Professional Group Facilitation Training 12-18 August 2026 Parkano | Finland (by application)

Description

Honesty Europe is proud to offer for the first time: Professional Group Facilitation Training!

Do you want to facilitate groups and are you keen to take your skills to a next level?
Are you curious to learn the Honesty Europe style of creating group containers, staying present and open and working with challenge and compassion?

This facilitator training offers you an opportunity to dive into:

* how to recognize existing skills and talents and deepening them

* how to recognize and deal with your personal triggers and biases when leading a group

* how to navigate the path of being real and sharing of yourself while being at all times in a service role for others

* how to create a safe enough space and navigating a “brave space” with enough support and validation

* how to navigate being trauma-aware while offering a loving challenge

* how to work with individual topics and processes in a group setting: setting boundaries, techniques (including chairwork), benefits, inclusion and non-inclusion of the group, timing and closure

* how to coach in a group situation interpersonal issues including anger, attraction, shame, joy and grief: techniques, challenges, language, validation, timing and skillful closing of the process

* how to slow down and pause, and ground oneself while also supporting others to ground and settle

* how to shift “the energy” after heavy topics or tiredness / low energy in the group

* how to acknowledge and respect diversity, and recognize your limitations and beliefs; becoming clear who you are able and not able to work with due to your training, experience and skills

* how to open and close the group container, including the importance of opening and closing rituals


This seven-day Professional Facilitator Training draws from the best practices and learnings of the combined 20 years of experience, and from having led over 200 multi-day events of leading groups, residential retreats and workshops, and supporting couples, families and individuals in a private practice.

This training is new and we – Tuulia & Pete – are excited to share what we have learned (and are continuing to learn).

We have run three Professional Chairwork Trainings. And through the years, we have trained 15 individuals in our one-year Trainee program. We enjoy sharing our knowledge and skills and we enjoy learning and geeking together about group facilitation.

For whom is this training?

This training is for you if you:
– have attended Honesty Events events as a participant
– are a facilitator, mediator, coach, therapist, group / workshop leader or similar
– want to gain additional skills and presence in leading and supporting groups
– are keen to have a broader toolbox of facilitation skills and understand this training is not how to market your events but how to lead events
– have some experience of leading or being an assistant leader in groups
– feel ready enough with your personal process to lead and support others
– enjoy the magic of a group work

This training is not for you if you:
– join to work on our own topics – in that case another retreat is better for you!
– have never facilitated or led any event / group
– have a difficult time remaining present, hearing loud voices and/or being in the presence of people expressing emotions like anger, sadness or shame
– are looking for a fast career shift and earning quick money by leading others
– are not ready to take on the responsibility of the role of a facilitator or co-facilitator / assistant


What do we do?
Our modus operanti is to learn by doing, experimenting and reflecting.

The daily flow will include grounding, movement, group process demos led by the trainers or by the participants followed by take-aways. Also sessions devoted to theory. Full-group and small-group facilitation practice with learnings and feedback from other participants and trainers.
Each day will end with a Q&A and a closing ritual.

We will have an afternoon break each day to integrate, relax and rest. And to enjoy the forest, jacuzzi and lake.
Each night we can relax in the heat of the lakeside wood-burning sauna.

Draft Daily schedule
8:00 – 8:40  movement and meditation led by trainers or participants
8:40 – 9:00  feedback and reflection sessions 

9:00 – 10:00  breakfast

10:00 – 13:00  morning session (with one break of 15 minutes): opening rituals, personal sharing in pairs / small groups, group sharing (facilitated by trainers and participants. Note all facilitation will be used for learning purposes and there will be time to reflect, learn and offer feedback), daily demo on a core topic and conversation, Q& A
13:00 – 16:00  lunch and afternoon break for rest and individual reflection
16:00 – 18:30  afternoon session: practice on the daily theme in dyads / small groups (each take roles of facilitator, participant and reflector offering observations and feedback)
18:30  dinner, chill time, sauna

How to apply?
Send us an informal email and answers the questions below.
Also if you have any questions, message us at info@honestyeurope.com

We have some questions for you
(we are asking these from people who apply to the training and we might want to follow up with a short call with you)

– Please describe your experience in leading groups (what size of groups, what kind, what was your role and the content / topic roughly)

– What you want to get out of the training?

– How do you plan to use what you have learned?

– What challenges or triggers of yours might come up in the training?

– What are your fears and/or worries about the training?

Note: Professional Facilitation Training is not following any one modality but is built on all of our training and experiences as group and 1:1 facilitators. This training draws from our different training and experiences including Radical Honesty, Somatic Experiencing, Gestalt therapy, Integrated therapies, Hakomi, somatic therapies and approaches & Voice Dialogue.

When
12-18 August 2026

Where
Our retreat center Syvilla
Our lovely retreat center Syvilla is located beside Lake Kovesjärvi in a lovely location surrounded by a forest and vast grounds for roaming (and our own small island in the lake). It has many buildings including fully renovated yet historically important hundred-year-old farmhouse, an old barn turned into lodging spaces and a kitchen & big space for gatherings and parties, a yurt, a gazebo, a large terrace which can be covered for rain, an old smoke sauna turned into lodging, a sandy beach, a wood-burning sauna and a smoke sauna by a lake, a wood-burning hot tub and jacuzzi and big hangout areas & fire places by the shore and a lot more.

Leisure activities include walking on the ice, enjoying the many fire places including one on the island, games such as board games, golf frisbee, and basketball hoop.

The property is about 16 km from the Parkano town center and has 170 meters of shoreline and is about 1.7 hectares in size.

Syvilla is about 80 km north of Tampere and about 260 km north of Helsinki.
The railway is about 17 km from the location.
Read more: https://syvilla.fi/gb/

Language
The training will be conducted in English.

Group size
This group will be limited to 12 participants.

Leisure time
We will also have free time for connecting, relaxing, trying out our multiple questions card games, enjoying sauna and jacuzzi, walking in the forest and and appreciating nature in the Finnish summer.

Schedule
The training will begin on Wednesday 12 August at 17:00 and will conclude on Tuesday 18 August by 12:30.

Travel
Via air from outside Finland: fly to Helsinki airport and then take a two-hour and half train ride to Parkano. (There are also a limited number of flights that also fly directly to Tampere airport.) From Tampere, we will direct you the rest of the way to the lake (probably via a local bus). We recommend travelling by land and if that is not possible, compensate for your CO2 emissions.

From within Finland, take a train to Parkano. From there, we will organize a shared taxi van for you.

If you drive to the retreat site, we will probably ask you to carpool with others.
You can buy train tickets via: https://www.vr.fi/en/
When you buy early you will get the ticket cheaper.

Arriving early or staying later – holiday by the lake!
You can arrive early or stay later for €80 per night (the price includes simple dinner and breakfast and sauna &jacuzzi).
Get in touch with us in case you want to take up this option!
You can pay this on arrival.

Community
Participants will be asked to assist in the cooking, serving and cleaning up of meals/snacks as a way to help create a community during our four days together. This is commonly done in Honesty Europe’s retreats (and to help get shit done).

Team
The workshop leaders will be certified Radical Honesty Trainers—and married couple—Tuulia Syvänen and Pete Jordan.

Pete is also a certified Somatic Experiencing Practitioner and Tuulia has completed four-year integrated therapy studies and one year Hakomi Mindful Somatic Psychotherapy training.
Both have additional experience doing shorter trainings including Transformational Chairwork with Scott Kellogg, and Wheel of Consent with Betty Martin and NARM introduction. Tuulia has joined three-day Sensomotoric Therapy training. Pete has joined 8-day and 4-day Voice Dialogue trainings with Robert Stamboliev.

Cost
The Early Bird price for the training is  €720 (including 21% VAT).
(+ lodging, breakfast and sauna 6 x €80 per night = €480)
In  total €1200 when you stay stay in Syvilla.

The Early bird price is valid until 15 June 2026.

The regular price thereafter is €820 (including 21% VAT).
(+ lodging, breakfast and sauna 4 x €80 per night = €480)
In  total €1300 when you stay stay in Syvilla.

The retreat fee covers the workshop and healthy vegetarian / vegan meals and snacks.
Payment in installments is possible.

Not included
The price does not include travel to the location, however we can organize a taxi van from the Parkano railway station.

Lodging

Syvilla will bill the lodging separately with due date of start of the retreat.
The lodging in Syvilla costs 80 euros per night (480 euros in total), this includes breakfast, daily saunas, shared room accommodation in 2 person room or yurt.
You are also welcome to bring your tent or camper.

Kindly bring your own sheets & towels.
You can rent sheets and towels at the location for 20 euros, paid in cash on arrival.

Syvilla has one single room available for an additional fee of €80.
Email us in case you want to book it.

Support
We have one discounted spot for low-income earners / students in exchange for some helping.

Cancellation terms
Please note that we do not offer refunds. However you can transfer your ticket to another person. Let us know via email in case someone else will take your spot.

Support for BIPOC
If you are low income and are black, indigenous or a person of color (BIPOC), you can request a discount from us.
Message your request to us at: info@HonestyEurope.com
Note: we might take a few days to answer your request.

We hope to see you in Syvilla in August!

Hugs,
Pete & Tuulia

www.HonestyEurope.com
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Q&A

Will I receive a diploma / certification / accreditation?
This training will not provide you with any diploma or accreditation.
Will will give you a certification for having completed the training.

Can I be a Honesty Europe Trainee afteŕ this completing this training?
We will select the Trainees in a separate process, however joining this training will give you good skills and tools to join our Trainee Program.

Can I do my own work during the training?
This training is for professional learning and it is not meant for personal work or processing. However, you can get some good personal support and insights about yourself during sessions.
At times, you will be a practice client in small groups and possibly also a demo client in the big group sessions.

What past attendees have said about our Professionl Chairwork training

“Pete & Tuulia—together with the participants—created an atmosphere in which I felt safe to experiment with this powerful tool. I enjoyed the hands-on style and valuable feedback for my facilitation. With their experience they where able to show me paths I did not see myself. I recommend their Chairwork Training to anyone who wants to deepen their facilitation practice and have more impact in their work in a safe way.” – Sebastian (Switzerland)

“Pete & Tuulia are incredibly skilled at chairwork and it was amazing to get this opportunity to learn from them. I loved that the course was so practical and hands-on. I have a lot of experience with facilitation, but I have been hesitant to step fully into doing chairwork with my clients. Coming back from this training, I feel secure in knowing the basics of the process and I trust that I have the basic skillset to get started.” – Ernest (Denmark)

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Who are the trainers?
Tuulia Syvänen is the certified Radical Honesty trainer who has led the most RH workshops in Europe. She also does 1:1 and couples coaching. For two decades, she held leadership positions at international, non-profit organizations that are concerned with social and environmental justice issues. A native of Finland, she has lived in Germany, The Netherlands, New Zealand and Canada.

Having grown up in a dysfunctional family—where difficulties and negative feelings were often swept under the rug—Tuulia became passionate about self-expression and self-awareness, and learned the importance of setting one’s boundaries. Most important, she learned the power of honesty. Her life’s mission is to help create more love and connection between people through honest sharing.

Tuulia participated in her first Radical Honesty training in 2012 with the founder of Radical Honesty Dr. Brad Blanton and continued her training under the guidance of Dr. Blanton. She has led more than 100 RH workshops in various European countries. She has also attained a four-year certification in the Human-to-Human Coaching and Therapy Program in Finland and is a certified leader of Dr. Fischer’s Rebuilding Divorce Seminars. She earned a BA in Journalism from the University of Tampere and has an adult son.

Pete Jordan is the only certified Radical Honesty trainer in the Benelux countries. He organizes and co-leads Radical Honesty workshops around Europe with his wife, Tuulia, as well as does 1:1 coaching. As a certified Somatic Experiencing Practitioner, he also offers 1:1 S.E. sessions with clients to support them in healing from trauma.

Pete has changed his life for the better by committing to live honestly, expressing his resentments and appreciations in the moment and by asking for what he wants. A major breakthrough for him was to have honest talks with his ex-wife and four siblings. He has broken the traditions of his childhood’s family and began to talk about things he was afraid of and embarrassed about and what he didn’t like in his childhood.

Pete has great listening skills and he is keen on developing and learning every day. His vision is to support others to live happier, freer lives. Born and raised in San Francisco, Pete has lived in Amsterdam for almost two decades and still makes himself happy each day he wakes up in that city. A writer by profession, Pete has a passion for cycling and has contributed his writing and photographs to several Dutch cycling publications for more than a decade. When he is not organizing or attending workshops or spending time with his teenaged son, he can be found meandering around Amsterdam on his bike. (And he feels some tightness in his stomach now as he writes this stuff about himself in the third person.)