Stepping Into Sisterhood: Becoming an Own My Life Co-Trainer

We're really excited that Kirsty Bentley is joining us, alongside Louise Bryant, as Co-Trainer for our training events. Kirsty reflects on joining the Own My Life team.

Kirsty Bentley

Stepping into the role of co-trainer for the Own My Life facilitator course still feels a bit surreal but in the best possible way. I keep bouncing between excitement, gratitude, and that little flutter in my stomach that says this really matters and I really want to do it well. Being trusted with this role by Natalie Collins is something I am genuinely honoured by. She is someone whose work, values, and vision I deeply respect, so her belief in me means more than I can write into sentences.

For the past few years, I have been delivering Own My Life to women, and it has become such a meaningful part of my work. I have watched women reconnect with themselves, laugh again, cry safely, challenge old narratives, and rebuild a sense of who they are. The programme has shaped me just as much as it has shaped the space for the women it supports. It has taught me to appreciate women and the sisterhood in a whole new way. There is something genuinely powerful about a room full of women who finally feel understood and seen.

One of the things I love most about the Own My Life course is the sisterhood that forms almost without anyone noticing. Women walk in carrying so much, often feeling alone in ways they have never said out loud, and then suddenly they are surrounded by others who simply get it. There is this moment in every group where you can almost feel the room exhale, like everyone realises they do not have to hold everything by themselves anymore. The laughter, the shared stories, the gentle nods of recognition, the way women cheer each other on even on the tough days, it all becomes part of the healing. It is not just a course, it is a community, a place where women rebuild themselves alongside others who are doing the same. That sense of sisterhood is powerful, and it is one of the reasons I believe so deeply in this work.

Building sisterhood!

And this is exactly what I hope to help new facilitators create. When I think about co-training, I imagine supporting facilitators to build spaces where that same sisterhood can grow, where women feel safe enough to rise and take back control of their lives. I want facilitators to leave feeling confident not only in the structure of the programme, but in their ability to nurture connection, belonging, and that quiet magic that happens when women truly see each other. If they can carry that into their own groups, then the ripple effect becomes even bigger, reaching women I may never meet but who will still feel the impact of this work.

Stepping into co-training feels like being invited into something so much bigger than what I can see. It is the chance to contribute to a movement that ripples out far beyond one room or one group. Supporting new facilitators means helping them leave feeling confident, grounded, and ready to create spaces where women feel safe, heard, and supported. That ripple effect, one facilitator, one group, one woman at a time, is huge, and it is something I hold with a lot of care.

And honestly, I am excited for the fun parts too. I remember my own facilitator training so clearly. Natalie brought the course to life with so much passion and energy that I sat there thinking this is nothing like anything I have ever done before. I did not expect to walk away with such a fire to deliver it just right. But I did. I left with this spark, this sense of possibility, for what the programme could mean for the women we support.

So yes, I am stepping into this new role with a full heart. A bit of nervousness, a lot of gratitude, and a real sense of privilege. I cannot wait to begin.

You can book into one of our training events HERE.