How to Hold Space
The Foundation Program
Join our in-depth online personal development program for
life-changing skills and meaningful connections.
Holding Space
is a practice that equips you to be with uncertainty and discomfort. It gives you tools to navigate change and conflict. It’s a holistic practice that goes beyond the care of others, inviting you to deepen your capacity for
self-reflection, self-regulation and personal growth.
Based on the work of Heather Plett, with her award-winning book The Art of Holding Space as the primary text, we have designed a unique program with heaps of valuable resources, tools, practical exercises, journal prompts, and meaningful conversations.
You’ll have an opportunity to learn in community with like-minded (and like-hearted) people from all over the world.
When we practice holding space, we develop capacity for navigating liminality. A liminal space is a threshold – the space of ambiguity or disorientation that occurs when we find ourselves between stories, polarities, beliefs, or identities.
Join hundreds of people from all over the world in this life-changing practice.
Who is this program for?
Anyone who holds space. In other words, anyone who’s in a relationship of any kind. (Yes, that’s YOU.)
In particular, it will be of benefit to those whose roles include caring for other people, including teachers, therapists, healthcare professionals, pastors, coaches, facilitators, managers, and childcare workers.
Hundreds of people from all over the world (6 out of 7 continents), in all walks of life have already completed the program. We’ve had facilitators in Vietnam, lawyers in the Netherlands, professors in the United States, yoga teachers in South Africa, executive directors in Australia, therapists in Poland… and many more.
Here’s What We’ve Heard from Past Participants About the Value They Received from This Course:
Course Highlights
Start Date:
October 20, 2025
Course Duration:
8 weeks to 8 monhts
STRUCTURE
Five Modules for different levels of learning
Comprehensive workbook & study material
Weekly Group Calls
SUPPORT
Integration Calls with the Teaching Team
Course Buddy to Practice and Learn with
One-on-One Access to Mentors & Teachers
Private Mighty Networks Community
COURSE MATERIALS
The Book ‘The Art of Holding Space’, by Heather Plett
Module Workbooks with Lessons & Exercises
Bonus Material (video interviews, podcasts, book recommendations, etc.)
Our global teaching team is here to serve and support you on this learning journey.
Since creating this course back in 2011, Heather Plett has been working with (and mentoring) a global team of highly skilled facilitators who will be your guides throughout your time with us. All of our teachers have been certified as Master Practitioners.
Learn more about Mary, Ivan, SJ, Krista and Heather on our Global Team Page.
Modular Learning to Meet Your Needs
Module 1 - Holding Space — The Basics (9 weeks)
- What does it mean to “hold space”?
- What is “liminal space”?
- What are the core principles of holding space?
- What gets in the way of our ability to hold space?
- What’s the opposite of holding space?
- How do I get past the feeling that I’m “doing nothing”?
- How do I adapt the practice of holding space to different situations?
- How do I help people erect boundaries without taking their power away?
- How do I let go of the outcome?
- How do I resist the urge to fix and give advice?
- When is intervention necessary?
- Is it possible to hold space for someone who doesn’t want you to?
- What is the place of ritual and ceremony?
- What is emotional labour?
- What is spiritual bypassing?
Module 2 - Holding Space for Yourself (6 weeks)
- What’s the journey to authenticity and how does it help me deepen my practice of holding space?
- What personal practices help me maintain a balance of strength and compassion?
- How do I get my ego out of the way?
- How do I avoid taking on another person’s baggage, emotions, etc.?
- How do I learn to sit with discomfort?
- What do I do when I find myself triggered by what the other person says or does?
- How do I erect healthy boundaries that don’t damage my relationships?
- How do I get over my mistakes in holding space for others?
- When should I walk away?
- What are some body practices that help me hold space?
- Do I need to be authentic in front of everyone or can I be selective?
- How do I let go of self-limiting talk?
- How am I projecting my needs onto the person I’m holding space for?
- What if I burn out?
- How do I ask for help?
- How do I ask others to hold space for me?
- What if my attempts to hold space leave me deeply wounded?
- What are my unmet needs and how do they impact my ability to hold space?
Module 3- Holding Space in Community (4 weeks)
- How do I incorporate the principles of holding space in my group facilitation work?
- What is The Circle Way and how will it help me hold space?
- What are the principles and practices of The Circle Way?
- What are the core leadership roles of The Circle Way and how do I practise them?
- How does shared leadership help in community settings?
- What is “the shadow” and how does it disrupt the circle?
- What are some practical ways that The Circle Way can transform conversations in my community?
- How do I work with co-hosts?
- How does the spiral of authenticity fit in circle? How do individuals & communities overlap?
- How might ritual help a community move through loss?
- How do I find others to help me hold space in community?
Module 4 - Holding Space in Complexity (4 weeks)
- How do I hold space when there is trauma involved?
- How do I hold “brave space” when there are complex issues like race and gender being discussed?
- How do I address power imbalances without allowing them to control the outcome?
- Whose voices/stories should be at the centre?
- How do I know when it’s the right time for intervention? (ie. disrupting an unhealthy conversation, challenging racist comments, etc.)
- How do I hold space for conflict?
- How do I create a space where marginalised voices are centred? And how do I de-centre whiteness, able-bodies, etc.? And how do I support those resistant to de-centring their own voices?
- What do I do when things fall apart?
- How does our colonialist past get in the way of our ability to hold space?
- How do I protect the vulnerable without taking their autonomy/sovereignty away?
- What if people walk away?
- How do I challenge people without shaming them?
- What do we do with toxic people?
Module 5- Holding Space One-on-one (4 weeks)
- How do I incorporate the principles of holding space in my one-on-one work (ie. coaching, therapy, counselling, etc.)?
- How can I support people without trying to control the outcome?
- What is the goal of coaching?
- What are some of the pitfalls?
- How do I sit with brokenness?
- What about when someone is stuck in unhealthy patterns?
- What are my limits as a coach?
- What if someone keeps spiraling through the same stories?
- When do I share my own story?
- How do I deepen my listening?
- What are some tools and resources I can use?
- What in-the-moment practices help me stay present and balanced in the middle of an intense coaching conversation?
- How do I incorporate body work into my coaching?
Want a sample of what our weekly calls will be like? Go to our Free Resources page and scroll down to the heading “An Intro Series for our How to Hold Space Foundation Program”. You can watch a free webinar for each of the five modules of this program.
Learn skills that will change how you treat yourself, how you show up for other people, and how you live.
Registration Options
(all prices in Canadian currency)
Basics
INCLUDES:
Module 1
COST:
In full: $670
3 payments of $234
Basics Plus
INCLUDES:
Module 1 & 2
COST:
In full: $1150
3 payments of $402
Coach
INCLUDES:
Module 1, 2, 4, 5
COST:
In full: $1990
3 payments of $696
Facilitator
INCLUDES:
Module 1, 2, 3, 4
COST:
In full: $1990
3 payments of $696
Leader
INCLUDES:
All modules
COST:
In full: $2410
3 payments of $843
Dates for 2025/2026 Program:
- Module 1 – October 20 to December 19, 2025
- Module 2 – January 5 to February 13, 2026
- Module 3 – February 23 to March 20, 2026
- Module 4 – March 30 to April 24, 2026
- Module 5 – May 4 to May 29, 2026
Call Times:
Two options:
Thursdays at 3 p.m. UTC (universal time)
Friday at 1 a.m. UTC (universal time)
(For a time conversion, add your time zone to this link.)
(Note: call times are subject to change, depending on number of registrants.)
You’ll have access to recordings of all calls, in case you can’t make it.
Most Commonly Asked Questions About
The How to Hold Space Foundation Program
What’s the refund policy?
ANSWER: If you register, and then something comes up, you can request a refund (minus a 15% admin. fee) up until a week before the program starts. Since registration is limited and it won’t be possible to add people after the program starts, there won’t be refunds later.
Will there be any opportunities for in-person learning?
ANSWER: Periodically, we offer in-person workshops that include a portion of the content of this program. Keep an eye on our Events page for future offerings.
What is the investment in time for this course?
ANSWER: This program can be fairly intense and soul-searching; we recommend setting aside approximately 3-6 hours/week for the self-study lessons. Then we have the weekly group calls on Zoom which are 1h30 each. You can deepen your study and practice by having conversations and sharing questions and resources with fellow students, in the Mighty Network group that we will set up.
Is this a certification program? Can I become a certified coach or facilitator?
ANSWER: This program provides the foundational learning and you can go on to complete certification once this is complete.
Do you offer scholarships or equity pricing?
ANSWER: Yes. We have a limited number of partial scholarships available to subsidize a portion of the program registration fee.
We also have equity pricing. If you are a member of a marginalized group, you can claim a 10% discount. It’s on an honour system – simply use the coupon code EQUITY10 in the registration form.
Are there corporate discounts available?
ANSWER: Yes. If there are a few people in your organisation interested in registering together, contact us for a corporate rate. Also, if you are interested in exploring the possibility of offering this program within your organisation, visit our organisation offerings page to discuss licensing opportunities, etc.
What if I can’t make the calls? Will I miss much of the teaching?
ANSWER: The calls are meant for integration (ie. conversation with other participants, story-sharing, collective learning, clarification of complex concepts, etc.) and we rarely offer new teaching that isn’t included in the material (though other participants bring in much richness with their experience and ideas). All calls will be recorded, so if you miss them, you can watch/listen later. Some who went through the earlier sessions said they felt a deep connection with the community even though they couldn’t make the calls and watched the recordings instead.
Will this be offered again?
ANSWER: Yes, we offer this program once a year.
What do you mean by "practical experience"?
ANSWER: There will be some assignments where you’ll be encouraged to practice the learning in a real-time conversation. For example, during the coaching module, you’ll be encouraged to find a “client” with whom you can practice. And during the facilitation module, you’ll be supported in hosting a circle of your own. We will also set up a buddy system where you can meet with another participant (on Zoom or Skype) to practice with each other.
Still Uncertain?
If, after reading the above content, including what others have said about the program, you’re still not sure if this is the right match for you, you can book a FREE call with a member of our team and we’ll be happy to answer your questions. Send a request and we’ll arrange a call. No strings attached and no high-pressure sales. That’s a promise.
Want a taste of Heather Plett’s writing on Holding Space?
What does it mean to hold space?
How do you hold space for yourself?
What do I do when holding space feels like doing nothing?
What’s the opposite of holding space?
How do we hold space when there is an imbalance of power and privilege?
Be the Bowl (Talk)
Sign up for the most recent articles at atenderspace.substack.com