The Empathic Facilitator -February

The Empathic Facilitator is a two-day training for anyone who leads groups and wants to develop the skills to lead a profound change process. The principles and practices learned in this training can be adapted for a range of settings and groups whether you regularly facilitate workshops, team meetings, or offer one-on-one coaching. 

We explore four experiential modules through theory, practice, and reflection. The modules are designed to build on each other, deepening the experience with each section completed.

The two-day training provides ample opportunity for participants to reflect on their own practice, work through challenges together, and consider ways to integrate new strategies and practices into their work.

In this training you will:

o   Cultivate a set of daily practices for deepening self-awareness, presence, and the ability to be attuned to the needs of your group.

o   Use storytelling as a way to build empathy and connection within groups.

o   Work with group tensions/conflicts in a generative way that produces fresh insights and stronger relationships.

o   Give and receive constructive and attuned feedback that leads to sustainable change and cultivates empowered leaders.

o   Learn to build a culture of shared ownership of outcomes and direction.

 We’ve trained nearly two hundred practitioners working in a diverse range of fields including social work, criminal justice, education, change management, law, and private business. Our global network of alumni includes emerging to master level practitioners.

 Participants will receive the practice guide with activities learned in the training and a certificate of completion. 

Scholarships Available: A limited number of scholarships are available for those with financial need.

Please email nandhi@create-forward.com to request more information. 

What Alumni Have to Say:

"The Empathic Facilitator training was an exceptional two days of self-reflection, leadership development and skill enhancement.  As a circle keeper, I came away with a deeper understanding of how my identity as an African American woman impacts my work and how to be more intentional when I show up. I am stronger and more connected because of it." - Greer Ellis

"The Empathic Facilitation Training opened up my eyes to new ways of thinking about facilitation. I learned how to connect with my audience authentically and build trust with them, tapping into their experiences physically, mentally, spiritually, and emotionally. Piper embodied the practice of empathic facilitation as she guided us through the workshop, demonstrating through experience how this training will expand the connection we have on our participants. I left inspired by the deep, honest dialogue we had as participants, and empowered by the tools the training gave us to approach our own work. I would recommend this training to anyone seeking to reflect, deepen, and expand on their impact as a facilitator."- Yasmin Marrero-Garcia 

About the Trainer:

Facilitation is 21st century leadership skill that too often goes under valued and rarely developed. Yet when people experience great facilitation it can transform a critical conversation into a movement. Which is why facilitator and community builder, Piper Anderson designed The Empathic Facilitator training. In this course she brings nearly 20 years of experience leading groups in prisons/jails, schools, and community spaces. Her practice integrates applied theatre, somatic awareness practices, and much more to create a dynamic practice learning space for practitioners at every level. She now integrates healing practices, mindfulness, and somatic techniques for trauma recovery into all of her work. She holds a master’s degree in Applied Theatre integrates creativity and play into all of her work as a facilitator whether working with non-profit leaders through a change process or teaching incarcerated students. Today Anderson centers storytelling as a means of empathy and action with people directly impacted by mass incarceration. In 2014, she founded Create Forward, a social impact firm delivering experiences that advance equity and social justice.  In 2015, she was awarded a TED Residency to design a community storytelling project called Mass Story Lab. To date, Mass Story Lab has traveled to thirteen cities hosting storytelling events that center the voices of people directly impacted by incarceration, making their stories as vehicle for empathy, healing, and action. Anderson is a professor at NYU where she is on the faculty and advisor board for the NYU Prison Education Program.