• Introductory courses;

  • In-depth facilitator training & mentoring;

  • Technical guidance for effective online circles.

Plus:

Bespoke facilitation for organisations:

  • Conflict exploration

  • Decision making

  • Direction setting

  • Community building

It was the perfect balance of learning Council intellectually, and engaging in the actual experience of Council.

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...such a rich mixture of participants from different countries and life experiences

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I enjoyed Dave's groundedness, calmness and sense of presence

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It will shift your perspective on the role of the facilitator and the power of simply holding a space for groups to work with live issues.

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It was the perfect balance of learning Council intellectually, and engaging in the actual experience of Council. 〰️ ...such a rich mixture of participants from different countries and life experiences 〰️ I enjoyed Dave's groundedness, calmness and sense of presence 〰️ It will shift your perspective on the role of the facilitator and the power of simply holding a space for groups to work with live issues. 〰️

Workshop — Meaningful Circles, Online

Meaningful Circles, Online

Can modern tech really be made to serve heart-based practices? Yes, it can.

Come and learn how to transform Zoom’s little square boxes into actual people who are experiencing being in a circle together, and finding real human-to-human connection.

In part 1 we experience just such an online ‘Council’ circle together, before learning how to recreate the same results yourself – technically, structurally, and emotionally.

Then in part 2, each person gets to test their own set up and receive individual coaching to optimise it…

Course delivered via Zoom (naturally!)

Comparison of a large virtual meeting grid of people before and after training from True Circles, with labels indicating 'From this:' at the top and 'To this!' at the bottom.
Next available course…

Council 1 — The Introduction to the Way of Council

Council 1

A 2-3 day training that allows you to experience this powerful set of group practices, and to learn the basics of facilitating your own Council circles.

This is experiential learning, where we learn by doing, gradually going deeper as our skills and confidence grow.

Typically offered in-person over a weekend, or online over 2 weekends, this course takes groups of 8-20 people on a journey of discovery, relearning long-forgotten arts of deep listening, honest speaking, shared vulnerability, empathy and connection.

Come and learn the essential elements of Council, its uses and benefits, its history, and its many forms & styles that enable it to adapt to different groups and situations. Discover first-hand the approach, skills, and aptitudes needed to facilitate Council circles that are safe and effective.

A group of people gathered indoors, around a  centre with candles, and flowers. They are smiling  after participating in a Council training. The room has hardwood floors, yoga mats in the background, and natural light coming through windows.
Next available in person course…
A virtual meeting with nine participants, including a candle centerpiece in the middle, and some of the participants are smiling or laughing.
Next available online course…

Council 2 — Going Deeper into the Practice

Council 2

A 2-3 day training specifically for Council facilitators with at least one year’s experience.

This course delves into the joys, the nuances, the challenges, and the perils of being a regular facilitator of Council circles.

What comes with wearing the Facilitator’s hat: “Are they projecting onto me? How’s my ego right now? This is intense - do I intervene, or hold my breath? “

We look at the shadow side of the facilitator, the blind-spots we might have, what to do when we’re triggered, what to do when the group is triggered… as well as revisiting concepts and skills from Council 1: like ‘turning into the skid’, ‘trusting the process’, and the wisdom of the Four Intentions.

Typically offered in-person over a weekend, or online over 2 weekends, this course takes groups of 8-20 people on a companionable journey learning from our shared stories of things learned the hard way, as much as from theory and best practice .

If you’ve been facilitating for a while, long enough to have picked up a few ‘chips in your paintwork’, and you still want to keep doing it, just better resourced - then this course is for you.

Three men sitting and engaged in conversation during a discussion. The man in the middle is speaking, wearing a white shirt with a beard, while the others are listening. The man on the left has glasses and a beard, and the man on the right has glasses and wears a checkered shirt.
Next available in person course…
A virtual meeting with seven participants, including a central display of a decorated candle with brown leaves, shells, and a lit candle on a woven mat, and a separate empty chair.
Next available online course…

Council 3 — Advanced - Council as a way of life

Council 3

This is an advanced course for those committed to developing their Council practice as a way of life. Council 3 courses can be found in California via the Topa Institute, or for those of us in Western Europe, my friend and colleague, Pip Bondy offers a wonderful Council 3 training in the form of a 7-day retreat in Nature - you can find her offerings here:

Ancient Healing Ways | Vision Quest | Way of Council | Wild Rites | North Wales | UK

A spacious yoga or meditation room with wooden floors and a vaulted wooden ceiling, sunlight streaming through arched windows, and cushions arranged on the floor.