Welcome to the Community

Positive Behavior Change for People!

Over the past few decades, there has been an enormous shift in how people across the world interact with non-human animals, prioritizing compassion, creativity and collaboration over force, intimidation and punishment. When we start from a standpoint of “First, do no harm,” it opens up entirely new worlds of possibility. One model that provides us with a framework to support these approaches is known as LIMA (Least Intrusive Minimally Aversive.) When rooted in a strong ethical foundation, LIMA strategies help us cultivate trusting relationships with animals while effectively meeting (and often exceeding) our goals for behavior change. We know these methods work with dogs, horses, cats, birds, and countless other species. And yet we often have a hard time applying these principles in our relationships with other humans--including ourselves.
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What's a LIMA being?

A LIMA being is a member of our community of learners who seeks to apply the power of antecedents and consequences to shape behavior in ways that are both compassionate and effective. LIMA beings are committed to building a world in which all are valued, and in which we celebrate diversity. We are committed to listening and learning and growing.
LIMA beings

Meet the Founders

Dr. Chris Pachel, Kathy Sdao, Barrie Finger, Lynn Ungar, and Marissa Martino*

All of the founders, in addition to being experienced dog trainers and behavior consultants who have devoted years to studying the art and science of positive training, are people who feel a deep calling toward building more functional, creative and respectful relationships between people: one-on-one, as communities and as societies. We are grounded in a variety of spiritual and wisdom traditions and some of us have studied Marshall Rosenberg’s Nonviolent Communication. All of us think the world would just work better if we could apply the things we know about shaping positive behavior change to...pretty much anything. Maybe you feel the same way and would like to explore together with us?
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Core Values

  • Vulnerability

    Changing how we communicate & interact with the wide variety of people we encounter takes practice, self-reflection and diligence. It’s a given that we’re going to make mistakes as we strive to develop fluency in applying LIMA principles. LIMA beings embrace vulnerability – we support each other’s efforts & celebrate our successive approximations of the world we long to see.

  • Growth

    Amidst so much divisiveness, discord & despair, we yearn for a kinder world. We believe that kindness & compassion, manifested in the countless small behavior choices each of us make every day, can be learned. The environment in which these behaviors occur (i.e., the antecedents & the consequences) exert enormous control over our choices. LIMA beings focus more on influencing our internal and external conditions, and less on controlling or coercing others.

  • Kinship

    In the words of Martin Luther King Jr., we “are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality.” In our divided world, this call to connectedness & interdependence is more evident than ever. We urgently need to foster caring communities in which the needs of everyone are valued. LIMA beings work to fade the line dividing “us” and “them” -- because, when we take a wider perspective, there is only us.

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It isn’t easy to live in this world as a LIMA being, and having a community of exploration and support can make all the difference. Members who subscribe to the community receive a monthly recorded conversation between the founders, and then participate in a monthly live Zoom call to further explore the topic together.
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The ABC's of Everything Course

If you’re curious about LIMA beings and want to check out how the concepts of Antecedents, Behaviors and Consequences might inform our relationships with the humans in our lives, we encourage you to check out the ABCs of Everything course. In three 90-minute sessions the founders explore how we might apply these basic—but complicated—principles of behavior in our daily lives.
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Check out our awesome merchandise from tees to mugs to totes! Cultivate the conditions for compassion by spreading the word of kindness.
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