In this podcast, John Thompson from Circling Europe discusses trauma-informed circling and surrendered leadership. They explore creating safe deep circling spaces, evolution of Circling Europe, importance of trauma-informed practices, transformative power of circling, and announcement of International Circling Festival.
Circling Europe faced challenges in creating trauma-informed circling spaces where deep processes triggered participants, leading some to reject the practice. To address this, John Thompson and his organization delved into trauma-informed practices, resulting in deeper and more grounded interactions. By balancing safety and depth, circling environments have evolved to support personal development and maintain safety.
The Evolution of Circling Europe and Trauma Education
Circling Europe's inception and subsequent growth over 12 years exemplify a journey marked by profound experiences and rapid expansion. By embracing risk and prioritizing the circling practice, Thompson and his team organically developed transformative weekend events and a flagship six-month circling training. As circling practices became more trauma-informed, a shift towards grounded and mature approaches ensued, emphasizing wisdom and deeper psychological understanding.
Navigating Trauma Sensitivity in Circling Practice
Increasing trauma awareness enhances the ability to navigate highly triggered participants with compassion and wisdom. Recognizing triggers as learning opportunities and embracing vulnerability, circling encourages growth through processing overwhelming experiences. Striking a balance between trauma sensitivity and maintaining the essence of circling fosters depth of connection, urging practitioners to approach triggers as opportunities for growth and integration.
In this third part of our interview with John Thompson of Circling Europe, we discuss how circling can be trauma-informed under surrendered leadership.
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