Facilitator Certification Program

Teach resilience and create change.

Is Certification Right for You?

Find out in a FREE upcoming Info Session.

The Resilience Toolkit Certification Program is a 56-hour professional training that gives Facilitators a deep, embodied understanding of stress and trauma physiology in a groundbreaking framework for building inner resources and creating meaningful change. Our Certification Program prepares you to implement The Resilience Toolkit in your own life, so you can authentically and competently guide others along a path of healing and transformation.

Your path to Certification

All About Certification

Your clients lack motivation and follow through, or simply can’t break through plateaus. You feel like you’re just chasing your patients’ problems around a tree, more a game of whack-a-mole than true healing. Your students are distracted or disruptive, and not meeting their potential.

Regardless of your profession, working with people who are stuck in cycles of stress and trauma is frustrating. Stress and trauma create so much of the dysfunction, distress, and disease that block human healing, growth, and success. Yet with effective tools that unwind stress and build resilience, you successfully navigate challenges, feeling competent and content in your professional abilities.

There are many stress reduction modalities. So what’s unique about The Resilience Toolkit?

Utilizes a carefully selected suite of mindfulness and movement practices applied based on stress cycle activation
Activates the human body’s physiologic mechanism to complete the stress and trauma cycle – the therapeutic tremor
Easily learned, reproduced, and practiced with immediate results being the norm
Successful in both stress management and trauma healing contexts
Designed to be used in individual therapeutic environments, group settings, or as a self-help modality
Smoothly integrates with other traditional mental health and/or physical treatment modalities to support health and healing for those with more severe emotional and/or physical dysfunction or disease
Can be used across the lifespan from school age to geriatric populations
Explicitly addresses social ecological risk and protective factors
Links the development of individual resilience with increased capacity to work for positive change on the community and structural levels
Inherently cross-culturally adaptive due to the biologic nature of the therapeutic tremor
Minimal contraindications
Cost-effective

Grounded in theory and a social justice context, The Resilience Toolkit utilizes carefully curated evidence-based and promising stress reduction practices. These mindfulness and movement skills promote embodied self-awareness, nervous system and emotional regulation, and interpersonal connection. The Toolkit empowers people with an intersectional framework to identify their own stress cycles, confidently implement appropriate regulation skills in a way that honors cultural and historical experiences, and effectively build resilience over time.

Program Requirements

The Resilience Toolkit Facilitator Certification program is a rich experiential process that gives you the tools to take The Toolkit into the world. In an all virtual format, the cohort-based program consists of recorded and live lectures, small group mentoring and discussion, peer and independent practice sessions, suggested reading and reflective writing, supervised teaching, and case consultation. Interactive and cooperative learning foster responsibility, self-awareness, and competency.

Program Requirements

Admission requirements: The Resilience Toolkit Facilitator Certification Program is open to anyone interested in working with stressed and traumatized people.

Prerequisite:

Attendance in The Resilience Toolkit 3-part series OR 3 individual Toolkit sessions
Completion of The Resilience Toolkit Workbook or similar reflective journal
Completion of two months of active membership in Lumos’ The Alchemical Resilience Collective,which includes a minimum participation in 8 sessions

Enrollment:

For those who have completed all prerequisites, the Cohort 17 enrollment closes Tuesday, 28 January 2025 at 11:59pm UTC-07h (find in your time zone)

Program Length:

18 weeks

Average Time Commitment:

Six hours weekly, PLUS three 4.5-hour workshop sessions

Program Requirements:

Opening Meet the Faculty and Students Session
Three online 4.5-hour weekend workshop sessions on the Saturdays of weeks 6-8
Online pre-recorded lectures
Individual mentoring sessions (online or in-person)
Two session facilitating Toolkit w/ individuals (*The Certification Trainer may add extra sessions or assignments at their optional discretion).
Two sessions facilitating Toolkit w/ small groups (*The Certification Trainer may add extra sessions or assignments at their optional discretion).
Eight virtual 1.5 hour small group meetings with Trainer every other week
Minimum of 13 weekly virtual 0.5 hour peer group practice and facilitation sessions
Minimum of one peer individual facilitation
14 weekly written journal reflections on personal practice
Independent and peer-based writing and presentations
Selected articles and media
Case study
Closing Gathering

Technology Requirements:

Computer with webcam
Stable internet connection
Basic proficiency with Google documents

Professional Requirements:

Professional liability insurance during facilitation portion of the program

Curriculum

Program Objectives

Trainees will demonstrate:

Embodied knowledge of personal body-mind system with focus on stress-relaxation physiology and trauma responses.
Ability to identify, attune, follow, and respond to others’ body-mind system, especially stress-relaxation physiology and trauma responses.
Explore the impact of historical, cultural, and ecological context on stress-relaxation physiology and trauma responses with individuals and groups.
Ability to competently and safely teach Toolkit framework and facilitate Toolkit skills to others for regulation, resourcing, and stabilization within the trauma-informed paradigm.
Ability to support others in developing robust, sustained personal practice of The Toolkit.

Program Curriculum

Embodied self-awareness
Stress and resilience from multiple lenses:
- Ecology and ethology
- Evolutionary neurobiology
- Anatomy and physiology
- Biopsychosocial and social ecology
- Neurophysiology
- Sex and gender
- Race, culture, and history
Instruction and facilitation of Toolkit mindfulness and movement practices with individuals and groups
Trauma-informed facilitation principles
Facilitation in virtual settings
Ethics and professionalism
Behavior change theory
Lessons from Motivational Interviewing
Habit formation

Enrollment & Schedule

Enrollment Deadline:

Cohort 17 enrollment closes Tuesday, 28 January 2025 – Register here!

Certification Schedule:

Cohort 17 of The Resilience Toolkit Facilitator Certification Program has a maximum cohort size of 24 trainees, divided into mini-cohorts with a maximum of 12 trainees per group. One mini-cohort meetsat timings more convenient to the Americas and the other meets at timings more convenient to Africa and Europe. You choose which mini-cohort you’d like to join.

Here are the required virtual meeting times. Click here to find in your time zone.

Certification course opens 18 February 2025

Opening Gathering: Meet the Faculty and Students	Tuesday, February 18 at 1730-1900 UTC (9:30-11:00 am Pacific / 12:30-2:00 pm Eastern)
Mini-cohort meetings: Americas	February 25 at 0100-0230 UTC March 11, March 25, April 22, May 6, May 20, June 3 and June 17 at 0000-0130 UTC
Mini-cohort meetings: Africa/EU	February 25 at 1700-1830 UTC March 11, March 25, April 22, May 6, May 20, June 3 and June 17 at 1600-1730 UTC
Weekend Workshops	Saturdays March 29, April 5 and April 12 at 1400-1830 UTC
Closing Gathering	Tuesday, July 1 at 1630-1800 UTC (9:30-11:00 am Pacific / 12:30-2:00 pm Eastern)

Cost & Payment

Program Costs and Payments

Cohort 17

Tuition Total is $3,700 USD

You can opt-in to enroll with a full pay option or a 6-part payment plan
CEU certificate cost is $30 USD for weekend workshop (optional)

Enrollment Policies

* Cancellation Policy: Registration fee is fully refundable prior to beginning program ONLY with at least 10-day written notice, minus a $100 USD administration fee.

* Withdrawal Policy: Trainees who cancel with less than 10-day notice or withdraw early from the Program will receive a prorated refund based on the number of weeks remaining at the point of withdrawal at $218 USD per week, minus an early withdrawal fee of 10% of the remaining balance.

* Program Extension Policy: Participants who do not complete the program in 18 weeks, will incur a $200 USD monthly charge until program completion or withdrawal, whichever comes first. The monthly charge will not be prorated. If the Certification Trainer determines that extra supervisions are needed for the trainee to meet basic competency, the extra supervisions will be billed at $175 USD per hour.

* Transfer Policy:

Up to 8 weeks – Trainees who opt to transfer to a later cohort will receive a prorated refund based on the number of weeks remaining at the point of transfer at $218 USD per week, minus a transfer fee of $370. At re-enrollment, Trainees will pay $109 USD per week for the weeks up to the original point of transfer and $218 USD per week thereafter.
After 8 weeks – Trainees who opt to transfer to a later cohort will receive a prorated refund based on the number of weeks remaining at the point of transfer at $218 USD per week, minus a transfer fee of $550. At re-enrollment, Trainees will pay $218 USD per week from the original point of transfer through the remainder of the Program.

Scholarships

In an effort to increase representation, equity, and access, our hope is for this scholarship to make an impact in the lives of people who hold historically and systemically marginalized identities, and who live and work in geographical areas that are also historically and systemically marginalized, that are part of the Global South, or where there are currently no Resilience Toolkit Facilitators.

Scholarship description

Currently there are two $500 USD scholarships, which decreases the certification cost to $3,200 USD.

Application Process:

Submit application here: https://forms.gle/3SaSF2Y1xrzpcMYq7
Scholarship applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis by the Resilience Toolkit Certification Training Team. To be considered for Cohort 17 , applications must be received by 3 January 2025.
Preference will be given for applicants who:
- Have completed Resilience Toolkit Certification Program prerequisites
- Hold historically and systematically marginalized identities
- Live and work in geographical areas and with individuals, organizations, and/or communities that are historically and systematically marginalized
- Live and work in the Global South
- Live and work in areas where there are no Resilience Toolkit Facilitators
- Describe a clear plan for using their Resilience Toolkit training with marginalized individuals, organizations, and/or communities
- Agree to complete a post-certification quarterly survey tracking the impact of their Resilience Toolkit work, including demographics and numbers of people reached.
Applicants will be notified of their selection by email before the start of each training cohort. For Cohort 17, applicants will be notified by 10 January 2025.
Applicants who are not selected will have the option to roll their application over for the subsequent training cohort.

Continuing Education Credits

Professional Continuing Education Credits for Registered Nurses

Participants are eligible for 56 continuing education contact hours from the California Board of Registered Nursing for completing the full certification program. Please note that no partial credit is offered; participants must complete the entire program to receive the continuing education contact hours.
Provider approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing, Provider #CEP15871, for total of 56 Contact Hours

Certification Levels

Level I Certification

Requirements
- Completion of the foundational Level I Certification course
Benefits
- Lifetime Level I Certification
- Lifetime access to the foundational Level I Certification course online content (Cohorts 13 and beyond)
- Listing in the Certified Facilitator database on The Resilience Toolkit website indicating certification level
- Membership in private online community for Certified Facilitators
- Eligibility to license The Resilience Toolkit Workbook for clients

Level II Certification

Requirements
- Level I Certification
- Completion of a minimum of four mentorship hours or approved continuing education per calendar year
Benefits
- All benefits of Level I Certification
- One free post-certification group mentorship session annually
- Fifty free usages of The Resilience Toolkit Workbook for clients

Level III Certification

Requirements
- Level II Certification
- Initial application
  - 60 individual sessions, at least 20 of which must be with unique clients
  - 15 small group (3-6 people) and 10 med-large group (7 or more people) sessions, with a minimum of 125 total combined group participants
  - Two case studies over 4-session period OR one case study over 8-session period
  - Interview with a Certification Trainer
  - Completed application
- Renewal – Completion of a minimum of eight mentorship hours or approved continuing education per calendar year
Benefits
- All benefits of Level I Certification
- Two free post-certification group mentorship sessions annually
- Unlimited usages of The Resilience Toolkit Workbook for clients

Upcoming Trainings

Ready to enroll in our program? Wonderful! Before you proceed, we encourage you to read the details in our Program Requirements, Curriculum, and Enrollment & Schedule tabs above to learn important dates and all you need to get started.

If you need additional assistance, or have any questions, please contact us at info@theresiliencetoolkit.co. We’re here to help you on your journey to becoming a Resilience Toolkit Facilitator.

Toolkit Facilitators Are

Anyone who wants to deeply understand and work with stress, trauma, and resilience.

Parents • Educators • Healthcare Providers • Mental Health Professionals • Social Workers • Coaches • Fitness Professionals • Bodyworkers • Healers • Managers • Public Servants • Activists • Military • Clergy • First Responders

See Our Graduates in Action

Filter

Certified facilitator

Meet Vanessa Micale. "I seek to work with tender-hearted people."

Facilitator Feature: Meet Vanessa Micale

Meet Salina Gray. The Resilience Toolkit saved my life - literally - and has allowed me to thrive.

Facilitator Feature: Meet Salina Gray

Facilitator Feature: Kyla Thorne

Facilitator Feature: Juliet Hwang

Facilitator Feature: Alison Novelli

Facilitator Feature: Camille Barton

Facilitator Feature: Sheila Diggs

Facilitator Feature: Chantal Donnelly

Your Certification Facilitation Team

Director of Certification

Nkem Ndefo, MSN, CNM, RN, (she/they) is the creator of The Resilience Toolkit and founder of Lumos Transforms. She is a skilled practitioner, dynamic speaker, and valued strategist. She is known for her unique ability to connect with people of all types by holding powerful healing spaces, weaving complex concepts into accessible narratives, and creating synergistic and collaborative learning communities that nourish people’s innate capacity for healing, wellness, and connection.

Certified Trainer

Mary P. Shriver, CMT, (she/her) is a Certified Provider of Trauma Release Exercises (TRE®), Licensed Massage Therapist, Certified Compassion Fatigue Educator, and holds a B.S. in Psychology from Denison University. Additional training includes the Trauma Resilience Model and Community Resilience Model through the Trauma Resource Institute, Motivational Interviewing for Behavior Change (MINT), and Level 1 Resistance Flexibility with Bob Cooley.

Certified Trainer

Devika Shankar (she/her) is a transnational feminist, organizer, and passionate advocate for justice. For over 12 years, Devika has worked with youth, women of color, immigrant, and LGBTQ survivors providing counseling, support services, and advocacy, and over the past 4 years, has worked with individuals who do harm in relationships, as well.

Certification Mentor

Mikaela Johnson Vaal (she/they) is a Certified Facilitator of The Resilience Toolkit, Certified Massage Therapist, Certified Birth and Postpartum Doula, Lactation Educator, Yoga Instructor, and Reiki Master living and working in Los Angeles. She is trained in a wide range of modalities to support health and healing for people from all walks of life, with a special focus on reproductive health, pregnancy, and postpartum care.

Certified Trainer

Jane Courtney, RN, RTC, SEP, (she/her) is a Registered Nurse, Registered Therapeutic Counsellor, and Somatic Experiencing Practitioner. She holds a degree in Nursing from The University of Michigan and has worked in a variety of hospital and clinical settings in the US and Canada. Most recently, Jane completed Somatic Touch Training for Resilience and Regulation, which focuses on early developmental trauma.

Certified Trainer

Ije Ude, MA (she/her) is a Certified Life Coach and Wellness Strategist. She holds a Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology and has worked in the gender violence and social justice movements for the past 20 years as an organizer, trainer and youth worker.

Certification Coordinator

Franceli Izaguirre (she/her) is a Los Angeles native with management experience in diverse sectors and a passion for health and wellness. She has a BA in Sociology from California State University, Los Angeles, and is currently pursuing a nutrition certification. Franceli believes in life-long learning and is always striving to set goals that allow for personal growth.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IadsLclBOS8

The Resilience Toolkit Facilitator Certification program is a rich experiential process that gives you the tools to take The Toolkit into the world. Interactive and cooperative learning fosters responsibility, self-awareness, and mastery.

What Graduates are Saying

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“The pedagogy of the course really worked for me—moving from relatively open and with medium expectations of the course to feeling really changed and inspired by the experience. I loved the one on one work and the move into practical which really felt like it came at the right time, building on, integrating, and challenging all of the theoretical info that had come before. I also loved the peer practice element, finding it supportive in many ways. I was able to develop closeness with folks in my cohort, and as we continued, our meetings helped me to understand my own practice and my developing work as a facilitator.”
Ame HendersonPsychotherapist and Artist — Canada

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“I find the program coherent, complete, with a clear arc. I appreciated the balance of theory and practice and the fact that we learn to facilitate and apply the tools, while having empirical based theories to support our work. The collective resilience and liberatory aspect of the work was one aspect that attracted me to this particular training and it met my expectations and beyond because we have concrete tools to work collectively.”
Camille BergonCommunity Worker — France

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“The programme deeply opened me up in many ways. There was no way, in this cauldron, that I could escape my life, the ecological challenges, my personal patterns of struggle within that and the opportunity to experience daily what it felt like to develop resilience: not as a linear upward or downward journey, but by falling and slowly rising, over and over again (knowing that here I could fall with dignity and rise with grace), with the supports of beautiful people, simple yet profound practices and a justice-grounded political orientation that let me know that I would not let myself and us down because I have a purpose for this work. And the purpose for the programme, gives wings to my own purpose.”
Yasmeen RubidgeEmbodied and Politicized Facilitator and Coach — South Africa

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“Experiencing what it's like to let go of being performative to learn more powerfully. Letting go of perfectionism and years of conditioning to perform a certain way. I made a conscious choice to take Lumos at their word for being a learning organization. The minute I suspended my hardened cynicism (years of habituation working in corporations), I freed myself up to an incredible world of learning. I felt like I went from a black and white film to technicolor, that my synapses were sparking and making new connections. I also felt incredibly supported in a way that gives a whole new meaning to psychological safety.”
Lori VanHolmesLeadership Consultant — United States

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“You have developed an impressive and life-changing model.”
Cheryl Grills, Ph.D.Psychologist — United States

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“The Resilience Toolkit Facilitator Certification shifted my paradigm regarding online learning. I had no idea it could be such a high level of education. It was intense, but the teaching team’s ability to comprehend and share that comprehension in layers is a rare quality. It is one thing to know, another to teach. Nkem and Mary are top-notch educators who walk their talk. They are present, embodied and calm. I am eternally grateful for this experience and it is my intention to change lives with this much-needed Resilience Toolkit. I hold them in the highest of esteem.”
Sandra LarsenWellness Consultant and Mental Health Advocate — United States

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“I’m so grateful for this as my entry to somatic work. I appreciate that as a beginner in the field, I was able to enter through the ecological and systematic lens of the nervous system, and not only the physiology of the individual. Grateful that I didn’t enter the field through learning spaces that don’t hold the on-going conditions of a person and community at the center of their practice.”
Katrina SiladiChildcare, Artist, and Farmer Educator — US

Join our global community of Certified Facilitators

Certified Facilitators of The Resilience Toolkit are connected in an online community that includes folks in 11 countries across 4 continents.

Ready to begin?

Your journey starts here!

Sign up for an upcoming Roadmap to Trauma Healing and/or Introduction to The Resilience Toolkit session. You’ll learn everything you need to know about The Toolkit, while completing Certification prerequisites.