Catalyzing collective emergence, creativity, & transformation
"Alone we can do so little. Together we can do so much."
​
~~ Helen Keller
Groups have their own intelligence, purpose, and lifespan. They are greater than the sum of their parts, and have needs and challenges as expressed through their members. Groups can can be held captive by unconscious dynamics, stagnate, get stuck, or explode. When things are going well, groups can enliven their members and engage their talents and passions in meaningful, satisfying, and effective ways. Magic is possible.

However, on the path to magic, group dynamics always provide opportunities for growth, and the question we must ask is "What are the evolutionary opportunities here, and how might we engage them?"
“If we can stay with the tension of opposites long enough — sustain it, be true to it — we can sometimes become vessels within which the divine opposites come together and give birth to a new reality.”

~~ Marie-Louise von Franz
Skilled facilitation can help you:
  • create a climate of trust
  • design an effective process of exploration
  • illuminate hidden dynamics
  • metabolize tensions and allow different perspectives to be heard
  • clarify emergent directions 
  • create agreement on important decisions
  • identify next steps
Social Dimensions of Group Work
An important dynamic in groups is the undercurrent of marginalization and oppression. One of the best approaches to understanding these complex relationships is Dr Leticia Nieto's brilliant work, Beyond Inclusion, Beyond Empowerment: A Developmental Strategy to Liberate Everyone. I use Dr Nieto's practical and insightful principles in designing and facilitating transformative group processes. 
"[W]e can’t have a more just society without talking about injustice. How can we address these topics in a constructive way that will help people to listen and grow, not just create conflict and ill feelings?"

~~ Leticia Nieto & Margot Boyer
What might it look like?
It really depends on the group and what your needs are. Here are some examples:
  • Brief Immersion: I facilitate a 4-hour exploration
  • Sustained Immersion: I facilitate 2-hrs/ week for a month or more
  • Retreat: I help design and facilitate 1-3 days of transformative process
  • Consultation & Training : I help you design transformative processes that you can facilitate yourself
How I work
Based on initial consultations, I design and facilitate a series of tailor-made processes to help your group uncover and transform key dynamics, and to identify evolutionary movement. By skillfully engaging and shifting the collective field, new possibilities emerge that were previously inaccessible. 
​
Rate: I charge $200/hour for group facilitation, consultation, and training.
Testimonials

"While Margit Bantowsky worked at Ecology she was recognized as a talented facilitator.  In the situations I observed, she facilitated groups, either to get to a common decision, get a team moving in the same direction, or learning about challenging new concepts. She brought to the table an ability to provide a secure environment that allowed open and honest communication, and had the ability to provide a logical path forward. She is also responsive to specific group or individual needs. If you have a need for such facilitation, I recommend Margit."

K Seiler, Program Manager 
Hazardous Waste and Toxics Reduction Program
Washington Department of Ecology
"Hi Dan,
I am so pleased you wrote me about Margit.  I employed Margit's services for a workshop dealing with racism in healthcare.  Margit facilitated a conversation between people who had been marginalized by the healthcare system, but was open to people of all identities.  Her role was vital to the success of the conversation and she was absolutely fantastic in it.  She brought energy and insight to our planning process and had ideas that were fundamentally in support of - and pushed towards - an equitable and safe space for all our participants.

On the day of the conference, Margit was completely grounded and present.  Her facilitation was flexible and intuitive.  She held a container around our participants and invited people to join the conversation.  She was warm, authentic and welcoming, but also held boundaries in a way that increased accountability and emotional safety for those listening and sharing.

As an organizer, I felt our event was far richer as a result of Margit's participation.  Working with her has been a hugely valuable experience and so it is with great enthusiasm that I can recommend her to facilitate at your retreat." ​
FREE EXPLORATORY CONSULTATION
Please use my super-easy online scheduling service to set up a free 40-minute exploratory conversation to see if I'm a good fit for your group. You can choose a Zoom, phone, or in-person appointment.