As a licensed psychotherapist with 25 years of experience in many modalities and trainings, I am super impressed with Damien’s ability to set powerful context and hold the group energy with a grounded strength that brings a sense of safety and openness. Over the 22 months I have had the privilege of participating weekly in his Refining your Facilitation Skills group I continue to be impressed by both his skill and his ability to greet a wide variety of people with curiosity and compassion without the sense that anything needs to be fixed or changed. Breaking this pattern of trying to fix or change another that my many years of training and practice as a psychotherapist immersed me in was a very difficult habit to break. Yet I have discovered rich rewards both personally and working with clients and groups with this practice. Paradoxically, this focus on not needing to fix or change anything or anyone, rather simply staying with present moment awareness, has lead to great inner transformation and a greater sense of wholeness. Damien was invaluable in patiently supporting me in shifting this behavior. Not surprisingly, from this inner shift my professional work has benefited greatly.
His last training was about introducing new people to the practice of circling. I immediately took the new skills and practices back to my Wild Hearts group with instant success. The level of intimacy and connection rose. It was a joy to watch a member yesterday finally grok the practice viscerally. She reported feeling deeply heard and moved into a place of calm after exploring a significant challenge.
I have a practice on Thanksgiving of thanking the five people that have supported me the most throughout the year. Damien made that list. Attending his facilitation group is a highlight of my week. I honor all the inner work and training I imagine he has done in order to become such a skillful facilitator. Savannah Hanson, MFT #40422

“Damian has profound understanding and awareness of the principles and practices of Circling and Authentic relating – presence, ownership, revealing, welcoming everything, a willingness to challenge assumptions and to honor self and others – and imparts them with clarity and vitality. But it isn’t just book knowledge: Damian effortlessly embodies the principles in his leadership and teaching as well as in his own life. His focused skill and way of being as he leads circling and authentic relating experiences have provided me myriad opportunities for aha moments and personal growth in real time as well as significant improvement in my relationship to myself and others as the experiences and teachings percolate over time. That’s why I believe Damian to be a true relational Jedi”.