Experiential Facilitation Training - February 2027
A retreat to delve into the craft of facilitation and hone your own unique approach to holding space for groups
This February, join Leigh and a group of peers to explore what facilitation is and deepen your own practice of holding space for groups.
After meetings, participants will come up and say, “Wait, how did we just do that?”…“How did we have those in-depth conversations and end on time?”…“Everyone felt so comfortable together so quickly!”
Sometimes facilitation can seem like the invisible part of the meeting. I absolutely love delving into exploring this “other half” of what is going on when a group gathers and looking at how we can support a group in their intentions and dynamics when they come together in a meeting.
Many of us find ourselves responsible for facilitating groups and meetings in our work and life. These skills show up in work teams, community projects, friend gatherings, family activities…Annnd for many of us this part of our work is woven in with other hats and priorities which can feel complicated.
This retreat is an opportunity to focus on facilitation in its own right. It is an opportunity to focus on how a group of people comes together in an intentional way.
Three Components of the Experiential Facilitation Retreat
What is Facilitation - we will look at the different considerations, choices, and techniques involved in facilitating a meeting or gathering as well as how we maintain our center throughout the unfolding of the gathering.
Experimentation with Facilitation - all participants will have the opportunity to try techniques and together look at the options involved in crafting and facilitating a gathering.
Facilitation Applied in Your Own Work and/or Community Engagement - you are requested to come to this training with an intended group or gathering you will be facilitating this year (or are hoping to plan in the future). It could be a staff meeting at work, a neighborhood meeting, a book club, a family meeting…somewhere in your work or life you want to apply these skills. During the retreat we will return to this practical application of the skills we are learning by looking at the planning, design, and facilitation of your gathering.
There is also an option to sign up to work one-on-one with Leigh after the retreat in planning a meeting for a group in your work/life, being observed facilitating, and debriefing the experience.
Participants Will Come Away With
An understanding of key components, theory, and options involved in facilitating a gathering
Having considered and experienced their unique approach as a facilitator
An understanding of how facilitation fits within the myriad of other roles in a group/team/organization
Confidence and clarity in how to convey the significance and utilize the tools of facilitation
Experience experimenting with facilitation during the retreat
Time to apply what we are learning to shaping an upcoming meeting for a group in their work/life.
The Plan
Initial Meeting on Zoom — Wednesday, February 3rd, 9:00am-10:30am ET we will meet over Zoom to begin getting to know each other, review our plan for the retreat, and go over retreat prep.
Experiential Facilitation Training Retreat — During the day and a half in-person retreat we will move between whole group, small group, and solo time exploring theory, questions, your unique style of facilitation, experimentation with facilitation techniques, and applying what we are looking at to your work and community engagement. The retreat will be at Wanderwood in Nobleboro on 12:30pm-5pm on February 25 and 9:00am-5:00pm on February 26th, (snow dates 12:30pm-5pm on March 4th and 9:00am-5:00pm on March 5th.
Applied Facilitation Support (Optional) — choose to build in working one-on-one with Leigh over the months following the retreat in planning a meeting for a group in your work/life, being observed facilitating, and debriefing the experience.
Planning Call with Leigh (1.5 hours)
Connect with Leigh to have support in planning the meeting/gathering of your group
Observation by Leigh (2 hours)
Leigh will attend the meeting/gathering of your group to observe (travel within 30 minutes of Portland is free, farther afield, travel fees accrued: $52/hour and $.67/mile from South Portland)
Debrief Call (1.25 hours)
Connect with Leigh to debrief your experience facilitating the meeting/gathering of your group
Applied Facilitation Support will be scheduled during 2027.
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You will be gathering with peers who are looking to explore and enhance what facilitation is for them in their work and community engagement.
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Consider the breadth of what goes into facilitating a meeting or group gathering
Engage with others in practicing utilizing facilitation techniques
Apply what you’re learning to facilitation in your work and community engagement
Receive direct support from Leigh in planning, facilitating, and debriefing a meeting or gathering in your work or life (optional and recommended)
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Initial Zoom Meeting – Wednesday, February 3rd, 9:00am-10:30am ET
Experiential Facilitation Training Retreat – Thursday, February 25th, 12:30pm-5:00pm and Friday, February 26th, 9:00am-5:00pm (day two includes lunch). Held in the beautiful, warm barn amidst the fields and woods at Wanderwood, 79 Sidelinger Road, Nobleboro, Maine 04555. Please note this retreat is not an overnight event and does not include lodging.
Snow Dates for the Retreat – Thursday, March 4th and Friday, March 5th. As we are gathering in winter in Maine, please secure all dates and snow dates.
Applied Facilitation Support (Optional) - to be scheduled during 2027.
Cost Choices – to cover costs we ask each participant to contribute:
$575 for the Initial Meeting and Retreat
$575 for the Applied Facilitation Support (recommended and optional) - please note this includes a 20% discount from what this support would typically cost
When you register, you will have the option to sign up for just the retreat OR the retreat and the applied facilitation support.
Scholarships - If cost is a factor please be in touch about scholarships and work trade as we want this to be accessible to all who would like to attend. Write Leigh directly to inquire.
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We will gather in the warmth and beauty of the fully renovated barn event space amidst the fields and woods at Wanderwood in Nobleboro, Maine
Leigh and Craig Freshley of Good Group Decisions have worked closely together over a decade now. Having colleagues in the world of facilitation to be in communities of practice has been such a significant part of supporting each of our work. We share a commitment to making facilitation skills and the exploration of what facilitation can be and is in your work available here in our local community.
Here is us way back when!
Leigh is thrilled to have Craig’s support in offering this training and sharing about it within our community here in Maine.
What participants are saying about Leigh’s facilitation and this training:
“Leigh is a very talented facilitator, she holds space for everyone and also gets right into the hard thinking with us.”
-Participant Evaluation from a Facilitated Women Entrepreneur Peer Group
“Leigh is an amazing facilitator! I appreciate her ability to create space for silence and reflection without it feeling awkward. Her insight and reflection questions are so valuable.”
-Participant Evaluation from a Facilitated Women Entrepreneur Peer Group
“Leigh is extremely talented in the way she guided our group. She kept us on task and moving forward in a way that kept the decisions in our hands. Authenticity, sincerity, and kindness abounds!”
“Leigh you facilitated the meeting with great deftness. You guided us without becoming a part of the meeting. You stepped in to get us back on track when needed and drove the group to identify actions, steps, and ownership.”
“Leigh guided my Board of Directors and staff through the process of re-envisioning our mission, our goals, and our impact with kindness, skill, and encouragement. She made everyone feel equally important and that their voices were heard. Everyone loved working with her and specifically asked for her again to facilitate our next retreat!"
Marla Stelk, Executive Director, National Association of Wetland Managers
“Working with Leigh to grow my facilitation skills has been a game-changer. She brings a rare combination of strategic insight and emotional intelligence, asking the right questions at just the right time to accelerate my learning.
Her preparation is thorough, and she models the qualities I strive for as a facilitator—deep listening, neutrality, and adaptability. Leigh creates a space where strategic thinking flows naturally, and she equips me with tools that continue to support my work long after our sessions end.
Her warmth and curiosity make every interaction both productive and inspiring.”
-Alexandra Forrester, Child Care Program Director,
CEI Coastal Enterprises Inc.
