I’ve been an educator and facilitator for coming on 20 years, from my time teaching Japanese language and culture at DCU and CTYI, to my current work as a lecturer for counsellors-in-training at PCI College; from personal development groups for GBTQ+ men at Outhouse, to creative and educational workshops around therapeutic writing/journaling, diversity, burnout and more, with people from such a wide range of ages and personal and professional backgrounds.
I’m grateful to have been able to do this work, and am proud of the safe, respectful, collaborative environments for learning and connection that I’ve co-created with my students and workshop/group participants over the years. If you, too, are interested in creating and facilitating group experiences, maybe I can be of help…
Working as an educator or facilitator can be an exciting, fulfilling way of sharing your knowledge and giving back, but it can also be daunting and prone to curveballs. Perhaps you’d like to start a support group or journaling circle in your community, pitch an idea for a workshop series to your organisation, or join the lecturing team at your old college – depending on the situation, these kinds of questions may be bouncing around…
- What are my ideas and hopes for this workshop/group/course?
- What do I need to help me achieve this?
- What’s possible and what might be challenging?
- How should I structure things and divide up the time?
- How much should I charge?
- How will I manage boundaries and different personalities?
- How can I adapt if things don’t go as I’d planned?
- How do I ‘hold’ a group in a safe way that fosters connection and permission?
- How do I mind myself and my own needs while helping others?
I offer 1-1 mentoring and consultancy sessions for aspiring and established facilitators, to help you explore questions like these and offer guidance and support as you make plans, flesh out ideas, and bring your creative vision to life. Along the way, we’ll aim to nurture and empower your abilities and tune into any obstacles or anxieties that might be lurking around.
This might just be in the creating and launching stage, or it might be a more ongoing space for checking in with yourself as you go – to help you reflect, unpack, process, vent… It could be a one-off, it could be a regular thing, it could be occasional meetings dotted throughout the year or term time. Your work and endeavours will be individually yours, so we’ll collaborate on what you need. It’s not supervision or therapy, but I hope will offer the same sense of professional support and encouragement.
I’m not a magician though – I don’t have a manual for ‘guaranteed success’ or a step-by-step guide on what you ‘should’ be doing with your work. I can offer perspectives and insights based on my knowledge and experience; help you survey the land and weigh up your options; brainstorm and reality-test ideas with you… but ultimately I’ll be encouraging you to make choices and take actions that feel right for you. I’m a supportive guide and ally rather than an all-knowing guru 🙂
If this sounds like a good fit for you, drop me a line.
Nozomi Counselling & Psychotherapy 