become a grounded guide
leadership rooted in kinship and hope
A year-long online leadership program for those ready to help a new world be born.
“Another world is not only possible, she is on her way. On a quiet day, I can hear her breathing.”
– Arundhati Roy
Growing our leadership capacity for times like these
We believe that there are unique leadership skills called for at this time.
As we support the emergence of a world our hearts yearn for, we need leaders with the capacity to navigate liminality and guide people through destabilizing times with grace, tenderness, hope, courage and strength.
They need to be rooted in kinship relationships, understanding our interdependence within the web of life.
The person cultivating these skills is what we call a Grounded Guide.
At the Centre for Holding Space, we hold a vision of an equitable and joyful world where everyone’s needs can be met in a dignified way.
We believe in our capacity to co-create systems, cultures and communities rooted in kinship and regenerative practices, where all beings in the web of life can thrive.
We need the right leaders who can guide us through this liminality into that future.
We need Grounded Guides.
Wise leadership, rooted in kinship.
A Grounded Guide is a wise, compassionate, discerning, and
self-reflective leader.
They guide and support the collective from a place on the ground – within the ecosystem rather than set apart from the ecosystem. A Grounded Guide is emotionally mature and community-oriented, recognizing the impact of the individual on the collective and the collective on the individual. While grounded in the present, they also hold a long-sighted view of the future. They are collaborative, gathering the wisdom of advisors and those most impacted, and making decisions rooted in thoughtful systemic analysis.
Is this for you?
Are you an emerging leader who wants to feel more grounded in purpose and wisdom so that you’re ready to meet this moment? Or are you already a seasoned leader who’s sensing the need to deepen your capacity for liminality and complexity? Or perhaps you don’t yet consider yourself a leader, but you’re trying to find the right way to support your people and bring about a new vision? This program has something for everyone, and we look forward to the meaningful conversations that will emerge out of a diversity of participants.
* For accessibility and mutual care, we have pricing tiers.*
- “Being a leader in a small non-profit, in a remote location – it can be lonely and I miss having a peer group to rumble with and learn from. This program introduced me to new frameworks, helped me make sense of some of what I am witnessing and working with, and provided a consistent space to show up to and connect with others who are holding similar questions and curiosities and threads. I felt more confident and content in my local roles because of this global network and platform that is aligned to my values and shapes my ways of seeing.” – Brenda Barritt, participant of Leadership for Liminal Spaces
Deepening capacity for liminality & complexity.
To understand the themes threaded through this program, here are a few of our working definitions (click to view):
Leadership
At the heart of our understanding of leadership, we hold Margaret Wheatley’s words, “A leader is anyone willing to help, anyone who sees something that needs to change and takes the first steps to influence that situation.” Source
We believe that leadership is needed at all levels, from people with many different skillsets, and that when we show up in circle as a “leader in every chair” (to quote Christina Baldin and Ann Linnea’s work in The Circle Way) we are best able to host emergence and to move the collective into a better future.
Kinship
For our understanding of what it means to live in kinship relationships, we turn to Robin Wall Kimmerer: “Each person, human or no, is bound to every other in a reciprocal relationship. Just as all beings have a duty to me, I have a duty to them. If an animal gives its life to feed me, I am in turn bound to support its life. If I receive a stream’s gift of pure water, then I am responsible for returning a gift in kind. An integral part of a human’s education is to know those duties and how to perform them.” (Krista and Heather spoke of this in their video Why Kinship Matters.)
Hope
As Heather wrote in a recent post, Turning toward hope, we take our inspiration from people like Joanna Macy and Jane Goodall (both of whom we consider to have been Grounded Guides).
“Active Hope is a practice. Like tai chi or gardening, it is something we do rather than have. It is a process we can apply to any situation, and it involves three key steps. First, we take a clear view of reality; second, we identify what we hope for in terms of the direction we’d like things to move in or the values we’d like to see expressed; and third, we take steps to move ourselves or our situation in that direction.” – Joanna Macy
“Hope is often misunderstood. People tend to think that it is simply passive wishful thinking: I hope something will happen but I’m not going to do anything about it. This is indeed the opposite of real hope, which requires action and engagement.” ― Jane Goodall
Liminality
Liminality (or liminal space) is a term that Heather uses a lot in her work on holding space (including her book, The Art of Holding Space).
Evolved from anthropology, the root word “limen” means “the space in between, the threshold.”
The concept was first developed in the early twentieth century by folklorist Arnold van Gennep and later taken up by Victor Turner.
“The attributes of liminality are necessarily ambiguous… Liminal entities are neither here nor there; they are betwixt and between the positions assigned and arrayed by law, custom, convention and ceremonial.” – Victor Turner
For more on these themes, watch our video series.
FIVE PILLARS OF GROUNDED GUIDANCE
(for more information on each pillar, click on the circle)
emotional maturity
relational maturity
long-sightedness
grounded collaboration
integrative systemic consciousness
Emotional maturity:
- understands nervous system activation and self-regulation, co-regulation, and eco-regulation
- has social & emotional intelligence
- honours boundaries & limitations
- is grounded in self-reflective practices
- doesn’t fear or suppress emotions but holds space for people to move through them
- can hold complexity with humour and lightness
Relational maturity:
- builds and sustains meaningful community and kinship relationships
- collaborates & makes decisions rooted in the collective good
- consults wise counsel
- is committed to equity and building relationships across differences
- is committed to conflict transformation & generative peace-building
Long-sightedness:
- makes decisions rooted in an understanding of deep time
- sees the folly of limitless growth
- recognizes that death, composting & regeneration are necessary parts of life within an ecosystem
- is committed to the long journey of human development and is a life-long learner, open to changing opinions
Grounded collaboration:
- offers guidance and rarely controls
- holds space for and with the collective
- recognizes collective liminality & trauma
- listens to diverse opinions with openness to changing one’s own opinion
- co-creates generative spaces where ideas can flourish
- is held accountable by the collective
Integrative systemic consciousness:
- integrates body, mind, spirit wisdom
- holds the complexity of both macro and micro views – the individual & the collective, the species & the ecosystem
- sees the entire ecosystem and values all beings in it
- integrates ancestral/Indigenous/nature-based wisdom
- functions from a place within the ecosystem/heterarchy
This year-long program has six modules that are each six weeks long.
To immerse yourself in the learning and to find like-minded community members from all over the world, sign up for the entire program. Alternatively, most of the modules are available as stand-alone programs.
Collective dreaming for a hopeful future.
It is our purpose, in this program, to not only engage in a collaborative learning journey, with people from all over the world, but to create a space for collective dreaming.
We believe that the world needs those who can look with clarity at this current moment, and then be
courageous enough to dream of a better future.
the six modules of become a grounded guide
module 1: living in liminality & complexity
Dates: March 9 to April 17, 2026
- What are the 3 paths of liminality and how do they show up in our individual & collective lives?
- What is Systems Thinking and why does it matter?
- How can Systems Thinking change the way we lead?
- What does nature teach us about complexity, liminality, and systems?
module 2: becoming a grounded guide
Dates: April 30 to June 4, 2026
- What does it mean to be a Grounded Guide?
- What are the core competencies of a Grounded Guide?
- What does it mean to root our leadership in kinship relationships?
- How is nature guiding us in our leadership?
module 3: understanding people
Dates: August 3 to September 11, 2026
- What is the Core Needs Triad and how do these three needs drive us?
- How can we support healthy nervous system grounding and attunement?
- How are our lives (and our culture) shaped by beliefs and biases?
- How do our relationship patterns impact our lives?
module 4: knowing yourself
Dates: September 21 to October 30, 2026
- Who are you? What is your lineage, social conditioning, and cultural context?
- How have you been shaped by systems such as colonization, patriarchy, capitalism, etc.?
- What practices can support you in honest self-reflection?
- How can you live a more liberated life, grounded in love and joy?
module 5: collaborating in community
Dates: November 9 to December 18, 2026
- How can you become a more collaborative leader?
- How does nature guide us in interdependent collaboration?
- How can we nurture intergenerational communities that honour the purpose of elders, youth, and those in between?
- How do you serve in leadership if you are “not the main character”?
module 6: collective dreaming, meaningful action
Dates: January 4 to February 12, 2027
Note: This module is only open to those who participate in the full program.
- What dreams are now emerging from us as a collective?
- What is the world asking of us?
- What are the threads tying us to each other and how will that help shape our work going forward?
- What meaningful actions are we now ready to step into?
Your journey through Become a Grounded Guide will be guided by Heather Plett and Krista dela Rosa, cofounders of the Centre for Holding Space (with support from our team). Before she started writing books and teaching, Heather honed her leadership skills in government, non-profit, and university classrooms. Krista honed hers in churches, youth groups, and community spaces. Both deepened their capacity through parenting, business ownership, and course development. You can read more about them here.
Watch Heather & Krista talk about their vision for this program and how it evolved out of what was originally called “Leadership for Liminal Spaces”. They are excited about the evolution of this important work and look forward to growing a community around it.
This work has been informed by many great teachers and writers, including Robin Wall Kimmerer, Tyson Yunkaporta, Bill Plotkin, Stephen Jenkinson, Francis Weller, Joanna Macy, Jane Goodall, Bayo Akomolafe, Malidoma Patrice Somé, Christina Baldwin, Ann Linnea, Margaret Wheatley, Resmaa Menakem, Otto Scharmer, bell hooks, Richard Schwartz, Parker Palmer, adrienne maree brown, Prentis Hemphill, Naomi Klein, Suzanne Simard, Adam Kahane, Richard Rohr, and many more.
It was also informed by trees, whales, beavers, salmon, rivers, eagles, otters, mycelium, soil, and nurse logs.
How will the program be structured?
Course Structure:
Weekly Zoom calls: We will meet weekly for 90 minutes (Thursdays at 19:00 GMT (1:00 p.m. Central). Calls will start with a presentation on that week’s topic, followed by conversation, breakout rooms, and/or integration exercises. All calls will be recorded.
Module workbook: Participants will receive a workbook for each module which will include the slides from that week’s presentation, plus journal prompts, somatic practices, etc. to support the learning.
Online platform: All course material and call recordings will be housed on our Mighty Network platform where the community will have an opportunity to exchange ideas between calls.
Conversation pods: Participants will be encouraged to participate in regional-specific small groups that have the option of engaging in separate conversations.
Collective practice: A time will be set aside each week where participants have the option to be together in collective practice. This will likely include a time of silent practice plus follow-up conversation.
How much does it cost?
In our desire to make this as accessible and equitable as possible, we invite you to choose from our tiered pricing.
- Justice (J): Those with sufficient financial resources to support someone with less.
- Fair (F): Those with sufficient financial resources to pay fair value.
- Equity (E): Those with currently limited resources who could benefit from support.
*Note: If you wish to inquire about paying in instalments, please contact us to make those arrangements.
| All Six Modules | Individual Modules | |
| J | $3600 | $720 |
| F | $2400 | $480 |
| E | $1200 | $240 |
*All prices in CAD.
What are the dates and times?
Zoom calls will take place on Thursdays at 19:00 GMT (2:00 p.m. Central). (Click on the time to convert to your local time.)
Note: If participation is high enough, we may add a second call time to increase accessibility and keep the group a reasonable size.
Call dates for each module:
Module 1: March 12, 19, 26 April 2, 9, 16
Module 2: April 30, May 7, 14, 21, 28 June 4
Module 3: Aug. 6, 13, 20, 27 Sept. 3, 10
Module 4: Sept. 24 Oct 1, 8, 15, 22, 29
Module 5: Nov 12, 19, 26, Dec 3, 10, 17
Module 6: Jan 7, 14, 21, 28 Feb 4, 11
What have others said about our programs?
“The container and content that I found within the Foundational and Practitioner programs of the Centre for Holding Space transformed how I showed up in my life and work. I wanted to continue my journey in order to deepen my skill and expertise in this work and begin to share it more intentionally within my networks and organization. The Master Practitioner program is providing a supportive and challenging container to continue to exercise my ‘Holding Space muscles’ while crafting and developing my own programs and practice.” – Brenda Barritt
“My growth through Holding Space has been deeply gratifying, transformational, and painfully messy. I have found it impossible to engage the material without engaging my heart, my soul, and my emotions. I was challenged to reconsider my view of self, my world view, and my biases. There was ‘ugh’, swear words, and tears. There was also laughter, joy, and connection. There was freedom to find my own path and to make this a deeply personal journey. But there was also plenty of support along the journey and I found every step honored and fostered by Heather and the Center for Holding Space.” – Mary Jo Burkhard
“Heather Plett is a gentle, caring soul with the capacity to support and hold space while you navigate your journey (both personal and professional) to a better self. Information is shared in a healing manner that feels more soothing than educational yet it’s so full of impact, that you know you are forever changed by the experience. I’m not sure who will benefit more, my clients or me, from my newfound capacity to hold space. Before Heather’s workshop, I didn’t even know that I was a bowl. Now I find myself replaying her teachings in my mind as I become the best bowl I can be!” – Abby Mosher, Founder/Executive Director, Tomorrow’s Rainbow, Inc.
“Heather gave a keynote speech to start off our international association’s annual conference and my response was, ‘Wow!’ It was beyond what we could have hoped for. Her presentation was well-organized, thought-provoking, and exceptionally relevant for our focus. As a person and speaker, she is authentic and engaging. Our participants loved her and her presentation, and it set an amazing tone for the rest of our conference. Participant evaluations included, ‘inspiring,’ ‘my favorite,’ ‘powerful speaker,’ ‘valuable,’ and ‘moving.’ It says a lot when contents of her presentation were referred to throughout the rest of our 3-day conference. We are very grateful and will love to have her speak another time.” – Lynn Thomas
“This course has been and continues to be an amazing opportunity to explore at a deeper level all aspects of myself. It is giving me tools to add to my ‘kitbag’ that will enable fantastic facilitation and hosting skills for practicing Holding Space, using the prinicples and practice of the Circle Way. Each week something new unfolds. We are held gently, supported warmly and encouraged to boldly go forth. I personally have never experienced an online course that has provided such amazing structure and support. Everything has been thought of. Its up to you how much or how little that you take from the learnings. I am forever grateful for the opportunity to be part of the very first online training.”– Kerri Ann Lynch, women’s circle coordinator, Australia
“Thoughtful and thought provoking content – great for both novice or very experienced practitioners – with a wide range of applications – workplaces, Boards, teams, community groups, faith groups, advocacy groups, and intentional groups seeking to deepen their awareness. The modules were filled with insights, powerful models, and story. The program is designed to hold space for learning in multiple and multi-faceted ways – written or recorded lessons, thought provoking questions, additional resources – videos, websites, book references, participation in weekly conversations, one-on-one time access with the program facilitators, recorded class discussions available to review and the support and expectation that you have a buddy (or more than one buddy) to explore your understanding and application of the concepts. Of the many gifts from this program, the most unexpected was the power of the community of people from around the world that was cultivated through our weekly calls. It started with invitations to show up, and then to tell the brave truth, and ended with knowing we’d created on the internet a loving, accepting, and engaging community, more committed at the end of the program than we were in the beginning.” – Marion Langford
Questions? Contact us.