Trust Begins Here: a Facilitator's Guide to Leading the Trustwork Series

Hold the space. Build the trust. Lead the room.Trust Begins Here is the essential training and facilitation guide for leading healing circles based on the trauma-informed Trustwork Series. Written by educator and SEL strategist Aaron B. Kershaw, this guidebook equips facilitators to lead children, teens, and caregivers through structured group healing sessions-whether inside agencies, foster care systems, churches, shelters, or classrooms.With a powerful blend of emotional insight and practical tools, Trust Begins Here offers step-by-step instruction for building emotionally safe group environments that center repair over performance, safety over structure, and connection over control.Designed to pair with the three-part Trustwork Series-(Say It Small, Say It Anyway, and Steady in the Storm)-this guide includes:A full 10-week session structure adaptable for youth, caregiver, or blended groupsTrauma-aware strategies for managing silence, shutdowns, disclosures, or group conflictTools like Safe Bubble¿, Truth Thread¿, Co-Regulation Prompts, and Repair MappingEmotional safety protocols and checklists for every facilitatorRoom setup diagrams for home, agency, or community settingsReal-life practice scenarios with suggested responsesPre/post surveys, attendance forms, and registration templatesA 30-question Certification Quiz + Answer KeyAppendices with emotional maps, story tools, and tech support resourcesGuidance for integrating faith and culture with care and humilityWhether you're a veteran counselor, church leader, foster care advocate, or first-time facilitator, Trust Begins Here offers a complete roadmap for showing up, slowing down, and building emotional trust in a room full of strangers.This guide is not about therapy. It's about presence.It's not about fixing. It's about holding.And it's not about the facilitator. It's about the circle.

Pages: 92, Edition: 2nd ed., Paperback, Buildingblocs Publishing