Dialogue is a powerful gateway to deeper, more trusting relationships, helping young people and staff to feel seen, heard and respected.

In this 1-day training you'll learn to hold spaces for more authentic dialogue and deeper listening, and know how to create a culture of safety and belonging.

BOOK HERE (via Ticket Tailor)

What's on offer?

This one day training explores and trains you in the art of hosting talking circles (also called sharing circles, dialogue circles, listening circles). It will support you to develop as a strong facilitator and connector of people in your communities. 

Join us to develop your ability to host circles as a powerful tool to promote self-expression, build compassion and embrace adversity as a gateway to healthy individual and collective growth.

Our practice is guided by the tradition of The Ways of Council that has grown out of THe Ojai Foundation lineage. At it’s simplest, this ancient form of talking circle involves: A circle. A centre. A beginning. One person speaking at a time. Everyone listening. A closing. 

“The training has reminded me of my own inherent nature and to receive others more fully as they are. The safety of the group allowed me to speak more fully and openly from the heart. I feel that I am more settled as well as energised. I feel a greater sense of trust and belonging.”
EmmaHeadteacher
"Hosting talking circles has been a healing and regenerative day, and has guided me in new ways to hold space for openness and vulnerability. It has been wonderful to learn from the wisdom of Max and Nikki”
JamesHistory Teacher
“If you feel ‘revolutionising education’ is your mission, if you want to feel a member of a healthy, caring and just ecosystem, take this course. Bellissimo!“
CinziaTeacher
“The space created for the Hosting Talking Circles training felt authentic to its core. The depth and interactive nature of the training helped me to feel comfortable enough to fully 'show up' and get the most out of the experience. Not only can I see how well this can work for secondary students and young adults, but I'm also excited by the possibilities for primary and the early years! I can't wait to get started and to see the impact on not only the children, but also those of us that work with and support them.”
AndiPrimary Headteacher
“I found the whole day really powerful, particularly modelling a talking circle and how they can support young people. If you want a different approach to engaging with your teams & young people, sign up for this training.”
AlisaYouth facilitator

Why practice talking circles?

It can feel daunting to open up dialogue with young people about sensitive topics, and yet choosing to ‘go there’ together can be incredibly liberating. Talking circles offer a powerful gateway to having deeper, more trusting relationships; to young people feeling seen, heard and respected; and to creating a shared culture of safety and belonging.

Talking circles offer a way to have powerful conversations, creating bonding relationships between young people and adults, and can be used to resolve conflicts or challenges (including challenging behaviour) in the classroom. They help to put into practice many of the values we say we wish to live by e.g. kindness, honesty, respect, compassion, acceptance, courage….

This 1-day practical skills training will leave you feeling more confident in your facilitation skills and fully equipped to bring talking circles (and other similar forms of communication and enquiry) into your education setting.

We’ll walk you through various ‘talking circle’ techniques, practice them together, discuss their different use cases, equip you to run them safely and explore the theory that underpins this powerful practice.

BOOK HERE (via Ticket Tailor)

You will learn...

 How to facilitate different kinds of talking circles

 The social and developmental value of talking circles, as evidenced by leading neuroscience and child development theory.

 How to create a psychologically safe and trusting container.

 Learn how to look after the wellbeing of everyone in the space – including yourself!

 Debunking common myths that hold us back from exploring our emotions and sharing our personal ‘stuff’.

 The difference between therapeutic spaces and therapy (and why this isn’t the latter).

 How to maintain safe boundaries and key safeguarding considerations, knowing the limitations of talking circles and your role as the guide.

Your Facilitators

nikki profile

Nikki Levitan

Nikki is the Co-Founder of The Visionaries. Nikki’s passions are youth work, community organising, positive psychology, self-directed learning and most of all creating spaces for young people to feel seen, heard, and empowered. Nikki has worked for over 20 years with young people in both formal and informal settings. She is trained as a professional Integral Coach, qualified Trauma & Mental Health informed school practitioner, a Teen Yoga Teacher and a Forest School Leader. Nikki has been a wellbeing practitioner in secondary schools for the last 6 years implementing whole school approaches to wellbeing.

max profile

Max Girardeau

Max is an eco-systemic educator, working with and in service of Life. He is passionate about the power of sitting in circle, as it reconnects us to ancient wisdom about how to be human and reignites the oral tradition of passing on wisdom through generations.
Max is a co-founder of The Visionaries, a trained Wilderness Guide, a Mountain Leader and Trauma Informed Schools Practitioner. He has been sitting in circle for over a decade, and has been holding therapeutic spaces for adults and young people alike, in the classroom and in the wild, for over 8 years.

About The Venue

The Story Garden sits in the middle of busy King’s Cross in London and is a space where people of all ages come together to learn, grow, make, cook, eat and find stillness.

Workshops take place in a fully accessible, heated indoor space set amongst the fruit trees and veg patches of the 3 acre community garden. There are also fully accessible toilets onsite (15m from the workshop space, along a flat path). Please contact us via hello@thevisionaries.org.uk if you have any accessibility questions or needs – we’re more than happy to help.

Global Generation are the organisation behind The Story Garden, connecting people to nature in the middle of the city. They co-create gardens with the local community, showcasing how disused urban spaces can become an oasis for plants and people to grow.

Address: Story Garden, Ossulston Street, London, NW1 1DF

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BOOK HERE (via Ticket Tailor)