The first step toward becoming a facilitator is to go through healing as a participant. Before you can lead others, you need space to let God meet you, restore you, and strengthen you from the inside out.

Shelter is a 12-week journey that walks you through your own healing with Scripture, guided reflection, and safe community. It’s a Christ-centered environment where you can process your story honestly, confront the wounds that shaped you, rebuild trust, and reclaim your voice at your own pace. Many women describe Shelter as the first time they’ve ever felt truly seen and supported in their healing.

If you feel called to help others heal, this is where it starts. You must complete two to three full cycles of Shelter before stepping into facilitation so your leadership flows from a place of depth, wholeness, and lived experience. This foundation ensures that when you lead others, you do so with humility, empathy, and spiritual maturity.

After completing at least two cycles of the Shelter From the Storm healing study, the next step for women who feel called to facilitate is Cultivate Training.

Cultivate Training is a recorded leadership orientation designed to help you prayerfully discern whether leading a healing group under Trees of Hope is part of your next season. This step begins with the recommendation of your facilitator, who has walked closely with you and can speak to your readiness for leadership.

For those who move forward, Cultivate provides grounding in our Christ-centered approach to healing, the posture required to shepherd survivors well, and the standards that help create safe, supportive group environments. This reflects the framework Trees of Hope has developed and stewarded for over fifteen years.

Please note: Cultivate Training is for women who have completed the Shelter study and desire to serve under the covering of Trees of Hope, in alignment with our mission, values, and survivor-led model.