A Trauma-Informed Guide to Leading Identity, SEL, and Emotional Growth Sessions in Justice and Reentry Programs
by Aaron B Kershaw
Lead with Purpose. Facilitate with Impact.
The Built from the Inside™: Facilitator Training Manual is the official guide for program leaders, educators, counselors, and reentry staff who support incarcerated and justice-impacted individuals through group-based transformation.
This manual equips facilitators to deliver structured, trauma-responsive sessions aligned with the full 10-book Built from the Inside™ curriculum. Rooted in social-emotional learning (SEL) and identity development, this training manual helps leaders navigate the emotional depth and complexity of group work inside correctional facilities and beyond.
Inside, you’ll learn how to:
Facilitate with emotional pacing using Check-In™, Reset™, and Fire Log protocols
Respond to trauma signals and manage Red Flag moments
Maintain fidelity across sessions while adapting to different environments
Guide participants through real growth using stories, tools, and reflection
Build trust and structure within justice, reentry, and recovery settings
This isn’t a lecture series. It’s a relationship-based, life-tested, hands-on facilitation model designed for real people doing real work in high-impact spaces.
If you're ready to lead from within and help others do the same—this guide will walk you through every step.
I’m a Marine veteran, author, and the founder of BrightPath Academy and BuildingBlocs Literacy. I create tools for real-life transformation—books, courses, and curriculum for people rebuilding from the inside out. If you're ready to grow, heal, and lead yourself forward, I’ve got your back.
Aaron B. Kershaw is the founder of BrightPath Academy and BuildingBlocs Literacy, two education platforms built to deliver practical transformation through social-emotional learning, financial literacy, leadership, and reentry training. His programs are used in correctional facilities, schools, churches, and community centers across the country. A U.S. Marine Corps veteran and lifelong mentor, Aaron writes for people who weren’t handed a perfect start—and are ready to build something better anyway. From the Built from the Inside SEL series to financial education workbooks and youth development guides, his voice stays honest, grounded, and rooted in lived experience. Aaron’s mission is clear: To help people take back the pen and write their next chapter—stronger, smarter, and more self-led than the last. Through his books, courses, and nonprofit initiatives, Aaron empowers individuals and institutions to do more than survive their circumstances—he helps them build from them.
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