Skillful Group advanced training
LEVEL II Kids' Skills TRAINING
The SKILLFUL GROUP method is based on Dr. Ben Furman's Kids' Skills method.
Kids’ Skills is a method for working with children and adolescents developed by Finnish child psychiatrist Ben Furman.
Dr. Ben Furman is a Finnish psychiatrist and psychotherapist who has spent years providing psychotherapy to children, adolescents, and their families using various therapeutic approaches (including systemic and solution-focused therapy). While working in psychiatric wards, he sought an effective way to help his patients overcome their crises.
Learn about the Kids' Skills method >>What is the SKILLFUL GROUP method?
What is the Skillful Group method?
The Skillful GROUP method is an extension of the Kids' Skills method for group work, focusing on transforming children's problems into skills to be developed.
The method gives professionals space to discover their own strengths, which boosts their energy, motivation, and resilience.
As a result, it becomes not only a tool for working with groups but, above all, a source of support for the experts themselves, helping them maintain effectiveness and prevent professional burnout.
The essence of the method
Transforming children's problems into specific skills to be learned, rather than focusing on deficits.
Building a relationship based on the principle of "connection over correction": kind communication, complimenting, and searching for resources and exceptions.
The structure of group steps: from the contract and scaling to finding exceptions, planning the training, and the final celebration.
What participants gain from the training
Professionals working with children and families, such as teachers or foster parents, gain the opportunity to naturally support group development through this method—without imposing solutions, but rather by building on authentic relationships.
Teachers discover practical tools, such as WOWW, metaphor cards, skill cards, or skill maps, which facilitate building better relationships in the classroom and strengthen motivation and a sense of agency.
Parents can weave skill training into their daily home life, fostering positive interactions and the child's self-esteem.
What will I learn during the training?
Training program
The training provides an introduction to the SKILLFUL GROUP method, which is based on the KIDS’ SKILLS method and the SKILLFUL CLASS tool. In addition to the steps designed by Dr. Ben Furman, the training includes modules on the basics of group work and Solution-Focused Therapy tools.
During the training, participants will:
- They will learn advanced Solution-Focused Brief Therapy work methods,
- They will learn the steps of the method and practice them during the training,
- They will gain the skills to work with a group while incorporating fundamental knowledge of group dynamics,
- They will gain the skills to communicate with the group,
- They will gain the skills to compliment the group and its individual members,
- Will gain skills in building agency and the conviction within a group that it is capable of making the effort to change in order to overcome problems
- Will gain skills in gaining insight into group work.
Training participants
Who is this training for:
The training is open to individuals who practice the Kids’ Skills method – even if they do not yet work in the full model, but regularly and consciously use its elements in their work.
It is required that since completing the training, the participant has had at least 20 hours of practice in the Solution-Focused approach,
including, among others:
- conducting sessions using Kids’ Skills and/or utilizing selected tools of the method,
- using compliments,
- working with scales,
- conversations with parents based on searching for exceptions,
- strengthening resources and complimenting,
- implementing other techniques characteristic of Kids’ Skills and SFBT.
Basic information
Training duration: 30 training hours
Training location: The training will be held in-person at the Dr. Ben Furman Motivational and Preventive Center,
ul. Huberta 2, Katowice (Brynów)
Training hours: 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
The training will proceed once the group reaches a minimum of 12 participants. If the required number of participants is not met by the originally scheduled date, a new training date will be proposed.
Target audience: Graduates of ULICA Foundation training programs, KIDS’ SKILLS METHOD PRACTITIONERS: teachers, educators, trainers, therapists, pedagogues, psychologists, and parents developing their skills in working with groups.
The training fee includes: 30 hours of training, coffee breaks, training materials, and a certificate.
- Training fee for ULICA Foundation graduates: 1200 PLN.
- Fee for individuals who completed Kids’ Skills training at other training centers: 2000 PLN
Individuals who have earned their practitioner title at other training centers are subject to a higher fee, which includes access to specially prepared supplementary materials. These materials contain content and information that is standardly provided as part of the ULICA Foundation's activities. This ensures that participants from outside the Foundation have the opportunity to fully understand the context and issues addressed during the Kids’ Skills training, regardless of their prior experience or knowledge.
All proceeds from the training are donated to the statutory activities of the ULICA Foundation for Children.
Upcoming dates:
- 05-07.10.2026
- 23-25.11.2026
- 14-16.12.2026
Prerequisites for participation
The training covers the KIDS’ SKILLS methods "I can do it!" and "I am proud of you!" The method is based on 15 practical steps, which we explore during the training (both in theory and in practice).
The Skillful Group training is an advanced course; therefore, a prerequisite for participation is holding the title of Kids’ Skills practitioner by the start date of the training and having completed 20 hours of work using this approach.
Learn more about the KIDS' SKILLS method
Training outcomes
Training outcomes:
acquisition of skills enabling you to work using the method
from the very first day after completing the training.
Certificate
Qualifications earned during the training:
Skillful Group practitioner
SKILLFUL GROUP 2026 training application
Facilitator
Trainer
Method Ambassador
Adrian Kowalski
Supervisor of the Polish Psychological Association (No. S110), Certified KIDS’ SKILLS method Ambassador in Poland, pioneer of streetwork with marginalized children, youth, and their families in Silesia, certified 2nd-degree trainer of the Polish Psychological Association (No. 473), specialist in addiction prevention, TSR therapist (Solution-Focused Therapy, in the process of certification), trainer conducting interpersonal communication and social skills training, Member of the international organization ASHOKA – innovators for the public good.
Trainer
Method Ambassador
Natalia Soja
Certified KIDS’ SKILLS Ambassador in Poland, Skillful Group Coach, TSR therapist in the process of certification (graduate of 1st and 2nd degree Solution-Focused Therapy), special educator in resocialization and social prevention (University of Silesia), graduate of postgraduate studies in negotiation and mediation, as well as various courses and training programs: Interdisciplinary study on preventing domestic violence, Streetworking – an innovative perspective on working with people at risk of social exclusion, Motivational trainer for children and youth, Mindfulness training, Emotion regulation training, Emotional education in working with young children, Mission Possible.
Trainer
Method Ambassador
Agata Gemser-Wrębiak
Psychologist (AH), certified Solution-Focused Therapist (No. 122), Polish philologist (Jagiellonian University), Certified KIDS’ SKILLS Ambassador in Poland, Skillful Group method coach, trainer with many years of experience (Wszechnica UJ), certified ICF ACC coach, graduate of postgraduate studies in social behavior psychology (University of Silesia) and project management (WSE), as well as numerous professional development courses, including a study program on working with teenagers.
Neo Energy Group.
As a leading developer and operator of renewable energy sources (RES), Neo Energy Group is deeply committed to sustainable development. The company actively participates in social initiatives that not only promote the well-being of children and youth but also build their psychological resilience—a protective shield that is a key element of their health and prosperity. By supporting the ULICA Foundation and its Center, NEG actively contributes to the development of ecopsychology and the ideas of Dr. Ben Furman. It also demonstrates that responsible business and sustainable development are not just about investing in technology, but also in people—especially the younger generation. The innovation embedded in Neo Energy Group's DNA is also visible in the Foundation's activities and the concept it promotes, which uses modern tools to rebuild and strengthen the psychological resilience of children. As a result, children's problems are beginning to be viewed in a new way. They become processes of learning new skills that help overcome difficulties and initiate the desired change. The accessibility of these initiatives to local communities is further proof that Neo Energy Group understands and takes its social role very seriously, possessing the power to influence positive change. By supporting the ULICA Foundation, the company joins forces with those working for a better tomorrow, where every child—regardless of where they live—has the chance for healthy development in harmony with the world around them.
Contact
If you have any questions, please contact
Magdalena Tylska
Customer Service Specialist
Tel: +48 512 577 677