Healing Circles offer a compassionate space for connection and care, grounded in shared agreements.
We co-create an intentional environment shaped by presence, respect, and mutual responsibility.
In a healing circle:
- We honor that each person’s sense of safety is unique.
- We do not ask anyone to be more vulnerable than they choose to be.
- We welcome honesty, difference, and the fullness of lived experience.
- We recognize that discomfort may arise and commit to meeting it with care.
Our intention is to offer a space where people can show up as they are, engage at the depth that feels right for them, and experience meaning and connection—without pressure, advice, or judgment.
In that spirit, we ask all participants to uphold the following guidelines, agreements, and practices—and we hold ourselves to these same standards as we steward the well-being of the circle together.
Arrive on time
Please join on time so the circle can begin grounded and uninterrupted, with the room closing to new arrivals after 10 minutes.
Be on camera
We ask everyone to join with cameras on to support trust, presence, and the confidentiality of what others share.
Participate with care
Your presence matters—please join the check-in and check-out and share in the heart/harvest rounds as you feel ready, including choosing silence.
No promotion or solicitation
Healing Circles are for connection, not promotion, so selling, evangelizing, or soliciting is not permitted.
Minimize distractions
Please silence your phone, avoid multitasking, and refrain from side-chats so we can stay focused on those speaking.
Protect Privacy
Choose a private space where you can speak freely and won’t be overheard, using headphones if needed.
Honor Confidentiality
What is shared in circle stays in circle—no screenshots, recordings, or retelling of others’ stories in any form.
Agreements
Before each circle, participants agree to the following:
- We treat each other with kindness and respect.
- We listen with compassion and curiosity.
- We honor each other’s unique ways to healing and don’t presume to advise, fix, or save one another.
- What we share in circle is confidential.
- We trust that each of us has the guidance we need within us, and we rely on the power of silence to access it.
Practices
These practices help us embody the agreements throughout our time together:
- We listen with attention.
- We speak with intention.
- Sharing is voluntary —no one is called on to speak.
- We refrain from cross-talk, interruptions, comments, or direct references to each other’s shares.
- We speak from our own experience using “I” statements and leave time for others to share.
Disclaimer
Healing circles are grounded in peer support and self-help principles; they are not clinical or therapeutic services. Participants are encouraged to seek appropriate professional care whenever needed.
Healing Circles Global hosts are trained volunteers who steward a supportive group experience. They do not provide diagnosis, treatment, crisis intervention, or one-on-one support; rather, they facilitate a shared peer space where participants can connect, reflect, and be in community.
The perspectives, opinions and views of Healing Circle Global volunteer hosts are their own and do not represent the official views, policies, or positions of Healing Circles Global or of Commonweal, the nonprofit organization that houses the Healing Circles Global program.
We recognize that some participants may require support beyond what a healing circle can offer or otherwise not be the right fit for this program. For the safety and well-being of the whole, Healing Circles Global reserves the right to remove participants from Healing Circle programs or associated offerings after a careful review process if it is determined that the circles and associated offerings are not the right fit for their needs.
Confidentiality
We hold confidentiality with great care while also making space for safety needs that may arise.
Everything shared in the circle is kept confidential. However, if participants disclose an intention to harm themselves or others, this information may need to be shared with Healing Circles Global leadership and referred to additional resources for support.
Mandatory reporting
Confidentiality is a personal commitment made by all circle participants. We also recognize that some individuals carry legal reporting obligations. Mandated reporters are expected to comply with all applicable laws, professional standards, and organizational policies.
