Name: Tessa Venuti-Sanderson: Circle facilitation skills: A trauma-informed approach
Start: 2026-02-08T11:00:00+00:00
End: 2026-02-08T15:30:00+00:00
Location: 3-5 Cremyll Road, RG1 8NQ Reading, United Kingdom

Tessa Venuti-Sanderson: Circle facilitation skills: A trauma-informed approach
*Early Bird £89 until 31 st December 2025*
This CPD training is for anyone who works with groups of clients. Previous attendees have been coaches, counsellors, psychotherapists, yoga teachers, sound therapists, GPs,
environmental activists, those working for charities and more.
Circle facilitation skills can be used within a workshop or class setting to boost connection and share experiences of the practices/information, or as a standalone talking circle.
They can also be used in any group scenario like a work meeting or support group as there are lots of transferrable skills.
The aim of circle holding, is to provide a intentional space where people can share experiences and know that people will listen without judgement and in confidence. The skill of facilitation is how to manage dynamics so that the sharing is at an appropriate
level for the time that you have available within the session and to leave individuals feeling heard but not vulnerable through oversharing.
A trauma-informed approach is important to support people’s nervous systems and avoid triggering of any previous trauma. Restorative language is supportive and caring, whilst also providing boundaries and clear expectations.
This training will show you how to communicate well and compassionately in challenging situations or when big emotions
arise. It is also useful in your personal life with friends, family or parenting.
This is an experiential workshop where you will take part in the arc of circle time with all the key components for a successful standalone gathering and circle facilitation skills will be modelled throughout the day. The training is not therapy and does not enable you to provide therapy, but will give you confidence in supporting sharing through good communication and empathy, and in building community.
You will be eligible for a CPD certificate of attendance at the end of the workshop. If you have any questions about the workshop, please do not hesitate to contact Tessa at [email protected]
Tessa Venuti Sanderson
Tessa is the co-author of Circle Holding: A Guide to Facilitating Talking Circles and has been facilitating her women's circle in Caversham since 2015. She also hosts pregnancy, new mum, perimenopause, mum and daughter puberty, and yoga teacher circles. She has training in trauma-informed yoga, specialising in Yoga for Birth Trauma, and is a Restorative Justice/ Practice Level 1 facilitator. Tessa is a senior yoga teacher, teaching since 2004 and running CPD courses since 2015. She was previously an academic
researcher in rheumatology (rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, lupus etc). She loves swimming, dancing and reading tween fiction.