Transform Course

Transform offers you a new way to live your life based on timeless principles and cutting-edge advances in neurosciences. Transform course is for individuals who wish a deeper immersion in the resilience and wellbeing approach developed by Dr. Sood and also is the first step toward becoming a trainer in the SMART Program. 

BACKGROUND

The Transform course is an immersion in understanding the neurosciences, philosophy, and psychology of stress and wellbeing, and from that understanding developing a scientific and structured approach toward peace, happiness, resilience, and thriving.

The program focuses on how we pay attention and how we interpret information. Research shows human attention instinctively focuses on threats and imperfections, especially in the past and the future. So, attention wanders; it ruminates. The human brain’s default mode (dominated by default network) hosts mind wandering. Scientists have shockingly discovered we spend half our day or more with a ruminative mind. 

This excessive ‘dwell time’ in the default mode correlates with symptoms of anxiety, depression, and attention deficit. It also fatigues our brain, one reason you might feel completely wiped out by 6 o’clock in the evening.

The Transform Course offers a way out of this human dilemma by engaging the brain’s focused mode – not only to experience more uplifting emotions, but also develop better focus, enhanced creativity and productivity, better engagement at work, deeper relationships, and to find greater purpose in life. 

STRUCTURE

Total contact in the Transform course is two days (Phase I below). For individuals who intend to become a certified resilience trainer, the Transform course is followed by six months of learning in the Trainer Skills Intensive (TSI) program.

Phase I: Two (2) days intensive classroom (in-person or online) training
Phase II: Six (6) months facilitated distance-learning
Phase III: Assessment and certification

DESCRIPTION

Phase I – is a two (2) day workshop wherein participants learn insights collected from neurosciences, philosophy, behavioral economics, psychology, decision-making, spirituality, mindfulness traditions, medicine, and other disciplines. The focus: to understand the human brain-body connections and how we can live our lives to thrive versus merely dragging. The Transform course explores resilience from the cognitive, emotional, social, and spiritual perspectives to uncover a deeper meaning.

Pragmatic daily practices are suggested which lead to more joy, less suffering, better relationships, and personal fulfillment. Participants cultivate a sense of humility, self-compassion, self-acceptance, and self-forgiveness fostering a greater openness to learn and grow, to experience the entire day as ‘flow.’

Phase II – is six (6) months of guided distance-learning wherein the Transform program is unpacked in the context of daily living and participants are trained to become resilience trainers through the TSI program. The TSI program has six elements: * Master the SMART curriculum * Learn the Four-Module SMART Presentation * Customize the SMART Program * Refine Presentation Skills * Implement a Personal Behavior Change * Integrate Higher Meaning in Work

The six elements of the TSI program are shared through a mix of digital content and live teleconferences.

Phase III – is a 150 item multiple choice question quiz followed by a one-on-one interview with Dr. Amit Sood.

Upon successful completion, participants receive certification as a resilience trainer. Please look at the certified resilience trainer link for more information.

INSTRUCTOR

The program is taught by Dr. Amit Sood, M.D., M.Sc., F.A.C.P., creator of Mayo Clinic Resilient Mind Program, and former Professor of Medicine, enterprise director of student life and wellness and chair of Mind Body Initiative, all at Mayo Clinic. Dr. Sood is internationally recognized for his work on resilience, wellbeing, burnout, happiness, and mindfulness.

Dr. Sood teaches this program to patients, health care professionals, corporate executives, students, members of the community, and others. He has held thousands of workshops to teach this program and has participated in over twenty clinical trials at Mayo Clinic and elsewhere incorporating the principles covered in the Transform course. Dr. Sood is the author of the books, The Mayo Clinic Guide to Stress-Free Living, The Mayo Clinic Handbook for Happiness, Immerse: A 52-week Course in Resilient Living, Mindfulness Redesigned for the Twenty-First Century, Stronger: The Science and Art of Stress Resilience, The Resilience Journal, Happier Mornings Calmer Evenings, and SMART with Dr. Sood.

Dr. Sood received the 2010 Distinguished Service Award, the 2010 Innovator of the Year Award, the 2013 Outstanding Physician Scientist Award, and the 2016 Faculty of the Year Award from Mayo Clinic. He was honored as the Robert Wood Johnson Health Care Pioneer in 2015. The Intelligent Optimist (formerly Ode Magazine) selected Dr. Sood as one among top 20 intelligent optimists helping the world to be a better place. In 2016, Dr. Sood was selected as the top impact maker in healthcare in Rochester, MN.

COURSE OPTIONS

The Transform course has two options.

Option I: Two-day workshop (Phase I) – This option is ideal for participants who wish a deeper immersion in Dr. Sood’s programs but do not foresee teaching any of the resilience programs.
Option II: Full course that includes the two-day (in-person or online) workshop, six-months guided learning, and end-of-course assessment. This option is ideal for participants who intend to teach the resilience programs.

TUITION

The payment schedule depends on which of the two options is chosen.

Option I: $1500 (payable at enrollment)
Option II: $3000 (payable at enrollment)

Participants initially choosing Option I will have the choice to convert to the full course for an additional payment. We do offer partial scholarships to participants requesting and needing the same. 

LOCATION/TIMINGS

The next Transform courses start at the following dates:

March 20-21, 2020.

July 17-18, 2020 (this will be online only session).

September 11-12, 2020 (this will be online only session).

Please contact us or Debbie Fuehrer at fuehrer.debbie@gmail.com or leave a message at 507-282-9000.

REFERENCE BOOKS

Sood, A. SMART with Dr. Sood: The Four-Module Stress Management and Resiliency Training Program. March 2019 Sood, A. The Resilience Journal. January 2019

Sood, A. Stronger: The Science and Art of Stress Resilience. December 2018
Sood, A. Mindfulness Redesigned for the Twenty-first Century. January 2018

CONTACT

If you are ready to enroll in the Transform course, please send an email to Debbie Fuehrer at fuehrer.debbie@gmail.com or leave a message at 507-282-9000.

Please contact us if you have additional questions regarding the Transform course.