Advanced Facilitation Training 2025
Are you a trainer or facilitator who feels your facilitation could be (even) better?
Looking to strengthen your confidence and fill in any gaps in your facilitation?
Or are you simply on the lookout for new creative ideas and tools to get more effective in facilitation?
Join us for two immersive days of Advanced Facilitation to take your facilitation from ordinary to extraordinary - and:
- Strengthen your confidence.
- Get high-quality feedback.
- Immerse yourself in a couple of days of focused practice.
- Kick out of routine.
- Discover new engaging tools.
See you in November 2025 in Zagreb?
Why does this Advanced Facilitation Training
make all the difference?
When you join, you will:
Receive actionable feedback on your facilitation style
You will get the spotlight - the entire group of peer facilitators (as well as the expert trainer) will give you detailed feedback on your skills, your facilitation style and any possible blindspots. Working in a small group gives us plenty of time to go deep.
Add fresh creative tools & techniques to your trainers / facilitators toolbox
Explore diverse facilitation tools, approaches, and techniques such as liberating structures, breakthrough moments, different dimensions of facilitation, and specific tools for engagement. We cover more than 10 diverse toolboxes and explore several tools within each toolbox.
Build confidence in your facilitation skills
Develop practical strategies to manage diverse situations & challenges, staying adaptable and confident even in unpredictable situations. Learn to deal better with tough group dynamics, quiet participants, groups with very diverse levels of experience and any other challenge that facilitators encounter.
How do previous participants see it?
"Advanced facilitation training was an intense but extremely valuable experience that helped me learn much and grow as a facilitator. Structured around participant-led exercises, it combined theory preparation with hands-on practice, offering fresh perspectives on workshop execution."
" I would describe this training as a journey to conquer new, exciting theories and experience engaging practice. It was also a discovery of new skills and tools, talents, potentials and blind spots. The pre-work, hybrid set-up, detailed feedback and brain-friendly learning design, enriched by the experience of the group, give Mirna's workshops a unique and valuable signature."
"The Advanced Facilitation Training was a really eye-opening experience for me. I enjoyed every minute of it and would recommend it to anyone who wants to hone their facilitation skills without a second thought."
Ready to take the next step toward facilitation mastery?
Join this group of trainers to gain the tools for impactful, engaging workshops & conversations.
How does the Advanced Facilitation Training work?
At the Advanced Facilitation Training, there won’t be much sitting and listening —you’ll be in action.
You will step into the role of the facilitator, deliver a session on a key facilitation topic, receiving rich, personalized feedback.
Throughout the event, you will keep engaging in insightful discussions & feedback sessions with other facilitators.
Here is what happens once you signup:
Step 3: Online Module
We will have 2h online module around 2 weeks ahead of the training. On this one, you will get to meet others, we will set a clear plan for the 2 days, set the foundation of how we see facilitation and what are the aspects we all would like to improve, and answer any potential questions about your individual tasks.
Step 4: Live Practice, Practice, Practice
The two live days will be intense, packed with energy and ideas, and focused on practice, feedback and diversity of tools, models and tips. You will get a huge range of ideas of from rich & insightful feedback, from long list of interesting topics & tools we will be exploring, and from other trainers & facilitators styles and ideas. While you will be ready to implement most of these right after the course, you will also have ideas that you can keep exploring throughout the whole year.
To ensure to maximise your experience, make sure to sign up early!
As the program is custom-built with chosen topics, preparation tasks, and exercises specifically for those who join, early sign-ups give us time to create a highly personalized experience.
Signups are open until exactly one month before the training live days - until 21st of July for Amsterdam (or 27th of October for Zagreb).
Key topics covered
Here are some of the core areas we’ll explore:
(Advanced Facilitation Bootcamp is a highly individualised learning experience, adjusted to your own experience and priorities. That means that this list of topics will still be finalized after all participants have signed up, as the topics will be prioritized according to your needs and preferences):
The art of asking powerful questions
Develop your ability to ask questions that spark deep thinking, navigate the discussion ahead, and keep participants engaged
Quick immersion in top facilitation books
Get condensed insights from the best facilitation books to expand your theoretical foundation
Building self-awareness and reflecting on your style
Explore and keep developing your unique facilitation style
Exploring facilitation dimensions
Dive into key facilitation aspects, such as pace, individual vs. group focus, and goal vs. process orientation, and you will open up a whole new perspective on facilitation
Balancing divergent and convergent sides of conversation
Master the art of encouraging broad, creative discussions, while guiding conversations toward clear conclusions
Deepening participation and ownership
Learn tips & tools to foster deeper engagement and active involvement from participants
Exploring engagement both in theory and practice
Learn & discuss on tips, tools, techniques to engage participants more deeply and actively.
Toolbox of new tools
Experiment with diverse new tools and approaches.
Using physical space to enhance facilitation
Discover how to use spatial factors to support the facilitation process that you designed
Practical tips for visuals in facilitation
Learn how to effectively incorporate visuals to support the discussion or the learning experience
Using voice and body language as facilitation tools
Turn your voice and body language into powerful tools to navigate the discussion
A couple of more topics custom-designed based on your own background and priorities
Sounds like the right type of experience for you?
Claim your spot, and take your facilitation skills to the next level!
Who is Advanced Facilitation Training for?
A trainer
who wants to be stronger in facilitation within your workshops , or
A facilitator
looking to receive extensive feedback, discover new tools and strengthen your confidence
As it is heavily based on individual tasks and a lot of practice & feedback, it is a training that works both if you recently graduated from Train the Trainer or if you are 20 years into your career!
The ideal time to attend would be between 1 and 3 years after finishing the Train the Trainer (or starting your career as a trainer or facilitator), as that would give you enough experience, but it would also speed up the toughest part of your learning curve.
The prerequisite for attending this course is to know the basics of facilitation already and to have some experience with facilitation.
(Not exactly sure if you fit here, but you would still like to join? Contact us to discuss if this program is the right fit for you. We highly value diversity of backgrounds in the group and are happy to see what you can bring in.).
Logistics & practical details - dates, locations & fee
Dates
- November 2025 in Zagreb: 2 full live days 27th-28th of November (+ evening 2h virtual module 2 weeks before)
- London - Spring 2026
- Amsterdam Summer/Autumn 2026
Location
- Zagreb in November 2025, London in Spring 2026 & Amsterdam in Summer/Autumn 2026
Future locations depend on the preference of interested participants - so do get in touch and share your preference!
Fee / Price
- Regular Price: 1,450 € for applications received by 21st of July for Amsterdam (or 27th of October for Zagreb)
- Early Bird: 1,350 € for applications received by 21st of May 2025 for Amsterdam (or 27th of August for Zagreb)
- Super Early Bird: 1,180 € for applications received by 21st of March 2025 for Amsterdam (or 27th of June for Zagreb)
Discounts: A 10% discount is available for alumni of Train the Trainer, other Advanced Bootcamps, or members of Trainers' Conversations.
What's included:
- 2h virtual module & 2h follow up module
- 2 full days of live training in Zagreb/Amsterdam (including materials, training room & coffee breaks, but not accommodation nor lunches) in a small group of up to 8 participants
- working in a small group of 8 attendees
- engaging and highly interactive program, with a lot of practical exercises, reflection and discussion, and all the program materials
- highly customized according to the attendees’ needs, experiences, and learning goal, including customized tasks to which you will get feedback from peer trainers
Contact us to explore if this is the right program for you – or to share your preference for future locations.
If you need help with planning the travel to Zagreb, or any questions related to logistics, don’t be shy to reach out via contact form or signup form.
About the trainer – Mirna Šmidt
Mirna Šmidt combines 17 years of experience in delivering training with a strong foundation in psychology and adult learning.
With an MSc in Engineering & Computing and an MSc in Applied Positive Psychology, she combines scientific insight with practical experience to create memorable, goal-driven learning experiences.
After graduating from a one-year long Train the Trainer program, she has refined her expertise across diverse fields, including positive psychology, coaching, NLP, and brain-based learning.
Mirna has delivered programs in over 30 countries for NGOs, startups, and corporations like Cisco, L’Oreal, and Molson Coors, engaging participants from more than 50 nations and leading workshops at global conferences such as TEDx, HR Week, Hive Global Leaders Summit, and Women in Data Science.
As the founder of Trainers Toolbox and Happiness Academy, she focuses on empowering other trainers in facilitation skills, designing & delivering impactful learning experiences & positive psychology – the science of wellbeing.
Discover more about Mirna on LinkedIn – and do connect!
What do participants say?
“I highly recommend this course for anyone looking to refine their facilitation skills, through lots of practice, reflection and constructive feedback from experienced facilitators. I loved experiencing a variety of facilitation styles and am grateful for the many new tools I've added to my trainers' toolbox!”
“I attended 5 Trainers Toolbox trainings in 5 years, before attending the Advanced Facilitation Training. Each one has been a truly wonderful experience, especially this last one, as facilitation was not my strong suit prior to the training. I would describe this training as a journey to conquer new, exciting theories and experience engaging practice.
It was also a discovery of new skills and tools, talents, potentials and blind spots. The pre-work, hybrid set-up, detailed feedback and brain-friendly learning design, enriched by the experience of the group, give Mirna's workshops a unique and valuable signature.
I now feel much more confident in my facilitation and am already applying new learning, such as being more aware of the facilitation diamond, asking better facilitation questions, tapping into group dynamics and using even more Liberating Structures.."
“This is a great training for all kinds of facilitation: training, meetings, events, for all those who deal with people and groups! Mirna got us fully involved by distributing facilitation tasks to each one of us and this helped us dive into the topic without any reservations and provided relevant and valuable feedback! I have been feeling energized and inspired by this training!”
“The Advanced Facilitation Training was a really eye-opening experience for me. I learned a lot of new ways to plan, design and handle my facilitation sessions. I had the opportunity to practice my facilitation skills and come out of the experience a better facilitator. It was inspiring and educative, while at the same the vibe was a perfect balance between gaining new knowledge from the sessions and discussing to reach new insights with the team. I enjoyed every minute of it and would recommend the Advanced Facilitation Training to anyone who wants to hone their facilitation skills without a second thought.”
“Advanced facilitation training was an intense but extremely valuable experience that helped me learn much and grow as a facilitator. Structured around participant-led exercises, it combined theory preparation with hands-on practice, offering fresh perspectives on workshop execution. Highlight was a chance to be influenced by these amazing ladies, to get to see them in action and learn from their way of doing things. And everything under the watchful eye of Mirna, whose feedback was short, concise and actionable. Highly recommended for anyone aspiring to master facilitation.”
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
The Advanced Facilitation Training is designed for trainers and facilitators with foundational experience who want to take their facilitation skills to the next level. This program is ideal for Trainers Toolbox alumni or Train the Trainer graduates from similar programs with 1-3 years of experience. Contact us if you’re unsure of your fit!
While we welcome beginners, the training is best suited for those with some experience who want to deepen their skills. Reach out if you’d like guidance on whether this is the right next step for you.
The fee includes:
- A 2-hour virtual module to set the foundation
- 2 full days of live training in Zagreb (or Amsterdam in 2025), including materials, training room, and coffee breaks (lunch not included)
- Customized tasks and personalized feedback in a small group of up to 8 participants
Once you invest in the program, refunds are not available as the training is customized for each participant. If you’re unable to attend, we encourage you to find someone else to take your place and notify us. Join only if you’re fully committed to active participation, as your engagement greatly benefits both you and the group.
Yes, flexible payment options are available. Contact us to discuss installment options or other payment arrangements.
We’re open to future locations based on participant interest, with plans for Amsterdam in 2025. Let us know where you’d like to attend!
Absolutely! We’re here to help with travel logistics, accommodation recommendations, and any other questions you might have.
Train the Trainer is a science-based, hands-on course for new and experienced trainers who want to design and deliver powerful adult learning experiences.
Delievered over a 3-month with live online modules and finishing with 2 days in-person, it covers full foundations of all the aspects and skills that a trainer needs to master.
It’s a highly personalised program with 6 attendees only, where you keep switching between the roles of trainer and participant through active tasks, gaining rich feedback and continuously practicing while integrating new tools and models into your skillset with each step module.
It ensures you fill in any gaps in your practice, avoid common mistakes and traps that trainers do, and round-up your skills as a trainer.
On the other hand, Advanced Trainings for Trainers are 2 days in-person immersive learning experiences where we dive deep into one narrow and specific skill related to training - for example, facilitation, storytelling or training design.
Discover more about Train the Trainer at https://www.trainers-toolbox.com/train-the-trainer-course/
Unsure which of these learning experiences is the best fit for you?
At Trainers Toolbox, we currently offer 4 live & 1 online advanced trainings for trainers.
In live 2-days format, you can join us for
- Advanced Facilitation Training
- Advanced Storytelling Training
- Advanced Presentation Skills Training
- Advanced Training Design Training
In online format, join the course on Optimal Emotions for Learning to bring your workshops to a whole new level of depth.
Explore the full range of the advanced courses at https://www.trainers-toolbox.com/courses/
Trainers’ Conversations is a year-long online peer community that brings together 22 experienced trainers for monthly conversations that are deep, energizing, and honest. You’ll explore new tools, share challenges, and receive real feedback – on everything from facilitation and learning design to business development.
It’s more than professional development. It’s creative spark, meaningful connection, and a supportive circle that evolves with you. It is a perfect community to join after attending Train the Trainer or one of the Advanced Trainings to keep practicing those skills throughout the whole year.
Still have questions?
You can get in touch via the signup or contact form and let us know how we can help!
Ready to join a community of dedicated trainers and take the next step toward facilitation mastery?
Join the Advanced Facilitation Training to gain the tools for deeper engagement
and confidence to lead any group with impact.