What CSS Train the Trainer Is

CSS Train the Trainer (TtT) prepares leaders, educators, curriculum developers, practitioners and anyone who wants to learn how to facilitate the Cultivating Safe Spaces (CSS) framework in their own settings: classrooms, organizations, Nations, and systems.

It’s not presentation coaching it’s embodiment. You’ll learn how to cultivate safety, hold accountability, and teach the Four Necessary Conditions, Protocols, and Perspectives in real, often high-pressure environments.

Who It's For

This program is for people who want to:

• Offer CSS as part of their own work — trainers, educators, consultants, and practitioners who want to integrate CSS into their leadership or facilitation.

• Bring CSS internally — leaders who want to embed CSS practice across their organization, department, or Nation for ongoing relational work.

• Deepen personal practice — individuals who want to live the framework daily, not as theory but as a way of leading and relating.

CSS Train the Trainer meets people where they are, whether you teach, lead, consult, advise, or simply want to practice this work with more integrity and regulation.

A Note on Stewardship

The Cultivating Safe Spaces (CSS) framework belongs to those who carry it with care, integrity, and accountability to self. It is rooted in Indigenous KnowledgeS and shaped by each facilitator’s lived experience.

Naqsmist does not police facilitators. Each facilitator is trusted to uphold their own integrity and responsibility. If a concern arises, it must be addressed directly and relationally. This framework exists to help us have the hard conversations, not avoid them behind policy or authority.

CSS is carried, not owned and shared through relationship, not transaction.

What You'll Learn

By completing the Train the Trainer program, you’ll learn to:

• Teach the Four Necessary Conditions, Protocols, and Perspectives clearly and responsibly.

• Stay grounded under pressure and facilitate complex conversations.

• Guide relational repair after harm with care and accountability.

• Use nervous system and regulation tools to keep groups steady.

• Embed CSS principles into team, organizational, or system practices.

Program Options

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the program options and costs?

Who is the CSS Train the Trainer Program for?

The program is for people who want to teach, integrate, or live the CSS framework in their own practice, organization, or daily leadership. Some participants bring CSS into classrooms or community learning. Others use it inside their organizations for ongoing relational work. Many simply want to embody the framework personally to lead, parent, or work with more steadiness, accountability, and care.

Do I need prior facilitation experience?

It helps, but it’s not required. We’re not looking for polished presenters, we’re looking for people who can hold space, stay regulated under pressure, and stay connected to themselves and others in difficult moments.

What does certification include?

Certification recognizes that you can teach and model CSS responsibly, not that you’ve memorized the material. The CSS Train the Trainer gives you Level 1 Certification. Once you've delivered the training, you may apply for Level 2 and 3. 

Each level builds on the last:

• Level 1 — Intro Facilitator: delivers the 5-hour Intro to CSS workshop.

• Level 2 — Advanced Facilitator: customizes for different audiences and contexts.

• Level 3 — Master Facilitator: mentors others and supports CSS integrity at the systems level.

Can our organization run a private cohort?

Yes. We customize Train the Trainer for teams from 10 to 20,000+, supporting internal certification pathways, mentorship structures, and system-wide rollout. To explore this, email Sierra Alec → [email protected]  

Do I need to take other courses first?

Yes. We recommend completing both the Intro to CSS and Enhanced CSS Add-On eCourses before the Train the Trainer. However, only the Intro to CSS is required before applying. They provide the grounding you’ll need to teach and model the framework with integrity.

What makes this different from other “train the trainer” programs?

CSS isn’t about delivering content, it’s about living the content. You’ll be trained to model emotional regulation, accountability, and relational safety in every room you lead. We don’t hand you a script; we help you embody a way of teaching that strengthens trust and communication, even under pressure.

What if I have a concern about a CSS Facilitator?

Naqsmist doesn’t police facilitators we trust them to uphold their own integrity and accountability. If you have a concern, we encourage you to address it directly and relationally. This framework is designed to help us have uncomfortable conversations, not avoid them behind policy or authority.

How long does certification take?

Most participants complete Level 1 Certification after one intensive (virtual or in-person) and required pre-work. Level 2 and 3 certifications come through continued practice, mentorship, and deeper facilitation experience.

Is there ongoing support after certification?

Yes. Certified facilitators are invited into ongoing learning and mentorship spaces, access updated materials, and stay connected through Naqsmist’s relational leadership community. We host two monthly calls with our CSS Facilitator Community. 

Is this program accredited?

No, and that’s intentional. We choose not to pursue formal academic or institutional accreditation because CSS is a living, relational framework, not a standardized curriculum.

Accreditation often requires fixed content, rigid assessment, and external control over what and how we teach. That model doesn’t fit a framework rooted in Indigenous Knowledges, lived experience, and relational accountability.

Instead, our certification process emphasizes practice, embodiment, and integrity and how you carry the work, not just how you perform it. Facilitators are certified through demonstrated understanding, relational capacity, and consistent alignment with the CSS teachings.

What’s the first step?

Choose the path that fits your context:

• [Apply to Become a Facilitator] — for individuals.

• [Book a Conversation] — for organizations or Nations.

• [Start Learning CSS] — for foundational courses before certification.