Facilitating Groups: Growth Circle Facilitation Training (PSY382)

This course introduces students to a framework, process, and tool, as well as key skills that are effective to facilitate small group discussions. Through the process and application of skillsets and tool, students will be able to enhance critical skillsets in co-creating an inclusive space and fostering genuine connections within the group and collective support for one another. This is essential for open dialogue, encouraging engagement and collaboration, while embracing the richness of diverse perspectives. The course equips students with the basic skills of the national mental health framework. The human centric skills will enable students to gain greater empathy, apply effective communication skills, embrace perspective-taking in difficult or unexpected situations, and regulate one’s emotions and behaviour.

• Group Facilitation: What it is and what it entails
• Strategies to build a psychologically safe space
• Uncovering unconscious bias
• Listening with empathy
• Effective communication: NASA Framework
• Facilitating reflection
• Growth Circles as a process and tool
• Application of skills in a Growth Circle
• Compassion and language of support
• Navigating group dynamics for support and engagement
• Managing difficult situations
• Preparing for group facilitation

• Examine the Growth Circles process and components in facilitating group discussions
• Appraise the steps to create a psychologically safe space for self and others in a group to forge greater connection and collective support for one another
• Illustrate the essential human centric skills necessary for facilitating groups
• Create a culture of psychological safety to build positive group dynamics
• Apply key human centric skills to empower and support others
• Practice leveraging group dynamics while facilitating a growth circle