Creating a 'Thinking Environment': Reflections, experiences and shared learnings
A space where thinking slows down and every voice matters
Pause. This is different.
Earlier this year, I felt ready to formally reflect on and document my learning journey in facilitating group discussions through Nancy Kline's inspiring Thinking Environment and its 10 powerful components.
A journey that started in 2015, over 10 years ago in Ireland, in the beautiful coastal town of Dún Laoghaire and continued ever since through reading, practice and close observation of the impact the Thinking Environment has had in both, my professional work and personal relationships.
This path naturally lead me to the next step: enrolling in the Time To Think facilitator program, having completed the Foundations training in 2023.
Hopeful, excited and encouraged, I am creating this space to share my reflections, learnings and lived experiences of others who participated in this work, shared exactly as they were written by participants in Thinking Environments without edits.
You are welcome to explore this page. Take your time. Notice what resonates with you.
Today I was reminded once again of something I already knew deep inside:
The Thinking Environment always works.Always.
When a space of safety, calm, and trust is created, people think more clearly, feel more deeply, and connect more meaningfully.
I saw the magic unfold before my eyes: with just a piece of paper, a pencil, and a few questions, participants immersed themselves in thought, wrote, felt, and discovered.
I heard words that moved me:
“I feel strange and yet beautiful when I look into your eyes.”
“My thoughts run uncontrollably, and I summon my logic to bring me back.”
“’(Self)-appreciation brings calm, and encouragement brings acceptance.”
Through every phrase, I witnessed the power of trust and human connection.
I witnessed once again the power of appreciation, what emotion literally means.
That when we listen attentively and receive with gratitude the appreciation of someone who also listens to us with care and recognizes our beautiful qualities, something moves within us.
Something important that touches us, moves us…emotion, from motion + together.
At the end of the day, I felt calm and certain.
That I am on the right path.
That I have the skills, the tools, and the faith to continue.
I will keep moving forward with steadiness, dedication, and love for what I do.
That's from me, Coach Effie.
'The Thinking Environment is "psychotherapy".
You learn about yourself, you hear your own thoughts clearly, you feel emotions of ease, calm and acceptance.
You get surprised with the similarities you have with people you meet for first time.
It was a truly beautiful experience...today too.
Katerina
The “Thinking Environment” was a beautiful experience, which offered me a lot of food for thought.
Even though I am someone who listens deeply to what others have to say, I often get carried away by the impulsiveness of my own thinking and interrupt my conversation partner, either to comment on what they are saying or to agree or disagree with them.
The most important lesson I gained through this process was learning, from now on, to focus all my attention on the person speaking without interrupting them. Because,
this is truly an indication of respect and appreciation toward the other person.
As far as the group is concerned, since I believe that no meeting in this earthly life happens by chance, what stayed with me from the contact and connection with all the women was
the feeling of familiarity, mutual understanding, and the warmth of sharing.
I deeply appreciated the authenticity each woman expressed and the fact that everyone shared her thoughts with honesty and courage.
As for you, Effie, I greatly appreciated the dedication and love with which you embrace what you do, your organizational skills, and the fact that you helped maintain a beautiful flow throughout the whole process.
You were yourself, and I believe this is—and will continue to be—the key to your successful journey.
Finally, I would of course recommend others to participate, because...
it is an experience that reveals the true essence of communication, especially in an era where the “ego” dominates so strongly.
Thank you very much for this experience, dear Effie!
Maria V.
Self-Esteem and the Power of Listening
The sessions with Effie were, for me, an experience that changed my perspective.
I would recommend Thinking Environment to everyone without hesitation.
Effie is a person of sensitivity and professionalism at the same time, who creates an authentic “Thinking Environment.”
She took into account the needs of the group and prepared the sessions with responsibility and care.
Effie helped me to strengthen my decisiveness, learn to respect my conversation partner and myself.
I did not expect that simply becoming aware of “not interrupting the person speaking” would make me a better person, appreciating myself more.
Most importantly, I learned to accept compliments and to recognize the positive things in my environment.
I truly hope we begin to listen to the beautiful things happening around us, to what people tell us, and to receive them with gratitude.
Our sessions were so meaningful that the group asked to have another session as well.
Effie, thank you for everything!
Maria G.
A unique opportunity
Thank you for the unique opportunity you gave me to participate in this wonderful and unique group that you created with respect and love.
I will answer with complete honesty.
My Answers 😀
I wish all our relationships were based on these “principles” of the Thinking Environment.
We would truly become better people and create better societies.
What I would certainly like to apply—and am actively working on—is encouragement: encouraging myself and others to accept kind comments, to listen with greater attention, without judgment, and with deep respect for diversity—and ultimately for how similar we truly are.
The characteristic I appreciated in myself, realizing that I had it but had forgotten it, is my ability to be a good listener.
From the women in our group, I appreciated their generosity, acceptance, patience, authenticity, and faith in life.
In you, as a facilitator, I appreciated your strength for change, creativity, consistent effort, passion for what you do, and your respect and consideration for our needs.
I think it might be even more effective in a group of people who don’t know each other, as unfamiliarity could create greater curiosity and attentiveness.
I truly enjoyed our sessions;
they were a pleasant, conscious pause—a moment of mindfulness in how I experience each moment of my day.
I want to invest as much time as I can in the area of diversity and in all the parts of myself that I am given the opportunity to explore.
Of course, I would recommend this to anyone willing to take a step further, to
pause and see things differently.
Thank you from my heart. Wishing you strength and a beautiful continuation.
I am here for anything new you may want to try—and not only that.
Filia
A beautiful pause from the madness of everyday life
Thank you for the program!
For me personally, it was a very beautiful pause from the madness of everyday life, one that made me reflect and positively influenced the way I think and make decisions.
I am holding on to what you shared with us, and I promise that someday I will be able to apply everything all together at the same time…
For now, I practice them individually when I remember—but step by step, I believe I will manage to adopt this framework, because I truly consider it a very good and useful practice in many areas of life.
I promise that I will not interrupt
the person speaking (because I often do), and now I understand that by doing so I am not truly listening to what the other person wants to say—and when I realize this, I don’t feel good.
Patience and perseverance are two qualities I greatly appreciated in myself.
However, I would like to work more on communication with others, because sometimes I feel that I am not heard or that my needs are not understood—without knowing whether this has to do with the way I communicate my needs or something else.
It is very beautiful to recognize your weaknesses and try to improve them in order to grow.
The tools you showed us are very useful, although I felt the program was a bit short and intense—not because of you, but because the whole group, for different reasons, wasn’t always relaxed in terms of time or mindset.
I admire your effort! I am sure you will succeed in everything you have planned.
Thank you for listening to us and for your patience with us!
I love you!
P.S. I am available for anything else you believe could help you—and help us as well!
Eri
The Thinking Environment
If all 10 behaviours were present, everything would surely be easier and we would achieve better results in whatever we did
Of course, this requires a lot of work.
I would have liked the process to last longer, because after the second session we started to better understand what was happening.
The relationship we have developed is important. Although we knew each other, we began opening up to one another more deeply and on different levels. I don’t know how this process would be with completely unfamiliar people.
Attention
focusing and trying not to interrupt (I’m working on it and believe I will succeed)
Equality
equal thinking time
Ease
I would really like to apply this at work; without so much pressure, we would surely have better results
Appreciation
very important; everything would be better if we recognized and expressed what is right
In myself I appreciated the acceptance and openness to learning these behaviors, with the goal of applying them.
In the other women: their willingness and positivity in supporting what we were doing; I believe there was authenticity.
In you, Effie: for the change you chose to make in your life—respect and admiration! You managed to steal us away from everyday madness, and we did it with enthusiasm and love 😊
My experience of the sessions was that I had something truly interesting to look forward to; I would have liked it to last longer.
After the sessions—especially in work meetings—I try as much as I can to support the Thinking Environment.
I would like to invest more time in practicing the behaviors.
I would recommend it to others; I believe it changes the way you think.
Whatever you want to practice, we are here 😊
Eleni
Reflections from young people and business teams
Your positive aura, good intentions, and your effort to grow yourself through the process.
The Thinking Environment is a safe and creative space. The atmosphere encouraged dialogue, exchange of ideas, and personal growth.
As a facilitator, Effie stood out for her professionalism, sensitivity, and ability to guide in an inspiring and supportive way. She created a safe and positive framework where every participant felt their voice mattered.
The program helped me realize how environment affects our thinking and how we can consciously use it creatively.
It was a new experience. The process was very good and constructive. I believe it helps shape each person’s way of thinking.
Fantastic experience—it’s clear how much you love it, how much work you’ve done, and how well it suits you.
It was an excellent and unique experience. I believe we must always evolve to improve our work environment and relationships. As a facilitator, you created a comfortable environment where we could all express our thoughts and concerns.
You were supportive, encouraging, and guided us to think and understand—and I believe that was the success of the process. Even with just two meetings, I believe we achieved something.
I wish we had more opportunities for additional sessions.
I would encourage others to experience the process at least once.
With willingness and joy, I would recommend it.
Of course I would recommend it to others. It is a very interesting process worth experiencing.
The Thinking Environment coaching process applies to all areas of life, not only work environments.
The Thinking Environment was valuable and inspiring. It helped me discover new ways of collaboration and communication.
I would suggest continuing with more practical examples and smaller discussion groups so participants can apply the ideas more immediately.
Voices from the Thinking Environment
"I learned what it truly means to give my full attention, without interrupting. This, I realised, is real respect."
“The Thinking Environment feels like psychotherapy. You hear your own thoughts clearly, experience ease and calm, and are surprised by how much you share with people you’ve just met.”
“Simply not interrupting made me a better listener — and unexpectedly, a kinder person to myself.”
“If all relationships were built on these principles, we would create better people — and better societies.”
“A conscious pause in the madness of everyday life — one that changed how I think and decide.”
“I now try to bring the Thinking Environment into my work meetings. It genuinely changes how people think and relate.”
“A safe, creative space where every voice had value.”
"The Thinking Environment always works. Always"
What these reflections hold in common is not advice or answers, but space:
Space to think.
Space to listen.
Space to be heard.
And time.
Time to Think
If you’re curious to experience this for yourself, you’re warmly invited to get in touch.
