proven, practical, learnable keys to better social relationships
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Watch Your Speed
When you watch your speed, you can stay calm in the face of confusion, worry, fear or over-excitement. You can “catch” yourself before you jump to conclusions, blame others, talk too loud or too fast. You can keep yourself “in synch” with the people around you and the place where you find yourself.
Get the Big Picture
Get the Big Picture helps you notice little “clues” to understand any situation and more comfortably fit in. You can notice how people are dressed, what they’re talking about, what they are doing, and if they seem to know each other. Knowing these “clues” can make it easier for you.
Talk to Your People
People get to know each other when they talk to each other. In school or business or in a family, Talk to Your People can make life easier and smoother. When you talk to a trusted person, you can find out their opinion on a situation and see if they have a different way of looking at it, or see if they agree with you.
Take Your Turn
You learn to wait and listen to others when you Take Your Turn. Then you get to have others listen to you. In conversation, sports, workgroups, and business, you learn about what other people are thinking, saying or doing and they can learn about you and your ideas. When you Take Your Turn, you show respect for others and you can gain respect from them. It’s the basis of trust in friendships and cooperation in much of life.
Flex Your Mind
When you Flex Your Mind, you can think about a problem or situation in more than one way. You can be open to other solutions and interpretations– your own and others’. You realize that there can be many ways to reach the same goal — like taking different routes to the same destination. You might discover an idea you like better than your first thought.
Find the Middle Ground
Find the Middle Ground helps you compromise with others. Too often we think in terms of opposites and believe that a situation or interaction can be resolved only one way. This “all or nothing” thinking can limit relationships that we might enjoy, and limit the benefits we might get from others’ ideas. When you Find the Middle Ground, you get to keep some of your position and gain some of another person’s position.
Take Another Look
This ICONz is a reminder to double check and to see if you find a mistake or if there is something you might have missed. You might notice something new. You might find some new information and come to a different conclusion, or you might see that you were correct the first time. Take Another Look can be a big help when you check your work before turning in homework or a project.
STOP (Yourself)
Sometimes we find ourselves feeling very angry, over-excited, shouting or talking too loud or too fast. When this happens, the best thing we can do is completely Stop. Stop talking and moving and try to calm down by deep breathing, taking a walk if possible, listening to music, exercising, or thinking about something that is relaxing. STOP (Yourself) can get us out of trouble and prevent the situation from getting worse.
Change is O.K.
Change is a natural part of life, and everything and everybody changes over time. Some change is welcome and some change is not, but change will always occur. Some change turns out better than we expect so we don’t need to fear or avoid change. It happens all around us. It can lead to situations and benefits we never imagined.
Which ICONz program is right for me?
Middle School
Specifically designed to teach youngsters how to deal successfully with situations they encounter every day. Our students gain an understanding of others, learn about motivation in others and how to respond to people around them. They also learn about how they interact with others. This is often a revelation in itself.
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High School
Ready or not, physical and cognitive changes lead adolescents toward adult hood. Social stories with the ICONz strategically embedded portray situations that high school students face everyday. The importance of peers and evolving relationships with family and teachers focus the stories.
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Young Adult
Self-sufficiency, dating and adult roles and responsibilities should characterize life for young adults. This curriculum focuses on identity and others’ expectations in the workplace and community and at home with family. The ICONz explain situations, relating them to the lives of our clients. Social life can be more comfortable.
Read More Success Stories"I'm so much less anxious now. I'm getting to my business appoints on time. It's good."
33 y.o. Information Technologist
Read More Success Stories“The ICONz are practical. They lead to good, solid thinking that can be used in any situation. Eventually students move beyond the stories to apply the ICONz to their own lives..."
Group Leader, MSW, LSW
Read More Success Stories“The fog is lifting and I’m starting to see things more clearly.”
50 y.o. Engineer
About Us
ICONz®
creator, Dr. Russ Johnson
Dr. Russ Johnson has been a licensed psychologist and nationally certified school psychologist with over 30 years of experience. He was adjunct faculty at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, The School of Rehabilitation Science and Technology at the University of Pittsburgh and a Visiting Researcher at the Boys Town Center for the Study of Youth Development. He received his Ph.D. in Psychology from Peabody College at Vanderbilt University.
Learn More About Our HistoryCertified Providers Learn More
Certified ICONz Providers™ are available for clients from middle school age through young adulthood in both individual and group formats. All Certified ICONz Providers participate in a 15-week ICONz® training program under the supervision of Dr. Russ Johnson and Mr. Brian Kluchurosky, who is both a certified provider and trainer in the ICONz Program. For further information, contact Dr. Johnson at info@iconzassociates.com.