Listening Labs
A Solution for Loneliness, Polarization, and Disconnection
Is your campus, community or organization struggling with loneliness, disengagement, and communication breakdowns?
In today’s world, feelings of isolation and disconnection are on the rise. This is especially the case for young people. These challenges impact mental health, community dynamics, organizational wellbeing, and even retention. Yet, traditional approaches like icebreakers, team-building exercises, and one-time events are often ineffective, leaving people craving real connection and meaning.
Our peer listening program, Listening Labs, winner of the National Student Affair Professional Association GOLD award for Excellence in Programming in 2025, offers an innovative solution for creating deeper, more authentic connections.
What Are Listening Labs?
Listening Labs are guided spaces of structured sharing where participants can be heard, strengthen their listening skills, and connect deeply with their peers.
In these advice and judgement free spaces, participants engage in authentic listening and sharing, guided by trained Listening Lab Leaders who are passionate about facilitating connection.
Listening Labs Are Not Group Therapy, But They Do Offer Deep Connection
Listening Labs are not group therapy, but they also aren’t informal small talk. They provide a caring container for learning the skills of authentic listening and sharing. Participants have the chance to speak from the heart and be heard—without judgment, advice, or solutions—fostering a level of connection and trust that goes beyond traditional interactions.
What Participants Have to Say About Listening Labs
How Can You Implement Listening Labs?
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Mindfulness Consulting Facilitation
We can come to your location (or virtually) to facilitate Listening Labs for groups as small as 6 people or as large as 300. We’ll handle everything from start to finish—providing expert guidance, creating the right space, and offering structured prompts for meaningful connection.
We have facilitated over 50+ individual Listening Labs across the country at organizations and campuses looking to create cultures of community.
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Train-the-Trainer
Want to make Listening Labs a sustainable practice in your organization? Our train-the-trainer model equips your leaders with the tools and techniques to facilitate Listening Labs themselves. We’ll train your team in just one day, and then they’ll have access to our online community with updated prompts, guides, and monthly check-ins to ensure continued success. This model is perfect for building long-term culture change and making Listening Labs an ongoing part of your organization’s culture.
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Full Org Implementation
Creating a culture of community in your organization takes true commitment. Luckily, we can help you. At universities like NYU and Quinnipiac, we partnered with key stakeholders to do a full campus implementation of Listening Labs. This is our most extensive package and includes: multiple focus groups, our train-the-trainer program, support in recruitment, selection and training of the preliminary group of Listening lab Leaders (LLL), as well as 5 Initial peer listening sessions, together with LLLs.
Save the Date!
We are hosting a Listening Labs open-training on Friday, June 13, 2025 in New York City!
Where Did Listening Labs Start?
Listening Labs was pioneered at NYU and has since been brought to other academic institutions, including Quinnipiac University, University of Hawaii, and Ohio University. After seeing the profound impact on students' well-being and relationships, we expanded into non-academic organizations such as law firms, synagogues, museums, and corporate workplaces.
Listening Labs is a proven, adaptable program with the power to change lives and build stronger, more connected communities.
NYU’s Listening Lab Leaders 2025
Listening Labs Are for Everyone
While Listening Labs began as a solution for universities, we quickly realized the program's effectiveness in addressing broader issues like loneliness, team dynamics, and communication barriers in organizations. Today, Listening Labs are equally impactful for both college campuses and workplaces.
Benefits of Implementing Listening Labs
If you’re looking to address loneliness, improve team dynamics, or build stronger connections across divisions, Listening Labs offer a simple, effective, and proven solution. Here’s how:
For Universities & Colleges
Support students’ mental health and well-being, foster a culture of inclusivity, and help students build lasting relationships with their peers.
For Companies & Organizations
Increase employee engagement, boost morale, reduce stress, and create a healthier, more collaborative workplace culture.
For Communities
Strengthen social bonds, create spaces for open and respectful dialogue, and foster a greater sense of belonging among community members.
Why Listening Labs Work
Listening Labs are an effective way to create lasting change in your community or organization. Here's why:
Proven Impact
Pre- and post-Lab surveys reveal a significant drop in participants’ feelings of loneliness, stress, and anxiety. After completing a Listening Lab, participants report feeling more heard, connected, and understood.
Train in One Day, Results for a Lifetime
Our one-day training session equips your leaders with everything they need to facilitate Listening Labs. The simplicity of the model means it’s easy to implement and immediately impactful, leading to lasting culture change with minimal investment of time and resources.
Scalable and Flexible
Whether you're hosting a single Lab for a group of employees or running regular sessions across a campus, Listening Labs can scale to meet your needs and work in a variety of settings.