Specialist Training: Group Skills

Many of us have come into this work with a background in one-to-one work. The skills we have acquired will have many direct benefits for our mindfulness teaching. However, we may find that we continue to teach one-to-one, albeit in a group.

We will explore how to bring this group dimension into all aspects of our mindfulness teaching, including the orientation and assessment process; guiding practices; leading inquiries; and facilitating exercises and group discussions. In doing this, we will learn how to be present and alive to the three dimensions in the group: that of myself as teacher, that of individual participant, and that of the group as a whole.

We will explore the different stages of the group, namely the forming, the holding, and the ending of the group, and how as group leaders we can best support the learning practice of our participants in this group context.

The course is designed for mindfulness-based teachers who:

• Have prior experience teaching mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) within group settings.
• Have completed an eight-week MBSR or MBCT course.
• Maintain an established personal mindfulness practice.
• Have undertaken foundational teacher training, such as the Mindfulness Network Essentials training or an equivalent programme.

participants should:

• Have some experience delivering MBIs in group formats.
• Be interested in deepening their capacity to work skilfully with group dynamics.
• Enhance facilitation skills using the Inside Out Group Model (Bartley & Griffith, 2022), identified as recommended preparatory reading.

Key Learning Objectives

• To learn to facilitate groups so that they are safe and inclusive.
• To cultivate an embodied and grounded teaching presence.
• To explore ways of leading, holding and befriending the process of teaching mindfulness-based groups so that the rich learning potential within the group can be realised by participants.
• To find ways of resolving some of the common challenges when leading groups, including:
  
  • a dominating participant,
  • a persistent late comer,
  • someone who is openly sceptical,
  • and/or a participant who says very little.
  • To consider the different approaches involved with teaching very different sized group