From Porto to Stockholm, Benedita Salinas joined Hyper Island’s Facilitation Course to deepen her craft and reconnect with the human side of leading groups. This is her story of presence, transformation, and rediscovering what facilitation truly means.
When Benedita Salinas travelled from Porto to Stockholm this summer to join Hyper Island’s Facilitation Course, she brought with her more than two decades of experience in psychology, leadership, and human development.
Today, she is the co-founder of Salinas80, a family-owned business that designs immersive learning experiences for individuals and organisations seeking meaningful transformation. But her path into facilitation began long before the company existed.
“Salinas80 was born in the middle of the COVID-19 lockdown,” she says. “It was a moment of uncertainty that I chose to transform into opportunity.”
As a mother of twin girls, a self-made entrepreneur, and a lifelong learner, Benedita describes her journey as one shaped by purpose, resilience, and empathy. Over the years, she has continued to invest in her own growth, taking courses ranging from Design Thinking for Sustainability to MBTI certification and Purpose Driven Leadership programmes. She’s always returning to one central idea: transformation happens when people feel safe enough to be real.
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What Good Facilitation Really Means
For Benedita, facilitation is not about guiding a workshop or managing a process. It is something deeper.
format_quote“Good facilitation is the art of creating a space where transformation becomes possible, and holding that space with presence, clarity, empathy, and adaptability.”
In her view, a good facilitator knows when to step in, when to step back, and how to listen beyond what is said.
She believes this skill is more important today than ever. In a world that is fast, emotionally demanding, and increasingly complex, the ability to hold space for others is a form of leadership – one rooted in authenticity and trust.
Her most powerful experiences with facilitation illustrate this. During a Purpose-Driven Leadership programme in the Dolomites, she saw how silence, nature, story-sharing, and time created a profound sense of group connection. “The facilitator allowed vulnerability and non-linear learning to emerge,” she says. “It made the experience unforgettable.”
In her own work at Salinas80, she brings the same elements of experiential learning and strategic thinking into leadership off-sites and immersive learning sessions, helping teams reconnect after periods of pressure or change. What makes these moments effective, she says, is “the quality of presence we bring as facilitators.”
Why She Chose Hyper Island’s Facilitation Course
After years of designing and hosting learning experiences, Benedita felt called to reconnect with the fundamentals of facilitation – and to deepen her craft.
format_quote“My intention was to go deeper into the human dimension of leading groups, and Hyper Island’s experiential, creative, and human-centred approach resonated with my values.”
Choosing to attend the course in person became an experience in itself.
“Just leaving home and being completely present for the course was energising and humbling,” she says. Being in a room with professionals from around the world created a sense of shared vulnerability and openness.
What truly stood out the most to Benedita was the depth of reflection within the group. “It felt like a lab for personal transformation,” she says.
A Shift in How She Leads
When asked about her biggest takeaway, Benedita doesn’t hesitate.
format_quote“The biggest insight for me was the confirmation that facilitation is all about presence.”
Since returning home, she has embraced a more emergent and intuitive approach in her work. She allows silence to play its role. She trusts the group’s collective intelligence. She holds space with more openness and less urgency to direct.
“It has made my facilitation more authentic and more impactful,” she says.
Who the Facilitation Course Is For
Benedita believes the course has something to offer anyone working with people – leaders, facilitators, consultants, educators, or those simply seeking to develop their confidence in guiding groups.
Her advice to anyone considering joining?
format_quote“Just GO! You’ll leave with more than a toolkit. You’ll leave with clarity, connection, and confidence to continue to do your best every day.”
As Benedita’s story shows, facilitation isn’t just about techniques – it’s about presence, awareness, and the courage to guide others through moments of change. And for many learners, the journey begins with the right space to grow.
Ready to Invest in Your Own Growth?
If Benedita’s experience resonates with you, you may be ready to deepen your own skills in guiding groups, holding space, and leading with presence.
👉 Explore the Facilitation Course
Or, if you’re curious about other ways to grow your leadership, creativity, or strategic capabilities, we offer a wide range of Courses and full programs.
👉 Discover More Courses at Hyper Island
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