Rise and Thrive

RISE and THRIVE!

by Melissa Jones

Why RISE Matters: Practising Real Change, Not Just Talking About It

I recently had the opportunity to sit in on the RISE workshop and see first-hand the impact it has on participants. Afterwards, I interviewed Corinne Canter, who facilitated the session, to better understand why RISE is so successful and what makes it such a powerful experience for those who attend.

RISE is not just another workshop. It’s a space for real practice, for shifting deep-seated habits that hold us back. It also enhances the debrief process for Accredited Practitioners wanting to help people become aware and shift their ‘default’ reactions when they are sitting in a defensive mindset. It looks at tools and methods that ask people to track their inner voice, behaviour and regulate self-awareness.

What is RISE and how does it help?.
RISE in an acronym and at its core, RISE helps people practise the mindset and behaviours to thrive.

rise

RECOGNISE – Recognise your triggers, your “Go To” defensive styles. (Situation, Trigger, Reaction).
IDENTIFY – Recognise and label what you do when you go into you red or green.
SHIFT – Shift the reflex. (Pause, slow down, connect).
ENERGISE BLUE – Questions to ask yourself to get you to Blue. (By redirecting your attention to blue styles by interrupting your reaction and self-talk with a question or phrase).

It incorporates David Rock’s SCARF methodology, that identifies five key elements (Status, Certainty, Autonomy, Relatedness and Fairness) that influence human behaviour and motivation in social contexts.

I shared my reflection with Corinne on repeatedly seeing the same patterns over time in my Life Styles InventoryTM (LSI) results – particularly my default “green people pleaser” style. Despite understanding it conceptually, I still find myself asking: “What can I do every day to shift this?”

This is where RISE makes a profound difference. As Corinne explained, RISE goes beyond insight to structured practice. It helps participants unlearn habits formed over a lifetime by giving them practical ways to experiment with new behaviours in a safe environment. “You’ve been doing pleasing longer than we’ve been trying to change it, so it’s harder,” she observed. It’s a reminder that personal change isn’t an overnight transformation – it’s a refined practice, something we work on over and over again.

Just like learning to ride a bike, change requires repetition and support. I reflected on a story shared by our Chair Shaun McCarthy recently about giving up smoking decades ago – the same principle applied. Whether it’s a physical dependency or a behavioural habit, success comes from small, consistent actions rather than expecting a magic fix.

Corinne highlighted another critical value of RISE: “There’s a lot that you can learn about yourself just by slowing down.” In our fast-paced world, we rarely pause long enough to notice what our bodies and feelings are telling us. RISE invites participants to do just that – to reconnect with their own internal cues and choose how they respond, rather than running on autopilot.

Perhaps one of the most profound insights Corinne shared is this: “We react to the story in our head, not to the situation itself.” Through RISE, participants practise reframing these stories. They learn to challenge their automatic interpretations – like “I’m not good enough” – and see alternative possibilities. As Corinne explained through her coaching example, creating space to explore multiple interpretations breaks the grip of unhelpful conclusions, opening up freedom and resilience.

One of the great features of the program is that participants receive a practical coaching handbook to support their learning and help them apply the concepts long after the workshop ends.

Ultimately, the value of RISE lies in its practicality:
 – It’s not just theory – it’s something you do.
 – It builds self-awareness and agency to change habitual reactions.
 – It reinforces that change is possible through mindful practice.
 – It helps people slow down, reflect and respond with intention.

My key takeout? RISE is not a magic fix. It’s something that you work on everyday on your journey to a more constructive self.

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