Group Facilitation: When The Theories Don't Help

As group facilitators, theory is essential. It provides a foundation for accountability, frames our understanding, and guides our practice. Yet theory can also constrain us—limiting spontaneity, flattening the diversity of group experience, or even masking poor practice.

In this dialogue, Beverley Costa and John Wilson will explore what happens when the theories don’t help. Beginning with an anonymised case example from group practice, we will invite participants to think and critique together about what unfolded, and what it means for our work as facilitators.

We will reflect on the risks of leaning too heavily on a single theoretical lens, and how working with multiple perspectives may offer richer possibilities—but only when grounded in a clear philosophy of practice. We’ll also consider the limits of even group-focused frameworks such as systemic theory, and how these limitations show up in practice.

Throughout, we will return to key questions:

• How do we move beyond noticing and naming what’s happening, to deciding what to do next?
• How do we ensure our interventions are rooted in both theory and embodied presence?
• How do we recognise when “the easy option” signals a red flag, and when trust in the group is at stake?

Together, we will think about how theory can be used wisely and creatively—supporting rather than constraining our practice—while keeping trust, spontaneity, and ethical integrity at the heart of group facilitation.

Who is This Workshop Appropriate For?

• Those people facilitating or wanting to facilitate groups. Please note we will be talking about groups in general.

How May This Workshop Impact Your Practice?

• Increased confidence in group facilitation.

RECORDING

This event will be recorded and you can use the ticket function to pre-purchase the recording before the event. This will be useful for colleagues who are not able to attend the event live and also for those who attend the event live and want to watch it again.

ZOOM

This event will be hosted on the Zoom meeting platform where we will use our cameras and microphones to interact with each other as a group.

SELF-SELECT FEE

The self-select fee is a radical inclusion policy to open learning for all colleagues. The guide price for this event is £20.00, however, we appreciate that income varies greatly in different locations and circumstances. Please contribute what you can to help us maintain inclusive professional training.

___________________________

At Onlinevents, we and the presenters we collaborate with are committed to working in a way that aligns with the ethical codes and frameworks of our respective professional organisations. We expect all colleagues attending our events to uphold the ethical principles of their professional membership.

If you are not a member of a professional organisation, we ask that you participate in a way that is both authentic and respectful, fostering a space of mutual learning and professional engagement.

By registering for this event, you agree to be present and interact in a manner that reflects these principles.

Beverley Costa

After qualifying as a psychotherapist, Beverley Costa set up Mothertongue multi-ethnic counselling service (2000-2018) for multilingual clients. In 2009 she created a pool of mental health interpreters, in 2010 she established the national Bilingual Therapist and Mental Health Interpreter Forum and founded The Pásalo Project in 2017 www.pasaloproject.org to disseminate learning from Mothertongue.

She has trained over 5,000 therapists for NHS services and NGOs, in working therapeutically across languages and with interpreters since 2013. She is a Senior Practitioner Fellow at Birkbeck, University of London and a Senior Visiting Research Fellow at the University of Reading.

In 2020, Pásalo created an e-learning resource for the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy: The Social Response Cycle - about effective therapeutically framed social action.https://www.bacp.co.uk/cpd/social-response-cycle-member-resource/In the same year (2020), The Paul Hamlyn Foundation awarded The Pásalo Project funding through its Ideas and Pioneers programme to create a free e-learning resource on mental health and multilingualism https://www.pasaloproject.org/multilingualism-mental-health-and-psychological-therapy---course-content.html.

She has run Reflective Practice Support groups for interpreters, psychological therapists and counsellors, nurses, teachers, lawyers, and psychosocial workers. She has developed an introductory course in facilitator skills for running Reflective Practice Groups which has been delivered online to organisations in England, Scotland, Wales and Belgium. She is the author of Other Tongues -psychological therapies in a multilingual world https://tinyurl.com/Other-Tongues

Website | www.pasaloproject.org

John Wilson

I am a co-founder and Director at Onlinevents, dedicated to democratising learning in the helping professions. We host the world's first and largest video learning library akin to "Netflix" for these professions.

Additionally, I serve as a Director at Temenos Education and lead the Counselling & Psychotherapy Programme. Our focus is on nurturing students to become their most potent selves, both personally and professionally.

With over 20 years of experience, I currently manage a private practice as a Psychotherapist and Supervisor, offering services through video, text chat, and virtual environments.

I also facilitate groups and am involved in the Going Global and La Jolla programmes, rooted in Carl Rogers' Encounter Group movement. I am a past Chair and now an Honorary Fellow at the Association for Counselling & Therapy Online (ACTO). I have served on the board of the World Association for Person Centered & Experiential Psychotherapy & Counselling for 6 years.

Website | www.onlinevents.co.uk