WHY CIRCLES?

Introduction

Circles are one of the oldest human practices for meeting what matters most. In a circle, we slow down together, listen deeply, and share honestly. This form allows grief, joy, conflict, and vision to be held with presence. The group becomes a living container for transformation, belonging, and renewal.

I facilitate regenerative circles grounded in the Work That Reconnects (WTR) and depth-oriented group process. Each circle is adapted to the people and the place, and can range from a few hours to a full weekend.

FACILITATION

Types of Circles

Ecological grief & climate emotions

transforming despair and overwhelm into connection, courage, and care.

Shame to dignity

moving from collective shame and unworthiness toward dignity and integrity.

Deep Time Walks

embodied journeys through Earth’s history to rediscover deep belonging.

Threshold Work

circles for life transitions, initiations, or collective moments that call for ritual and witness.

AREA

Who are circles for?

Circles can support:

Communities and activist groups working with ecological or social challenges.
Organizations and teams seeking deeper trust, communication, and purpose.
Individuals in transition who want to be held in a regenerative, collective space.

Why circles matter in times of grief

Research & Rationale: Circles and Grief

Research across psychology, ecology, and organizational studies underscores that grief — whether personal or ecological — is not only an individual emotion, but also a relational and cultural process. Circles provide a unique container for this work: they allow people to be witnessed, to listen deeply, and to experience that their grief is part of a shared human and ecological reality.

Evidence and perspectives

Collective grief: Studies in grief psychology show that mourning in community reduces isolation, validates experience, and supports long-term resilience (Neimeyer, 2019; Walter, 2020).
Ecological grief: Research highlights that climate change and ecological loss evoke profound emotional responses (Cunsolo & Ellis, 2018). Circles give people space to articulate these emotions without pathologizing them, transforming despair into solidarity and care.
Relational holding: Group facilitation literature emphasizes that safe, inclusive circles create “psychological safety,” where participants can voice vulnerability and be met without judgment (Edmondson, 2019).
Ritual and depth: Depth psychology and ecopsychology suggest that ritualized group spaces allow grief to move through symbolic, embodied, and ecological dimensions, creating conditions for renewal (Plotkin, 2008; Macy & Brown, 2014).

The delicacy of facilitation

Facilitating circles of grief requires more than technical skill — it requires presence, pacing, and the ability to hold emotional complexity without forcing resolution. Research on trauma-informed practice shows the importance of:

Clear agreements and consent
Attentiveness to somatic cues
Honoring cultural and ecological context
Allowing silence, ritual, and emotion to unfold naturally

As a Work That Reconnects (WTR) facilitator, I draw on this evidence base and practical experience to create circles that are safe enough for vulnerability and spacious enough for transformation.

STYLE

Format & Duration

Length: Half-day, full day, or weekend retreats (2 hours to 3 days)
Location: Oslo/Nesodden area, or online by request
Language: Norwegian and English
Group size: 6–25 people (flexible)
Facilitation style: Work That Reconnects practices, trauma-informed methods, and ecopsychological orientation

GETTING STARTED

Next Steps

If you would like to host a circle in your community, organization, or group:

Reach out with your needs and context.
We will co-design the format together.
Pricing is sliding scale, depending on group size and resources.