A New Path FORWARD

CONTEMPLATING work and vocation in a changing world

A workshop for people experiencing career disruption

Facilitated by SaraH Quinn & Martha Crawford‍

Everything moves, nothing stays or congeals long enough to be fixed into being. Everything is in the process of becoming. 

~ Bayo Akolomafe

What does it mean to be reorganizing professional and academic careers in a time of multiple unfolding crises? Should one try to stick to one path, keep options open and responsive, or forge a new way forward? Does it make sense to change fields, or otherwise adjust your course? What does it mean to make these decisions when no one really knows what to expect or tell you? How might you manage your focus, time, and emotions in a turbulent era? What kinds of professional, social, and civic engagements do you want to cultivate? What kinds of support, back-up plans, community, and boundaries might serve you and serve the wider community?

This is a workshop for anyone who is interested in grappling with these questions in community. We will meet for an hour and a half for five weeks, with the possibility of building on-going support circle for members who might want to continue.


This is a facilitated peer support space where people whose trajectories have been derailed by current political and economic agendas come together to share concerns about their professional life, think through options, and generally support one another.

CO-FACILITATOR

Sarah Quinn is a sociologist, teacher, and advisor. Her work focuses on how social systems shape daily life, and how we can locate possibilities for human flourishing within those systems.

  • This workshop is five sessions,

    each session is 90 minutes long, via Zoom

    SUMMER 2026 - FULL

    6/29, 7/6, 13, 20 (skipping 6/27 ) 8/3

    2:30 Pacific, 3:30 Mountain, 4:30 Central, 5:30 Eastern

    ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR LATE SUMMER:

    (the late summer workshop will be six sessions)

    Monday Afternoons

    8/17, 24, 31

    9/7, 14, 21

    2:30 Pacific, 3:30 Mountain, 4:30 Central, 5:30 Eastern

    (dates/times subject to change)

  • Each session is a facilitated discussion focused around a theme and a series of discussion prompts: evocative excerpts from relevant texts

    We will be exploring themes from sociology and psychology around Vocation, Labor, Service, Money, Individuation Discernment and negotiating Uncertainty

    Discussion, - with plenty of space for peer support - is followed by a period of guided contemplation and brief silence, offering an opportunity to integrate content. Before closing the session, time will be reserved to share any after-thoughts that may have emerged during reflection.

    • This is not a psychotherapy group and this group and does not take the place of proper psychotherapeutic, medical or psychiatric care. Nothing discussed in this group should be considered clinical guidance.

    • Those struggling with active or passive suicidal thoughts or gestures, or severely disruptive traumatic symptoms should not enroll in this workshop without active support from treatment providers.

    • Also: this workshop does explore various spiritual, religious perspectives on vocation from an agnostic and respectful perspective–if such discussion is offensive or annoying to you, this workshop may not be a good fit.

    This group actively welcomes members of different professions, races/ethnicities, gender identities and socioeconomic realities, spiritual/religious beliefs and practices.  The expectation is that we come together to try to hold each other’s diverse experiences with mutual respect.

    I facilitate my workshops according to a modified model of community group processing derived from Quaker practice that emphasizes the freedom of each participant to regulate their own participation according to their needs.

    We do not require cameras on at all times and we try not to pressure quieter members to share although it is certainly nice to see faces and hear from everyone, and we will occasionally check in on people who are more reserved to see if they have anything they want to share.

    We do not gather to persuade, correct or change other’s points of view, but to listen and understand how differing perspectives may exist together.

    Participants are welcome to take breaks as they need, no one is pressured to participate in the contemplative exercises that are offered, and may choose to sit in silence or use that time for personal reflection if they so chose.

    We expect workshop members to be able to rely on their personal and professional supports to process feelings and ideas that emerge after or in between sessions - although we will touch base at the beginning of each group about anything that emerged for anyone in the “in between” that they choose to share.

    • $462 is the suggested but flexible donation for those who are financially comfortable (5 sessions/7.5 hours of programing approx $55 an hour)

    • for those who are financially comfortable

    • If you are experiencing financial hardship you are welcome to attend for half or a quarter or an eighth of the suggested donation or whatever is affordable based on your financial circumstances.

    • I expect to offer up to four free/pro bono seats in my workshops depending on group size/enrollment

    • Please visit the donation page to see why this decision is entirely up to you.

    • If you are in a position to do so, please consider making a donation to provide scholarship funds to community members who have interest but do not have resources. For example: a $100 donation subsidizes one full scholarship seat in the group, and $25 covers a quarter of the cost of a full scholarship

    • These are not clinical services, and insurance will not reimburse for any part of this content

This group actively welcomes members of different professions, races/ethnicities, gender identities, socioeconomic realities, spiritual/religious beliefs and practices. 

The expectation is that we come together to try to hold each other’s diverse experiences with mutual respect.

After we receive the registration questionnaire below, you will receive email confirmation that a space has been reserved for you with links and details

It will be helpful to know a little about you so we understand what is bringing you to this group. Please take as little or as much space to answer these questions as you are led. We will not share this information.

I am usually able to respond promptly so please check your spam folder

if you don’t receive confirmation in a day or two.

APPLICATION FORM