This year’s Facilitation Lab Summit brought facilitators together from across the globe to dig into our 2025 theme: Practice

At this year’s Facilitation Lab Summit, we explored the theme of Practice—not as something passive or theoretical, but as a verb. A doing. A commitment to growth. Whether you joined us in Austin or from across the globe, the summit invited all of us to sharpen our skills, embrace experimentation, and reflect on what it means to truly be in practice as facilitators.

We’re grateful to the eight incredible facilitators who led sessions across two days of hands-on learning, connection, and transformation. Each brought their unique lens to the craft of facilitation, offering tools, stories, and experiences we can carry forward in our own work. Here’s a look back at what we practiced together:

Skye Idehen-Osunde

The Safety Net: Building Credibility and Psychological Safety in Workshops

Skye opened the summit with energy and intention, guiding us through a powerful session focused on building trust and psychological safety. Through interactive exercises and honest conversation, she invited us to reflect on how we show up as facilitators and what it means to earn credibility in the spaces we hold. Skye reminded us that safety doesn’t happen by chance—it’s something we cultivate through consistency, care, and courage.

Her session offered practical techniques to design workshops that center psychological safety from the start. We explored how body language, tone, facilitation structure, and group norms can either foster or fracture trust. Most importantly, Skye reminded us that psychological safety is a moving target—something that requires continuous attention and repair. Her tools helped us feel more equipped to meet that challenge with compassion and clarity.

Alyssa Coughlin

Change Through Stories: Capturing Hearts and Aligning Minds

Alyssa took us deep into the world of storytelling as a facilitation tool for change. With warmth and clarity, she helped us understand why stories are more than just communication—they’re bridges. In any change process, people are looking for meaning, for belonging, and for their role in what’s unfolding. Alyssa showed us how compelling stories can align teams and move them forward together.

Participants explored the anatomy of a story that truly sticks: one that centers emotion, includes relatable characters, and speaks directly to the “what’s in it for me.” Using real-world examples and structured frameworks, Alyssa led us through exercises that helped us articulate narratives with clarity and resonance. By the end of the session, we had a clearer sense of how storytelling can transform resistance into connection.

Kathy Ditmore

Mapping Your Change Journey

Kathy’s session brought structure and insight to the often messy work of navigating change. Through the lens of facilitation, she unpacked how to guide teams through transitions using clarity, empathy, and smart design. We worked through frameworks that helped us identify project misalignment, engage the right stakeholders, and create shared understanding—especially in moments when change feels stuck or overwhelming.

One of the standout moments of her session was a group pre-mortem exercise that helped us uncover potential pitfalls before they derail a change effort. Kathy also shared practical strategies for rescuing projects that have gone off track, including how to uncover root causes and recalibrate purpose. Her guidance was both strategic and human-centered, reminding us that successful change is a journey—and we, as facilitators, are its guides.

Dom Michalec

Facilitating Transformation: How Small Changes Change Everything

Dom invited us to rethink how we approach transformation by zooming in on behavior design. Drawing from Stanford research and his own facilitation practice, he shared how small, specific changes can lead to profound results. Through real-life stories and a mix of theory and application, we explored how habit formation can be a powerful lever for sustained change.

Participants learned how to apply models like B=MAP (Behavior = Motivation, Ability, Prompt) to their own facilitation goals and client work. Dom’s energetic and relatable style made it easy to see how we might bring these insights into everyday practice—whether we’re helping teams adopt new behaviors or individuals cultivate lasting habits. His session left us feeling like we had gained a new superpower: the ability to shape change one small step at a time.

Dr. Karyn Edwards, PCC

The Secrets of Applying Executive Coaching to Facilitation

Dr. Karyn’s session was a masterclass in blending facilitation and coaching. She introduced us to the principles of non-directive coaching and demonstrated how these techniques can unlock greater participation and agency in group settings. By stepping back from the role of “expert,” facilitators can empower participants to discover their own insights and solutions—leading to deeper engagement and more lasting outcomes.

We experienced firsthand how asking the right kinds of questions, listening with intention, and creating reflective space can transform a group’s dynamic. Through practice and discussion, Dr. Karyn helped us develop personalized strategies for bringing coaching mindsets into our facilitation work. Her session reinforced a powerful message: that facilitation isn’t about steering—it’s about holding space for others to steer themselves.

JJ Rogers

Radical Acts of Delight

JJ reminded us that facilitation can—and should—include joy. Her session, focused on delight as a design strategy, was a breath of fresh air. We explored how small moments of surprise, humor, and care can build trust, deepen engagement, and make sessions more memorable. Through interactive exercises, she invited us to intentionally design for delight, not just as a “nice to have” but as a core component of impact.

Participants reflected on their own facilitation style and considered where delight shows up—or where it’s missing. JJ offered a toolkit of strategies that anyone can adapt, regardless of content or audience. From playful warm-ups to sensory design, her session was a reminder that joy is not frivolous—it’s transformative. And sometimes, the most radical thing we can do as facilitators is invite people to feel good while they learn.

Caterina Rodriguez

Enhancing Facilitation Through Nonverbal Communication

Caterina’s session offered a fresh look at something often overlooked in facilitation: nonverbal communication. Through movement, observation, and structured practice, we explored how our facial expressions, gestures, posture, and tone shape the way participants feel in our sessions. Caterina helped us build awareness of our own nonverbal cues and decode those of others, all while maintaining a culturally sensitive lens.

We also examined how cultural norms influence body language and how misinterpretation can impact trust and inclusion. Caterina’s practical exercises helped us fine-tune our presence, improve our “nonverbal listening,” and build deeper connection with our groups. Her message was clear: when words fall short, our bodies still speak—and as facilitators, we need to be fluent in that language too.

Elena Farden

Elena brought the summit to a meaningful close with a deeply reflective session that blended facilitation, culture, and intimacy. Drawing from her experience facilitating Indigenous play parties, she introduced a ceremonial approach to consent—one rooted in gratitude, sovereignty, and sacredness. Her framing helped us reimagine how we create consent-based spaces, not just in intimate contexts, but in all group settings.

Participants explored practices for nurturing trust and honoring autonomy, from how we open a session to how we invite participation. Elena’s teachings emphasized slowing down, listening deeply, and treating facilitation as a form of care. Her session reminded us that facilitation is not just about process—it’s about presence. And sometimes, the most powerful thing we can practice is reverence.

Facilitation Lab Summit 2025 was a celebration of the art of practice—a place to experiment, reflect, connect, and grow. Whether you left with a new toolkit, a powerful story, or a shift in mindset, we hope this year’s summit reminded you that facilitation is not about perfection—it’s about showing up again and again with curiosity and care.

You can read full recaps of each session on our blog. And if you’re looking to keep your practice going, join us at our weekly Facilitation Lab meetups—where the learning never stops.