The Right Use of Power Training for Front Line Workers
September 15, 2026
Frontline workers carry immense responsibility in the lives of the people they support. Whether working as counsellors, therapists, case workers, outreach staff, healthcare providers, or social service professionals, they are regularly navigating situations involving trauma, crisis, vulnerability, conflict, and complex human needs. At the same time, they are often balancing high caseloads, emotional exhaustion, systemic barriers, limited resources, and increasing expectations.
In these environments, the use of power matters deeply.
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Every helping relationship contains an inherent power differential. Frontline workers are entrusted with authority, influence, information, resources, and decision-making capacity that can profoundly impact the people they serve. Even with the best intentions, these dynamics can create challenges around boundaries, dependency, communication, burnout, accountability, and relational safety.
The Right Use of Power offers a practical and compassionate framework for understanding these dynamics more clearly. Rather than approaching power as something negative or avoidable, this training helps participants build the awareness and skills needed to use power ethically, responsibly, and relationally.
Through experiential learning, reflection, and real-world application, participants develop a deeper understanding of how power shows up in helping relationships, how to navigate complexity with greater confidence and care, and how to create relationships that are both effective and emotionally sustainable. The training also supports frontline workers in recognizing their own needs, limits, and humanity — helping reduce burnout while strengthening connection, trust, and professional integrity.
Basics Training - September 15
Our Basics Training is a 7-hour live learning experience for people who want to deepen their understanding of power and learn how to use power with both strength and compassion in frontline and helping relationships.
Empowering, relevant, and dynamic, our program is presented through engaging presentations, facilitated discussions, and experiential practices.
In our Basics Training you have the opportunity to:
Learn about the five types of power alongside helping professionals from around the world in a connected and reflective learning environment.
Expand your understanding of how power shows up in therapeutic, caregiving, and support relationships, creating more awareness, safety, and trust.
Deepen your awareness of your own personal power, role, and impact on clients, colleagues, and systems.
Explore power differentials, boundaries, vulnerability, and authority to better navigate complex client relationships ethically and effectively.
Build greater capacity to recognize unconscious patterns, reduce the risk of misuse of power, and strengthen relational accountability.
Develop practical skills for maintaining presence, empathy, and professionalism while working in emotionally intense environments.
Training Details:
September 15, 2026
9:00am-4:00pm
Sunalta Community Hall
1627 10 Ave SW, Calgary, AB T3C 0J7
Lunch included
About your facilitators
Dr. Amanda Aguilera
Amanda currently serves as the Executive Director of the Right Use of Power Institute. She is a consultant and facilitator in the area of power-and-equity consciousness and conflict resolution. Driven by her core values of curiosity, courage, and connection, Amanda is adept at putting things together in new ways, creating visuals that help make learning more accessible, and communicating complex ideas in simple ways.
Amanda has a commitment to be courageous in the service of reducing and repairing harm in relationship and promoting the cultural shift toward power-and-equity consciousness, conflict positivity and conflict competency.
Jeff Couillard
Jeff spent many years leading teams and helping to build world-class addiction treatment programs. He developed a skill set and approach to change that is grounded in the human experience and a deep understanding of power and motivation.
He has worked with a wide range of leaders (and their teams) over the years, on a single mission - to help build world-class, human-centred organizations that create the kind of impact that we usually only dream about.
Jeff loves all things teaching, facilitating, speaking and consulting. His sweet spot is helping leaders and teams engage in meaningful dialogue, identifying challenges and opportunities and creating the conditions for high levels of trust and engagement.
Leah Fink
Leah is dedicated to transforming mental health in the workplace. She partners with organizations to identify gaps in workplace practices, creating environments where employees feel supported, engaged, and able to perform at their best. Central to her work is helping leaders understand the impact of power dynamics, and how leadership and culture shape safety, trust, and inclusion.
Drawing on her experience as a registered social worker and background in addictions and mental health, Leah brings a strengths-based, human-centered approach to every engagement. She helps organizations navigate leadership, power, and cultural challenges to reduce disengagement, strengthen relationships, and turn wasted resources into healthier teams, stronger workplaces, and better outcomes.