The time commitment varies depending on your level of participation, but here’s a rough breakdown. The first semester involves approximately 150 hours, which includes about 50 hours of live online activities and 100 hours of in-person immersion. That averages out to just over 5 hours per week of online activities during the 10-week semester. The second semester ranges from 70 to 150 hours, depending on how much you choose to attend. In addition, there are approximately 70 hours of self-paced assignments and activities spread over the full 12 months. Altogether, the apprenticeship requires roughly 290 to 370 hours over the course of a year.

In short, certification is optional, but the training is powerful either way—and respected across Canada as a rigorous, experience-based path to becoming a confident and skillful facilitator.

The main reason people join this apprenticeship is to become more powerful, attuned, and skillful in human connection. The tools and depth of practice you’ll gain here are transformative, whether or not you ever go on to formally lead a Circle. That said, we do offer a certification for those who want it.

Our certification is designed to support participants who seek formal recognition of their training, especially those planning to facilitate, teach, or integrate Authentic Relating and Circling into their professional work. We take this process seriously. Graduates complete over 300 hours of training, including in-person immersions, coaching, real facilitation hours, and personalized feedback. The program is comparable in depth and rigor to facilitator pathways internationally.

Circling Canada is currently the most active and experienced Authentic Relating and Circling training organization in the country. We run more live events and immersions across Canada than any other training body in this space. Our facilitators have studied with respected leaders including Sara Ness, Peter Benjamin, Jason Digges, Decker Cunov, and Jordan Myska Allen. We integrate diverse influences from the original Bay Area Circling roots, the Integral Circling lineage, Relateful, and Transformational Connection.

This field is still evolving globally. Circling and Authentic Relating are relatively young disciplines, and there is no single centralized certifying body. While the Circling Institute has pursued trademarking and federation efforts to formalize its authority, their trademark application was rejected in Canada. Our use of the term “Circling” remains fully legal and grounded in community. Still, we want to be transparent: graduates may encounter occasional resistance in international settings where certification is measured against U.S.-based institutions. However, our training is increasingly respected both within Canada and abroad, and our reputation continues to grow.

We’re in a time of emergence and decentralization. This is not a path of gatekeeping, but of stewardship. And like many other respected schools, we may one day move away from the term “Circling” as the practice continues to evolve. For now, we stand behind the depth, integrity, and transformative power of what we offer.

Circling Canada offers a unique, community-rooted pathway for facilitator development. We’re a younger school, and we own that with humility. While some international programs are led by facilitators with 10–15+ years of experience, our founder, Garrett Rokosh, has been leading for over 5 years. Our curriculum is still evolving, and our surrounding community is smaller than what you might find with larger global schools.

At the same time, this brings real advantages. You’ll train with local leaders and peers, building lasting relationships in your region. You’ll be part of a growing team, with space to contribute creatively and grow alongside the work itself. Our approach draws from a wide range of influences—including Compassionate Inquiry (Gabor Maté), somatic coaching, and multiple Circling and Authentic Relating lineages. And unlike many larger programs, you’ll have real opportunities to facilitate in live immersions, with close mentorship and feedback. This is hands-on, deep-end learning in a connection-rich environment.

The curriculum was intentionally designed to be comparable in depth and structure to other well-established facilitator trainings. It includes a balanced blend of 1:1 coaching, live immersion hours, weekly curriculum calls, buddy circles, and self-paced integration work. While still in development, the training meets the standards of top-tier programs—many of which are priced between $6,000 and $10,000 USD. We’re proud to offer a similarly rigorous and meaningful experience at a more accessible price point, especially for those based in Canada.