Smartview Stories™

“It is in the spaces between thought and experience where Sandy shows us life and wisdom happen."

Written to help parents, educators and therapists start conversations with children.

Smartview Stories model relational neuroscience skills that families and communities can use to support each other in feeling safe and finding ways forward in these times of change. Our original inspiration was something like Winnie the Pooh storybooks, warm characters that welcome inner experiences. These relational neuroscience skills include the five classic SEL (Social Emotional Learning) as defined by CASEL, skills of interoception described in this article and Focusing skills that emerged from concepts of Felt Sensing and Gendlin's philosophy. 

Within each Smartview Stories book, our three stories are Flesch-Kincaid Reading Level Grade 3, supplemental pages are Grades 4-6. The characters and events portrayed in our books are based on real people and life experiences.

Our books bring our inner world to life via three Inner Companions: Hummah, Sleuthin, and Ashamaya. These three aspects of being human help us experience and live our life. They are with us at every moment. As we become more aware of them, we understand HOW to better support ourselves, and those around us, in all types of life situations.

“It felt like being in a focusing class where I feel eager, open, and sensing varying sensations.”

~ Mary Mie, Focuser, New York, USA

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Smartview Stories model ways that families and communities can support each other in feeling safe and finding ways forward in these times of change. 

“I felt a sense of intentional contemplation throughout the story. In many ways, this narration was a form of social story to help model the various focusing skills and practices.”

~Steven Lin, Elementary School Principal, Pennsylvania, USA

“Your stories are wonderful!  You weave authentic emotional reactions with physical reactions (wet and shivery, doubt-worry) within the story.  You have described many strategies and focusing tools very well (come home to your breath) and they are embedded naturally as the story unfolds.  Love it!  It IS hard to be brave when other people do not understand you.  Not alone truly is precious.  So much of the story is relatable to almost all kids.”

~ Cindy Anderson, Retired Reading Teacher, Maryland, USA 

We imagine one might read these stories many many times. With repetition, we may find ourselves practicing these skills in our own lives. 

 

Coming Soon!

For Parents, Therapists, Teachers, Coaches, anyone mentoring others in relational skill development. 

A Facilitator Guide with 90+ exercises to further develop skills covered in Smartview Stories Books 1-3.

Examples of exercises: 

Asking for Help with Big Emotions

Maybe “We” Say Hello to That  

Finding Something Annoyed, Worried and Excited

Come Back to Your Breath

Expanding Awareness of our Senses

Giving and Receiving Appreciations

How I Made a Mistake Better

 

Thank you for finding us here - we'd love to have you drop in to meet us in our Educator Support gatherings or Smartview Conversations FREE Webinars. We are also developing more simple support materials in our Relational Resources section. 

 

Neurons that wire together fire together. Smartview Stories Three Inner Companions make it fun to learn more effective ways to use our body/brain.

These FREE Smartview Conversations webinars are an easy place to begin or to stay in touch once you've completed some training. We'll be exploring basic neuroscience patterns that can be very helpful in our daily life situations.