Application for 2026 Cohort are closed!
Certification in Group Facilitation
A first-of-its-kind blended, practice-intensive certification designed to help mental health professionals confidently design and facilitate group spaces in the Indian context.
2027 Cohort: Dates To Be Announced
Cohort Size: 15-20
Why Learn Group Facilitation?
Group Work is a powerful and distinct therapeutic modality - not simply individual therapy conducted with multiple people.
Effective group facilitation requires an understanding of:
- Group dynamics and stages
- Interpersonal processes unique to groups
- Managing multiple needs, emotions, and narratives simultaneously
- Ethical complexities and role boundaries
Demand for group-based mental health interventions is growing!
Therapists increasingly find themselves expected to lead groups - often without adequate training. This programme addresses that gap by offering:
- A structured foundation in facilitating groups
- Exposure to diverse group modalities and populations
- Experiential learning that allows participants to feel group processes, not just study them
Program Overview
1. Blended learning certification focused on building both conceptual clarity and practical facilitation skills.
2. Total programme duration: 9 months (including 4 months of fieldwork)
3. Mandatory fieldwork: 45 hours
4. Observership: Trainees observe 8 sessions of support groups being run by SoulUp.
The course is divided into 4 phases:
Foundations of Group Therapy | 36 Hours
This phase builds a strong conceptual base in group work | Online Module
Approaches and Techniques | 84 Hours
Learning multiple group therapy modalities and frameworks | Online Module
Experiential Groups & Practicum | 66 Hours | In-person
Learning through direct experience and practice
Fieldwork & Supervision | 45 Hours
Mandatory Post-course fieldwork; participants facilitate real-world groups.
Phase 3 is in-person in Bangalore. This part of the coursework comprises of experiential learning modules and is mandatory.
What Makes This Group Facilitation Training Distinct
A Direct Pathway to Facilitating Groups with SoulUp
Top 2 students selected based on assignment submissions and class participation will get to run SoulUp support groups as part of their field work.
This is a rare opportunity to move from training into live, therapist-led group work.
Top 2 students selected based on assignment submissions and class participation will get to run SoulUp support groups as part of their field work.
This is a rare opportunity to move from training into live, therapist-led group work.
Learning Within India’s Largest Provider of Support Groups
This training is embedded within SoulUp, We have designed and hosted 2000+ support groups over the past 3 years becoming India’s largest curator and host of therapist-led support groups.
Participants learn group facilitation within an ecosystem that works with groups at scale, across themes, populations, and formats - not in isolation.
Opportunity to observe SoulUp group sessions as a trainee
All trainees get to observe 8 live SoulUp group sessions over the duration of the course.
Designed for Real-World Group Leadership, Not Just Certification
The programme prepares therapists to lead groups in real, applied settings where complexity, diversity, and unpredictability are part of the work.
Through experiential learning and supervision, participants build the confidence to hold groups beyond the classroom or academic context.
Core Curriculum Details
Foundations of Group Therapy | 36 hours
This phase builds a strong conceptual base in group work.
Key areas include:
- What is group therapy?
- History, evolution, and types of groups
- Stages of group development
- Interpersonal dynamics in groups
- Core group therapist skills
- Building therapeutic alliance in group settings
Approaches and Techniques | 84 hours
Participants are exposed to multiple group therapy modalities and frameworks, including:
- Trauma-informed approaches in group settings
- Fundamentals of CBT and SFBT in groups
- Fundamentals of Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) in groups
- Fundamentals of Narrative and Interpersonal Process in groups
- Fundamentals of Therapeutic Communities & Gestalt approaches
- Group analysis
- Clinically focused group spaces
- Theme-based Support Groups
- Online Groups & Skills
- Ethics, research, and reflexivity in group work
Experiential Groups & Practicum | 66 hours
This phase emphasises learning through direct experience and practice.
Participants engage in:
- Child and adolescent group work
- Exploration of intersectionality, clinical/neurodiverse populations and marginalised identities
- Regulation and reflection techniques
- Expressive arts in groups, including: Dance/Movement Therapy (DMT), Drama Therapy, Art-based processes & Storytelling
- Facilitating practice groups with peers
Fieldwork & Supervision | 45 hours
Post-course fieldwork is a mandatory and integral part of the certification.
Breakdown of fieldwork:
- Observership: 8 hours within the SoulUp network
- Short-term groups: Participants facilitate 2 short-term groups. Minimum 10–12 hours each (4–6 sessions per group)
- Long-term groups: Participants facilitate 2 long-term groups. Minimum 20–24 hours total (10–12 sessions)
Supervision will be provided during the course of fieldwork:
- 8 hours of supervision
- Spread across 4 months
Guest Lectures
10 hours to guest lectures by field experts.
Our Course Faculty for the 2026 Cohort
View Detailed Profiles & Guest Faculty-
Sukriti Dua: Course Director
View Profile9 + years in the field.
Brings expertise in mind-body work and a trauma-informed lens within group spaces for both children and adults along with skill-based teaching. Also brings prior experience in curriculum building at CMTAI.
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Dr. Paras Sharma | Core Faculty
View Profile15+ years in the field.
Founder, The Alternative Story. Brings expertise in intersectionality in theme-based group work and university-level training proficiency
-
Arushi Bradu | Core Faculty
View Profile9+ years in the field
Brings expertise as a trained Group Analyst who holds multi-themed short and long term group spaces.
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Shama Parkhe | Adjunct Faculty
View Profile10+ years in the field.
Co-founder, Hank Nunn Institute. Brings expertise as a trained Group Analyst, with focus on therapeutic communities and reflective group work process.
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Dr.Porrselvi A.P. | Adjunct Faculty
View Profile12+ years in the field.
Brings expertise in neurodivergent and clinical group spaces, as an award winning neuropsychologist.
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Dr.Rachel Jayaseelan | Adjunct Faculty
View Profile14+ years in the field.
Brings expertise in SFBT and CBT based group work with neurotypical and neurodivergent populations along with being a trainer
-
Akshita Desore | Adjunct Faculty
View Profile8+ years in the field.
Brings skill based expertise across child and adult groups, blended with an expressive arts background
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Soumini Menon | Adjunct Faculty
View Profile15+ years in the field.
Brings expertise in narrative therapy and arts based practices in group work across the lifespan and neurodiverse populations.
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Radhika Jain | Adjunct Faculty
View profile9+ years in the field.
Co-founder, First Drop Theatre.
Brings expertise in drama based group work with communities and organizations along with teaching on courses.
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Dr. Meghna Singhal | Guest Lecturer
View ProfilePhD, NIMHANS
Expert in couples therapy with 15+ years of experience
Guest Lecture: Group Work with Couples
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Dr. Itisha Nagar | Guest Lecturer
View ProfilePhD, University of Delhi
Award winning expert in mental health advocacy and awareness
Guest Lecture: Ethics & Safety in Larger Group Formats
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Mahak and Punita | Guest Lecturers
View ProfileCo-Founders, SoulUp
Expertise in building a nation-wide group and peer support network
Guest Lecture: Marketing for Group Work
Learning Format & Structure
The programme follows a hybrid model, integrating online learning with immersive in-person experiences.
Online components include:
- Theory and conceptual frameworks
- Demonstrations and discussions
- Exposure to multiple group approaches
- Assessments and reflective learning
In-person components focus on:
- Experiential practice
- Facilitation labs
- Expressive and embodied group processes
- Peer-based learning and feedback
Total programme duration: 9 months (including fieldwork)
Certification & Assessment
To receive the Certification in Group Facilitation, participants must complete the following:
- Minimum 85% attendance
- Successful completion of in-program assessments: Assignments | Session planning | Facilitation assessment
- Completion of fieldwork hours and submission of a fieldwork report, including: Group plans | Evaluation methodologies | Reflective learning
- Completion of required supervision hours
Participants who meet all criteria will receive the certification at the end of the programme.
Who can Apply?
This programme is designed for mental health professionals who want to develop competence and confidence in facilitating therapeutic groups.
It is well-suited for:
- Psychologists, therapists, and counsellors with a Masters Degree in Psychology/Social Work. Even those in the final semester of their Masters can apply.
- Mental health professionals working in organisations, NGOs, schools, or private practice.
- Practitioners looking to start group work or strengthen existing group facilitation skills.
Program Fee & What's Included
This certification is designed as a comprehensive, end-to-end training and certification in group facilitation, combining theory, experiential learning, supervised practice, and fieldwork.
Fee for the Program: INR 45,000
The programme fee includes:
- 9 months of structured training
- 200+ hours of guided learning, including:
- Online theory and approach-based modules
- In-person experiential training and practicum
- Facilitated peer learning and assessments
- 45 hours of mandatory fieldwork | 8 sessions of SoulUp Group observership
- 8 hours of group supervision
- Exposure to multiple group therapy modalities
- Mentorship from experienced faculty with extensive field experience
- Certification in Group Facilitation upon successful completion
More on our Course Faculty from 2026!
Sukriti Dua | Course Director & Core Faculty
Sukriti is a trauma-informed psychologist and a dance/movement therapy facilitator with 9 years of experience in the field. Having done her post graduation in Clinical Psychology, she has also completed certifications in Dance/Movement Therapy (CMTAI), Trauma Informed Care (TISS) and Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (ICEEFT).
She currently has her own private practice through - Mentally Yours, and also offers consultancy through other mental health organizations, catering to individuals across the ages: from adolescents to adults in individual, couple and group formats.
The work from mind-body practices, humanistic, relational and trauma approaches is at the center of her therapeutic framework, which is eclectic and queer friendly.
Her training endeavours include being the Course Co-Director cum faculty for CMTAI’s flagship DMT program and the Course Director for SoulUp’s homegrown Group Facilitation Certificate Program. Holding a deep interest for group work she conducts workshops and trainings with schools, universities and corporates; and has also worked with children and adolescents of various needs via schools, NGOs and intervention centers through counseling and Dance/Movement Therapy.
Dr. Paras Sharma | Core Faculty
Dr. Paras Sharma is the co-founder and Director at The Alternative Story – a mental health startup based out of Bengaluru, and an Adjunct Assistant Professor at the Department of PG Studies and Research in Psychology at Surana College (Autonomous) Bengaluru.
He holds a Master’s Degree in Counselling and a Doctorate in Psychology, and is currently pursuing a Master's in Women's and Gender Studies.
In a career spanning over 15 years, he has worked at hospitals, helplines, corporate mental health organizations, and academic institutions. His areas of expertise include teaching, training and supervision, group therapy, technology-assisted mental health, men's mental health, and relationship and family counselling from an intersectional lens.
Paras lives with mental illness, neurodivergence, and chronic illness and is actively engaged in awareness-building and research on these topics.
Arushi Bradu | Core Faculty
Arushi Bradu is a Qualified Group Analyst and psychotherapist with extensive experience facilitating therapy groups, supervision spaces, and community awareness groups. She holds a BA in Philosophy and an MSc in Counselling Psychology from Christ University. She is also the co-founder of Reverie Psychotherapy Studio, a relational psychotherapy space based in Delhi.
Her clinical and training work is rooted in relational and psychodynamic traditions, with a strong commitment to understanding psychological distress within its socio-cultural, economic, and political contexts. She works from the belief that individuals cannot be meaningfully understood in isolation from the groups, systems, and power structures they inhabit.
Dr Rachel Jayaseelan | Adjunct Faculty
Dr Rachel Jayaseelan is a psychologist and practitioner, based out of Bangalore, having completed her education from Christ University, also having worked in the institution for 7 years, in the Department of Psychology, where she taught assessments and supervised cases for clinical, counselling psychology and education psychology students. Dr Rachel has been certified in NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming), Career Counselling, CognitiveAnalytic Therapy, Solution Focused Brief therapy, and Master Level Hypnosis and hence follows a more eclectic approach to counselling which has helped maximize benefits towards a client. She is also a certified Sleep Consultant, Adult ADHD Coach and Emotional Intelligence Specialist.
Her passion lies in exploring, understanding and applying a wide range of assessments that can help structure tailor-made therapeutic plans for clients. With respect to practice in particular, she consults specifically for psychological and educational assessments at the Reach Clinic, Bangalore, having worked with close to 2500clients in the past 10 years. Her area of expertise is screening and diagnostic testing for developmental delays, LD, ADHD, Behavioural and Emotional Disorders in children. She also actively works with pre-marital relationships, with an active focus on relationship security, which was also her Doctoral research. She has conducted more than 250 workshops on a variety of topics such as effective communication skills, decision-making strategies, mindfulness, dealing with anxiety and depression, healthy interpersonal relationships and positive mental health.
Shama Parkhe | Adjunct Faculty
Shama completed her MSc in Clinical Psychology in 2014 and co-founded Hank Nunn Institute together with Anando Chatterji a few months later. Shama has a keen interest in developing alternatives to conventional mental health practices by involving the larger community. She believes that one’s cultural and social systems are highly influential in the development of an individual’s personality. It is therefore necessary to address the larger community and not just the individual in isolation. Shama also believes in collaborating with the service user community in designing supportive spaces which enable their journey of self discovery.
For the past 10 years, she has been working with individuals experiencing personality difficulties in an individual and group setting using both psychodrama and group analysis. In addition, she also offers training & clinical supervision to students and young professionals. She believes in the efficacy of group processes and aims at creating safe, reflective, and therapeutic spaces for groups of people experiencing interpersonal difficulties. She is a certified Psychodrama Therapist. She is also a staff member of the International Living Learning Experience (INLLE) residential workshops. At present, she is training to qualify as a Group Analyst.
She is inspired by the concept of therapeutic communities and dreams of setting up one (if not many) in our country in the future. Outside of travelling and lazing on the beach, she gets her thrill out of trying to bring order to our nutty work family. When not in a therapy session, you will find her being creative and designing her way through life.
Akshita Desore | Adjunct Faculty
Akshita Desore is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor with the Board of Allied Mental Health and Human Services, USA (LMHC: 13490) and a Registered Expressive Arts Therapist (REAT: 2190) with extensive experience in clinical settings across the United States and India.
She has worked at mental health clinics as an outpatient clinician in the US, providing trauma-informed expressive arts therapy to individuals facing chronic illness, complex trauma, grief and loss, and long-term mental health challenges.
In these settings, she conducted individual and group therapy, and developed treatment plans focused on navigating anxiety, depression, Complex PTSD, and mood disorders.
Akshita’s approach is rooted in the power of creative expression to support emotional processing, resilience, and well-being. Through visual arts, movement, music, and storytelling, she helps individuals reconnect with their inner resources, reduce stress, and foster a sense of agency in their healing process.
She holds a master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counselling and Expressive Arts Therapy from Lesley University, Boston, and a bachelors in Psychology from Delhi University and is trained in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and Trauma-Informed Expressive Arts Therapy (Level 2), which allows her to integrate structured therapeutic techniques with the flexibility of the arts.
At present, she has her private practice and provides individual and group therapy to children and adults.
Dr. Porrselvi A.P. | Adjunct Faculty
Dr. Porrselvi A. P. is a former HCPC Registered Practitioner Psychologist (2021 to 2025) and was formerly a Chartered Member of the British Psychological Society (CPsychol.).
She holds a PhD in Cognitive Neuroscience, a Master’s in Neurosciences and a Master’s in Counselling and Psychotherapy. Her expertise lies in neuropsychology, and she has worked at King’s College Hospital, London, where she carried out diagnostic assessments for adults with ADHD.
Over the years, she has trained in CBT, DBT and other psychotherapy modalities, and uses them in an eclectic manner based on the needs of clients. As part of her academic and clinical training, she has also worked extensively with paediatric ADHD populations and has a certification in the diagnosis and management of specific learning disabilities. During her integrated PhD, she gained further training in neurocognitive disorders. Her work has been recognised internationally, including the Early Career Award from the International Neuropsychological Society.
She has been working with ADHD in children since 2010 and with adults since 2012. She also helps clients through diagnostic processes and supports them in understanding the interaction of ADHD with other common co-morbidities. She began her work with adult ADHD under the mentorship of Dr. Robb Mapou in the United States, an experience that shaped her long-term interest in supporting this community. She finds deep meaning in helping people understand themselves and create lives where they feel at peace with who they are and the world around them, believing that no one deserves to feel alone in this journey. She has been facilitating the ADHD Support Group with SoulUp for the past 1.5 years, guiding individuals toward greater understanding, acceptance and empowerment.
Radhika Jain | Adjunct Faculty
Radhika Jain is the Co-founder and Artistic Director of First Drop Theatre.
An Expressive Arts therapy practitioner, Radhika is an Accredited Playback Theatre Trainer from the Centre for Playback Theatre, USA, Radhika is also the faculty for Playback Theatre at the Applied Theatre India Foundation, the co-editor of the International Playback Theatre Network (IPTN) journal and the Secretary (Executive Committee) at the Centre for Playback Theatre, USA.
She is a certified Listening Hour Guide. She has a PhD in Molecular Microbiology from Germany and has corporate experience of 7 years in the field of Consulting and Marketing Research.
Soumini Menon | Adjunct Faculty
Hi I am Soumini Menon, a Developmental & Counselling Psychologist and an Arts-Based Therapist with over 15 years of dedicated practice in Delhi NCR. My work passionately supports children, individuals, and families in navigating life’s complexities, guiding them towards enhanced mental well-being and personal growth. With specialized expertise in trauma and grief work, I try to sensitively supports both children and adults in processing and healing from challenging emotional experiences. My lived experiences have deeply informed my understanding of mental health struggles, inspiring me to empower adults in discovering their inner world of calm and quiet, cultivating resilience and bravery.
Drawing from narrative therapy, mindfulness practices, and expressive arts, I aim to empower my adult clients to reconnect with their authentic selves, helping them reclaim and transform their life stories. My therapeutic approach creates a warm, non-judgmental, and nurturing space where individuals feel safe to express their thoughts and emotions openly through conversation, play, and creative artistic exploration.
In my work with children, I specialize in uncovering their unique voices through play-based therapy, helping even the most inhibited children discover and express their innate creativity and playfulness. Inspired by my own journey of motherhood, I have expanded my practice to include Parenting Therapy, supporting parents in managing daily challenges while celebrating their personal triumphs and growth.
Committed to fostering connected, resilient communities, I regularly facilitate interactive workshops and outreach programs with various organizations, schools, and local groups, ensuring every individual feels seen, heard, and celebrated.
Interested in our 2027 cohort?
If you’re serious about facilitating groups ethically, confidently, and effectively - this certification is designed to support your journey.
Have questions? Email us at connect@soulup.in
FAQs about the course
Do I attain the title of a 'group therapist' post the completion of the course work?
No. This course builds a strong foundational learning towards group work and can attain you the title of "Group Facilitator"
Is this training a replacement for a modality-specific long term training?
No. This training equips you with foundational skills in group work and exposes you to various modalities that can be used in the capacity of building a therapeutic framework.
What is the screening process?
Based on your resume and application form, you may be required to be present for a 15 minute telephonic interview to assess your fitment towards the course.
What kind of support can I expect for field work?
For observership hours - you will be mapped to operating SoulUp groups.
For field work - you will be required to find opportunities by yourselves, but will receive supervision during the period of field work.
Will I get opportunity to run SoulUp groups after course completion?
Top 2 trainees after the completion of the course will be given opportunity to run SoulUp groups.
Are in-person modules mandatory?
Yes, it is mandatory in order to complete your training phase of the program.
What if I miss some sessions?
85% of attendance in classes is mandatory for you to complete the certification. Fieldwork and supervision hours are also mandatory to complete the certification.
Will the sessions be recorded?
Some sessions or part of sessions may be recorded, but the recordings will be shared for a limited period of time, in case you miss a session due to network issues.
Is stay and travel for in-person modules covered in program fee?
No. Travel to training venue, accommodation in Bangalore and lunch are not covered. They will have to be borne by the participant.
Where in Bangalore are in-person sessions?
Venue for the course is yet to be announced and will be updated on the website once formalized.
What is the commitment outside the class hours?
Every week will have one asynchronous hour task, like a pre-reading, video watching, reflective exercise or the like. This will need to be completed before the new module starts. Beyond this, assignments will be given during some classes, but submission timelines will be at least 3 weeks from start date.
Can I do the course if I am working full time?
Yes. Classes are scheduled in late evenings or Saturdays. Do check the detailed schedule for better understanding. Although you may need to make adjustments to your work schedule to better absorb the material and be fully present for class.
Who will be issuing certificates? What kind of certificate will I get the end of course completion?
The certificate will be issued by SoulUp. It will certify the completion of a 200 hr training and 45 hr supervised field work, towards "Group Facilitation."
I have some questions. Where can I reach out?
connect@soulup.in