to-day responsibilities of the role and the challenges I might face, which made me feel more connected to the role and ready to take it on with confidence.”

  • “This training was super helpful, fun, and engaging. I’m really looking forward to becoming a Listening Lab Leader and making a positive impact on students in my community.”

🗓️ Training Day Schedule

Thursday, June 13, 2025 | New York City

☕ Check-In + Community Coffee
 Arrive to warm drinks, light bites, and intentional connection time with fellow participants from across the country.

🌿 Welcome + Grounding Meditation
 Set the tone for the day with a centering practice and opening remarks 

🎧 Listening Lab Immersion I: The Power of Being Heard
 Experience the full Listening Lab as a participant—feel what it’s like to be deeply listened to, without interruption or judgment.

🌀 Listening Lab Immersion II: Stepping Into the Listener Role
 Switch partners to practice additional methods of deep listening and explore the impact of your presence and attention in creating a space of belonging.

🛠️ Your Role as a Listening Lab Facilitator
 Explore the mindset and skills needed to lead Listening Labs with presence, care, and confidence.

🎭 Role-Playing + Real-Time Coaching
 Practice common and tricky facilitation scenarios—like participants oversharing, staying silent, interrupting, or resisting the format—and get expert coaching on how to hold the space with skill and compassion.

📂 Designing Your Own Listening Lab
 Learn how to adapt the method for your unique context using our robust digital portal of prompts, facilitation guides, and assessment tools.

💡 Stories from the Field
 Be inspired by real-life examples of how Listening Labs are transforming campuses, organizations, and communities across the country.

🙋‍♀️ Q&A + Integration Circle
 Bring your questions, share insights, and receive tailored guidance to support your next steps.

🎉 Closing Ceremony + Certification Send-Off
 Receive your official Listening Lab Facilitator Certification and leave equipped to bring this transformative method to your community.

Why It’s Worth It

Other leadership training sessions might give you ideas. This gives you a proven, repeatable framework—plus the real-time coaching, structure, and community to bring it to life long after the training day ends.

You're not just learning a method. You're joining a movement.

Spots are Limited. We keep this training intentionally intimate to maximize connection and personal support. Don’t wait—secure your spot today.

Meet the Training Team

  • Yael Shy

    FOUNDER & CEO, CREATOR OF LISTENING LABS

    Yael Shy discovered meditation at 19 years old when she was struggling with severe anxiety and panic attacks. Through mindfulness, meditation, and therapy, she found a path to healing and transformation.

    For over 20 years, Yael has supported others in uncovering their inherent worth and capacity for deep joy through mindfulness. She is the author of the award-winning book What Now? Meditation for Your Twenties and Beyond (Parallax, 2017) and teaches at NYU’s Wagner School of Public Service.

    Yael founded Mindful NYU, the largest campus-based meditation program in the country, and has served as the Chief Mindfulness Consultant for Procter and Gamble. Her work has been featured on platforms such as Good Morning America, CBS News, and Fox 5 News, as well as in Time Magazine, Real Simple, and the Harvard Business Review. She is a regular contributor to the Ten Percent Happier and Roundglass apps.

  • Isabel Mata

    DIRECTOR OF OUTREACH & LEAD LISTENING LAB TRAINER

    Isabel Mata is a queer, neurodivergent storyteller, certified mindfulness meditation teacher, and marketing professional based in Seattle, WA. With over 10 years of mindfulness meditation practice, Isabel is passionate about blending storytelling with mindfulness to advocate for mental health and personal growth.

    A graduate of NYU's Global Liberal Arts program, her essays and reporting on mental health have appeared in publications such as Wondermind, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, and Bustle. Isabel is the former advice columnist for Seattle Gay News, where she penned the column “Ask Izzy,” and she currently hosts the podcast Being Yourself Loudly, which explores themes of authenticity, self-compassion, and connection.

    As a mindfulness teacher, Isabel empowers others to deepen their relationship with themselves, build resilience, and cultivate joy through mindful living. She has also appeared on Seattle King 5 as a mental health expert and well-being authority.