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THE PATH OF FREEDOM

Path of Freedom was developed by K.Vita Pires-Crisp, Ph.D.,  and introduced in a five-year pilot program at the Lookout Mountain Youth Services Center (a maximum-security prison for juvenile males) in Golden, Colorado, in the early 2000s.   In the past few decades, we have trained over 1,000 facilitators worldwide in delivering the Path of Freedom curriculum.

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The Path of Freedom is a mindfulness-based emotional intelligence (MBEI) training that employs key elements of social-emotional learning and mindfulness-based cognitive behavioral training.   The program focuses on increasing participants’ resources, capacities, and skills for self-awareness by developing mindfulness, presence, focus, and attention stabilization.  The program offers tools for developing emotion regulation, resilience, deep listening, empathic communication, problem-solving, forgiveness, and conflict management.
 

The Path of Freedom curriculum also focuses on increasing participants’ resiliency, self-reflective capacity, confidence, and positive life outlook through mindfulness-awareness meditation and contemplative/reflective practices. This direct meditative experience encourages a shift from fear-based, anti-social, or criminal strategies for meeting needs to pro-social strategies grounded in emerging confidence in their innate goodness, the inherent goodness of others, and a greater sense of possibility for their present lives and future.  The program is also grounded in a holistic, whole-person, bio-psycho-social-spiritual, integral view of human development.

The program is non-sectarian and is open to participants of any faith and/or those who do not identify with a particular faith tradition. The curriculum has received very positive reviews from experts in the corrections field.

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