How to Host a Healing Circle
Online Training
“… If the circle provides refuge, touches your heart, and guides you on your path, it is a healing circle…” Michael Lerner
We’re delighted to announce that we’re now accepting applications for our new online Healing Circles Host Training.
Our goal
Our goal is to train people who have a strong and sincere motivation to practice and host healing circles in their particular context. Healing circles help participants experience the powerful benefits of social support by providing people with a safe space, attentive listening, community, and resources.
We are looking for compassionate listeners who can bear witness to the suffering and joys of others without thinking they are responsible for finding a way out of them.
Why now?
Social support has always been a critical component of health and well-being. According to research, it’s even more important than diet, sleep, and exercise.
In this pandemic time of social distancing, the ability to gather with others and to support each other through these uncertain, stressful, and often isolating months, is critically important. We have the technology to do it. Now, we’re looking for the hearts.
Our circle hosts derive great meaning from being able to help their fellow humans as we all move through this global experience. By providing people with a safe space, attentive listening, community, and resources, healing circles help participants experience the powerful benefits of social support.
In this training, you’ll:
- Discover the key concepts and format of a healing circle
- Improve your capacity for attentive listening and compassion
- Learn how to create a safe space online
- Participate in a healing circle
- Practice hosting a healing circle
- Prepare to host a circle in your personal or organizational setting
Participation in all sessions in a series is required.
If you’re interested in the training, but these dates don’t work for you, please register and suggest a more optimal time. We’ll put you on a waiting list for a future training.
What does it cost?
No fees are charged, but donations to Healing Circles Global are gratefully accepted.
What experience do I need?
The best experience is to have already participated in a healing circle. No specific academic or professional training is required, but a background in psychotherapy, counseling, ministry, or other experiential work is useful. Essential is the ability to work effectively in small group settings, to know or at least sense that you have the skills to do circle work, the ability to self-regulate in groups so you can share time generously with others, to be comfortable with silence, to have a fundamental sense of personal humility, and above all to be willing to speak from your heart.
Who shouldn’t attend?
This will not be a good place to work on personal experiences of acute grief or illness. These experiences may inform your work but can’t dominate the training. Likewise, a certain psychological balance and maturity is an essential prerequisite for participation. For these and other reasons, we reserve the right to ask people to discontinue the training if their presence becomes a distraction.
When will the training take place and how do I register?
Thursday, June 28, June 25, July 2 (10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Pacific time) HCG 1.4
Thursday, July 16 (10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Pacific time) HCG 1.5
What happens after I register?
You’ll receive an email confirming your acceptance into the program. Because of space limitations, you might be put on a waiting list. If you’re unable to attend a program you signed up for, please let us know as soon as possible, so we can free up room in the training for someone else.
To make the best use of our time together, we’ll send reading lists and materials as well as links to resources to review and study before the training begins. This will reduce the amount of time spent in didactic presentations while we’re together.
Thank you for your interest! Please share this page with others who would benefit from this training.