A training programme for those wanting to gain skills and confidence in holding space for grief, whatever your context
Join one of the longest running Grief Tending trainings, to grow your skills and confidence in holding space for grief, whatever your context.
Together we will explore the journey of grief tending to enable robust design for many different contexts. We reflect on the challenges and the power of creating ritual space together, and calling on wider holding in contexts where this will mean different things to those present. We look at the practice of group facilitation, questions of safety and ethics in holding grief spaces, and the relationship between grief, trauma and the wider systems of harm and times of disruption we are living in.
The course offers practices and ceremonies for expressing and witnessing grief, as well as the opportunity to facilitate and receive feedback from peers and tutors. It is led by a team who all have considerable experience holding grief spaces in many different settings, and been holding this programme since 2019. See more information about us here
After the training you can join a growing network of Grief Tenders who have completed the programme, currently around 180 people. You have the opportunity to share your events through the Grief Tending in Community Newsletter, reaching around 1,000 people and growing. With regular meetups, this network provides support, potential collaborators, and a huge resource of wisdom and experience that is generously shared.
Click below for more information about:
| “..Beautiful. Powerful. Welcoming. Human.” Cam, April 2026 |
Why “Apprenticing to Grief”? We’ve used this name to reflect that the real source of wisdom in the room is Grief itself, and that all of us, however much experience we have, are still learning from this powerful teacher.
In this short programme we cannot equip you to hold deep and transformative spaces from scratch. But we will share specific practices that give in depth understanding of the design, facilitation, and principles of holding space for grief well. Many who have found the programme invaluable already hold spaces in which grief arises – including facilitators, therapists, doctors, social workers, parents, doulas, hospice workers and many others.
Please read all the information below before applying.
| “An incredibly interesting and nourishing week which has already changed my relationship to facilitation. I will be un-ravelling what I have learnt for some time to come.” AC, April 2026 |
Information for 2026 Programmes
About costs and sliding scale
We have separated out the cost of attending into two parts. The accommodation and food payment covers all the fixed costs of putting on the programme so the amount is fixed. Where possible we offer different accommodation options and prices to meet different needs.
The programme cost pays for facilitators and team, and we offer this on a sliding scale. To make the whole thing work we need people who are financially OK to pay in the middle or higher range of the scale.
We are open to payment in instalments, and sometimes can arrange for some exchange or work as part payment. We offer two or three bursary places on each programme, for those in genuine need. We want this programme to be accessible to those who want to do it, and will do our best to be flexible, while valuing the skill, time and energy of the large holding team.
When considering what to pay the programme cost we invite you to consider the scale in this way:
| Low end of scale (£500 – 650) | People on less than average income, i.e. less than £28,000 per year, or with children or other dependents, and without savings |
| Middle of scale (£650 – £850) | People with average income, or with some financial security from savings, partner or other |
| Top end of scale (£850 – £1000) | Those who are comfortable financially, or have considerable savings or security |
| Bursary place | Those on benefits or with very low income – get in touch if this applies to you |
2027: Apprenticing to Grief On line
- Three weekend modules: February 26-28th, March 19-21st, April 9th-11th 2027
- Times: Friday 4 – 6, 7 – 8.30.. Saturday 12 – 2, 4-6, 7 – 8.15.. Sunday 12 – 2, 4-6
- Plus two in-between evenings, time and dates to be confirmed
- Facilitation team: Sarah Pletts, Jeremy Thres and Dita Vizoso plus Sophy Banks and others. See more about the team here
- Cost: sliding scale from £630 – £1230
Please read all the information below before applying.
“This on line grief tending training goes way beyond what I had imagined was possible… the facilitators were so generous with their wisdom, their energy and deep rooted knowledge. They made what seemed an impossible idea, engaging, rich and fundamentally a potentially life changing experience, grounded in a warm inclusive community..” LM, 2026 online participant
Apprenticing to Grief in person
2026: Braziers park, Oxfordshire 28th sept – 4th oct
If you prefer comfort, and less travel from the South / East / London, come to our Braziers Park autumn programme. Braziers is a long established community set in 50 acres of grounds close to Oxford, easily accessible by public transport. We’ll have a beautiful group room in the main house, and our own separate kitchen and space in the Barn. It offers more spacious bedrooms, singles or doubles, as well as a large camping field.
- Dates: Monday 28th September 3pm – Sunday October 4th 1.30pm 2026
- Cost of the workshop EXCLUDING accommodation & food: sliding scale from £500 – £1000 with some lower cost places available
- Accommodation and food cost (add to the workshop cost above): Camping / campervan: £395; double room: £545; single room: £695.
- Facilitation team: Sophy, Sarah and Aamasade plus experienced support (see information about us here)
2027: Devon, June 26 – July 2nd
In June 2027 we will be at our traditional Devon venue, High Heathercombe. High on Dartmoor this is a remote and more basic venue which offers us access to the wild moor and great value. Beds are in small dormitories, up to three sharing, and camping in your own tent or van is available
- Dates: Saturday 26th June 3pm – Friday 2nd July 1.30pm
- Cost of the workshop EXCLUDING accommodation & food: sliding scale from £500 – £1000 with some lower cost places available
- Accommodation and food cost: Camping / campervan: £300; dormitory space: £390. There are limited dormitory spaces.
- Facilitated by Sophy and Sarah with an experienced support team (see information about us here)
Detailed Information about Apprenticing to Grief
Our intention
The intention of bringing this workshop at this time is to share learnings around holding grief spaces, and to help support and resource others that are stepping towards this work. We see that tending grief well is a vital practice for healthy humans, to be in healthy relationships, and a life affirming presence on the planet. You can see more of our approach on this page.
All facilitators in this journey have years of experience holding spaces for grief in many different contexts. Read more about them here
See below for details of how to apply.
What you can expect from us
Residential: Seven-day immersive programme, with a team of experienced Grief tenders facilitating and support. Food is included, accommodation varies according to venue.
On line: Three modules using Zoom plus two evenings. Usually not more than 4 hours screen time per day (Saturdays are longer), in sessions of two hours or less. There will be resources and practices to work with off line both during and between modules.
We will explore how to open pathways into the landscape of grief, hold space there, and guide the journey back, integrating our experience so we can go forward in our lives in a good way.
| “An incredibly interesting and nourishing week which has already changed my relationship to facilitation. I will be un-ravelling what I have learnt for some time to come.” AC, April 2026 |
Here’s a summary of what we will cover:
- Looking at the elements of a safe, held and deep journey into and back from grief. This includes – Welcoming and building the “banks of the river” – calling in resources and support, making agreements, naming shared intention.. Introducing grief in ways that are inclusive and respectful… Practices to stir and express grief… Integration and soothing; making meaning and harvesting insights from grief tending… Reconnecting to resources and preparing to return.
- Sharing different practices and philosophies around grief, trauma and healing; exploring the relationship between cultural norms of avoiding feeling pain; creating systems of harm and oppression; a system which is destroying the living web of life. Acknowledging we have different identities, spiritual beliefs, if any, and cultural contexts which affect how we step towards this work.
- Exploring “ceremony” and “ritual” and how to approach this when many don’t have established or shared practices
- Reflecting on how we deepen into our own grief, and how this supports us to work with others – understanding that whatever we cannot face or facilitate in ourselves we are unlikely to be able to welcome or facilitate for others.
- Exploring facilitation skills
- Becoming ethical and professional in offering grief spaces appropriately, responsibly and accountably.
- Participants can facilitate part of a full grief journey held by the group; receiving optional self, peer and tutor feedback
- Joining a network or community of practice
- How the intention shapes the work – for example, that Joanna Macy’s Work that Reconnects has a different purpose and evoke a different response to holding a general Grief tending event.
It’s a lot!
| “..you are about to embark on a journey that brings you close to some deep, sweet, still and sad places and you may not come back the same but you will be shaped for ever in these magical waters.” FG, participant |
What we expect from you
- To attend the whole course, unless you have an agreement with us otherwise
- That you are in some process of inner exploration, including ways of tending your own grief
- That you have attended a 3 or 4 day Grief Tending journey, or the equivalent, online or in person.
- That you are resourced and supported so you can participate in and help to hold processes that invite the sharing of feelings, vulnerability and self exploration with others.
- That you have experience of holding others either in one to one or group settings
- To take responsibility for the other aspects of grief work that are needed for you to be a safe and competent facilitator before you hold others in this work (including facilitation skills, working with others at depth, holding people as trauma surfaces, having professional insurance and supervision or mentoring and more)
- For the On line journey: to do some work in between on line sessions, during and between the modules individually, and in learning groups
What is a Grief Tending Training?
We want to be clear that we are not offering a training that equips you to become a Grief Tending facilitator, nor in facilitation, in holding people at depth, nor in working with trauma. All those in the facilitation team have extensive experience of holding people doing deep healing work, in groups as well as one to one.
When working with grief we are likely to touch wounded places, including trauma. We see that facilitators of grief spaces need to have skills in group facilitation, working at depth, and meeting trauma. Whilst we can touch on these themes during the workshop it’s your responsibility to equip yourself to work safely with people in any contexts you are offering.
Apprentices Network
There is a group of over 180 people who have completed the Apprenticing to Grief journey. We organise regular on line meet ups for support, discussion of live themes, and to help the practices of Grief Tending to reach those who want it.
This huge wellspring of experience is also a place to tap into to find, or share, opportunities for collaboration, information, solutions to challenges and more.
There are sub-groups looking to research the impact of Grief tending, and to create structures that can support the network.
To apply for Apprenticing to grief
We ask that you have attended at least one Grief tending workshop before applying, with us, or with others working in similar lineages, preferably of 2 or more days, or at least two half day workshops.
The more you have experienced the journey into, being with, and returning from spaces of grief, the more you will benefit from this Apprenticing programme. Find opportunities for this on our Events page, and links to other grief spaces in the most recent version of the newsletter, here. If you aren’t able to attend something and would like to apply to the Apprenticing programme please contact us.
You can see more about applying, and the criteria we use for entry on this page.
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