Circle Holding
Circle Holding is a podcast about facilitating groups and circles. Hosts Julia Davis and Tessa Venuti Sanderson share insights from experienced facilitators in schools, universities, communities, government, and corporate settings. The podcast offers practical tips on topics like managing group dynamics, deep listening, and funding circles. It features both short conceptual episodes and longer interviews with diverse circle holders.
Episodes
Highlights and Reflections: Our Favourite Bits of Series 4 with Tessa and Julia
In this episode, Tessa and Julia review the highlights of the interviews with guest speakers who are circle facilitators representing diverse participants and interests.
Neurodiversity and the Power of the Collective with Jewels Wingfield
In this episode, Tessa and Jewels Wingfield ([https://jewelswingfield.com/](https://jewelswingfield.com/)) talked about:
- The value of circle lies both in the content and the spaciousness to integrate the process
- Going into a deep process with one person in circle can create dysregulation for the others and the importance of checking in after peak moments
- The helpful analogy of a 'slow meal'
Our Circle Stories
In this episode, Tessa and Julia read a couple of circle stories each from their book published in 2024. They unpack those stories and provide an update of what their facilitating circles on in 2026.
Creating Safety Through Presence and Honesty with Natalie Keany
In this interview Tessa spoke to Natalie from [https://www.evolvebreathbody.com/](https://www.evolvebreathbody.com/) about:
- Boundaries and consent
- Slowing down consent with practising when body is saying yes and when no
- How presence underpins all the other practices
- In longer sessions or trainings, it's important not to make big decisions until learning integrated
- Honesty is important fr
Why Write A Book About Circle Holding with Julia and Tessa
In this episode, Julia and Tessa talk about how the book came about, the different voices in the book, how to use it if you're a budding facilitator and more.
The Power of Being Witnessed in Creative Circles with Claire MacKinnon
In this episode, Tessa and Claire talked about:
- from corporate to coaching - finding meaning through a different kind of leadership
- creating a structure in circle to let the magic happen
- a focus on the quality of process rather than the outcome
- different from coaching because not asking follow up questions about how someone feels or about their experience
- important to manage participants
Getting Crafty with Tessa and Julia
Trauma Informed Creative Writing Circles with Galia Shilo Sum
In this episode Galia shares:
* introducing creative writing in a women's shelter
* creating a safe enough space to share personal experience
* building trust within your circle
* creating a space for creative feedback
* how best to provide creative writing feedback in circle
* the value of writing as an alternative to speaking
* the importance of having appropriately trained individuals in trauma
Deep Listening Skills with Tessa and Julia
In this episode, Tessa and Julia:
- gave two examples of settling practices to prepare the ground for listening
- discussed the importance of caring for people's nervous systems as part of a circle
- showed how your vulnerability may make it safer for others to share
- shared guidelines that are essential for creating the container for deep listening
- explored how pacing the sharing is important,
Endings and Ceremony with Julia and Tessa
In this episode, Tessa and Julia shared how they brought the end of the year to their circles with ideas of practices you might use for the Winter Solstice, the New Year or the ending of a series of circle sessions.
Highlights of Series 3 with Julia and Tessa
If you're new to the Circle Holding podcast, this episode will give you a glimpse into the interviews with diverse circle facilitators in Series 3.
Creating Therapeutic Spaces for Growth and Connection with Alex Holmes
Alex and Julia talked about:
• First encountered circles at Church with age group and older facilitator
• Came back to circle in his thirties with a lot more life experience
• Was a journalist in lifestyle and wellbeing who attended a circle out of curiosity and to write an article, to being asked to host one
• Started with a one hour circle for 6-8 weeks
• Is inspired by Men’s Speak, men’s circle
Welcoming People into Circle: It is much more than a smile
Julia and Tessa talk about the importance of the welcome to circle, including the pre-circle preparation and how welcomes might differ according to your demographic.
Resolving Conflict Through Circle with Sophie Docker
Sophie and Tessa talked about:
• Moving away from right and wrong dynamics to a different way of engaging
• Restorative justice addresses harm after it has happened e.g. working with local police
• Restorative practice is about every interaction, shifting out of who’s right and wrong and to what really matters and how can we move forwards
• I-messaging means talking from my personal experience rat
Embracing Vulnerability in Circle with Julia and Tessa
In this episode, Tessa and Julia talked about facilitating appropriate vulnerability, considering how the fear of vulnerability can be a real barrier to attending a talking circle, but when being vulnerable in a safe space can be incredibly empowering.
Circles as a Path to Personal Transformation with Rob Smith
In this interview Rob and Julia discussed:
• How Rob came to attend his first circle
• Had transferable skills from being a personal trainer, knew how to give person space to speak
• Co-facilitates the circle at Uncommon Man – bring different skills and give each other support e.g. debriefing and planning
• Also has support through Whatsapp group with other men’s circle facilitators
• Charges for
How are you? Framing Your Questions for Open Hearted Answers with Julia and Tessa
In this episode Julia & Tessa talk about how to create space for examining feelings:
* Alternatives to "how are you" to create space for heart led conversation
* Creating questions that lead to sharing stories
* The value of lightness and humour
* Starting shallow, going deep
Poetry as a Gateway to Free Expression with Kate Clanchy MBE
Tessa and Kate talked about
• Poems can create the shared space; poems that are appropriate for and speak to who is there
• Poetry as a joining-in activity to be shared aloud as in the tradition of oral history, not like a pressed flower in a book
• The poem creates a structure for people and children to organise their thoughts and even learn a language
• As a facilitator, she narrates the experie
Taking Circle on Retreat: Cultivating Connection
In this episode, Tessa and Julia talked about how circle time can utilise the special environment of a retreat to deepen practices and sharing. They give some examples of where circle was used well and where it wasn't used at all.
Boys, Masculinity & Rites of Passage with Davis J Williams
In this interview with Davis J Williams and Julia Davis, they talked about:
• Moving from the competitive field of football coaching where some young people struggled to participate to supporting youth in the community
• In Gambia, found that young boys went through a rite of passage at 13 years old and saw the difference that made to their self-respect, discipline, self-control and ambition
• The
Which Is For You? An Open or Closed Talking Circle with Julia and Tessa
In this conversation, Tessa and Julia talked about what open and closed circles are, what the benefits are and what you might consider when setting them up. Enjoy!
Making Space for Difficult Conversations with Ariel Kahn
In this interview with Ariel Kahn and Julia Davis, they discussed:
Building relationships through a shared passion for literature
The importance of creating spaces where everyone feels comfortable
Changing the location of your circle
The use of food and drink to build community
How creative writing can be used as a bridge between communities
The power of curiosity
Literature as an olive br
Highlights and Reflections on Series 2: Our Favourite Bits! with Julia and Tessa
In this episode, Tessa and Julia shared their highlights of the past 14 episodes including:
- the power of circles with children and young people (Roy Leighton, Sophie King-Hill and Nellie Harden)
- the importance of embodiment in talking circles for the participants and as a circle facilitator (Henika Patel and Marta Fabregat)
- the spectrum of circles from in your living room to an international
Working with Families: Meeting Children's Needs So They Can Thrive with Nellie Harden
In this episode, Tessa and Nellie talk about:
• Circles show up in all sorts of places like music groups and choirs
• Growth happens in relationship, not isolation, which makes circles perfect for change
• Modern life with devices and social media makes it hard for families to do active listening with each other
• Get clarity about your child’s learning language so your message gets through e.
Online vs In Person Circle: Which One Do I Choose?
In this episode, Julia and Tessa covered:
- The benefits of both online and in person circles
- The challenges of online and additional guidelines you might put into place
- The additional work that an in person circle might involve in setting up the physical space
- Examples of how both online and in person circles have worked with different demographics.
Sharing Sensuality in Circle with Henika Patel
In this episode, Julia and Henika talked about:
- How she transformed from a lawyer into a facilitator of sensual arts after reasling she was disconnected from her body
- Circle time was a catalyst for the journey: it created a space to talk about taboo topics without shame
- Her ‘Shakti Circle’ focuses on the cultivation of power in the body (any body)
- Safety in a circle is objective and subjec
Sex Education and Youth Advocacy Through Circle with Sophie King-Hill
In this episode, Julia Davis spoke to Dr Sophie King-Hill [(https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/schools/social-policy/departments/health-services-management-centre/staff/profile.aspx?ReferenceId=170453)](https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/schools/social-policy/departments/health-services-management-centre/staff/profile.aspx?ReferenceId=170453) talked about:
- Beliefs around sexuality and youth lead to discrimi
Peace Circles in Schools with Roy Leighton
In this episode, Tessa and Roy talked about:
*His involvement in Peace Circles being rooted in his childhood with Adverse Childhood Events
* How circles can increase inclusion and belonging in schools – in 7 years only 7 days of exclusion across the whole school
* Using the framework of the ‘Four Rooms’ – intellectual, emotional, practical and spiritual in every circle – to deal with conflict quic
Yoga Nidra: A Deep Relaxation Technique for Settling in Circle
In this episode, Tessa and Julia discussed the technique of Yoga Nidra relaxations within circle time:
- Useful settling technique in circle
- Can be used for all different audiences (e.g. pregnancy, kids, perimenopause, fatigue
- The participants can lie down or sit for this technique and should be as comfortable as possible
- The facilitator stays sitting and alert to deliver the nidra - for the
Listening as Compassionate Leadership with Jenny Burrell
In this episode, Tessa and Jenny Burrell (https://www.burrelleducation.com/) covered:
- Learning the value of silence
- How online circles can be just as powerful as in person ones but guidelines may need to be slightly different
- You might think group coaching is about really cool questions but it's mostly about listening
- The difference between feedback and reflection in circle
- As group faci
Part 2: The Nuts and Bolts of Circle Facilitation with Mike Irwin
In this episode with Mike Irwin, he and Julia discussed:
• It’s okay as a facilitator to be learning and not be perfect! People are looking for authenticity and not superconfident
• Your nervousness can be a gift to the nervous attendees
• The first part of starting the circle is to get present yourself as a facilitator
• You can start with a centring question e.g. ‘What’s preventing me from feeli
Starting Your Circle with Julia and Tessa
In this episode you will learn how Julia set up her local women's circle. She talks about the people she thought would come and who actually came. You will hear how she adapted the circle to suit the needs of various diverse groups. Tessa and Julia compare what it is like to set up a new circle as apposed to monthly gatherings of a well established community.
Running Your Circle At Home (and Plant Medicine) with Nicky Yazbeck
In this episode with Nicky Yazbeck (https://nickyyyoga.com/) and Julia, they covered:
• How Nicky holds a women’s circle for those who’ve experienced plant medicine
• Ayhuasca is a serious plant medicine and need to prepare through clean diet and other preparations
• A circle is important for creating a container for the experience
• There is a WhatsApp group important for the integration of what
Embodied Listening: Using Focusing as a Technique in Circle with Marta Fabregat
For the video interview and transcript, go to
In this interview with Marta Fabregat (https://martafabregat.com/), we covered
- How the practice of Focusing works
- Focusing is listening from the body, but can’t separate the experience from the environment
- Focusing is about the art of living rather than a method or technique
- Marta and Tessa both share a short focusing practice
- Focusing crea
To Share or Not Share Expertise in Circle with Julia and Tessa
A common question is trainings is how to balance the role of facilitator and the role of being an expert within a workshop context, in which a talking circle will be one activity. For example, if you run a menopause workshop and teach the first part, how will you shift to a sharing circle where everyone doesn't just turn to you for answers? How do you create an atmosphere where people feel empowe
Part 1: Diversity and Inclusion in Circle with Mike Irwin of Mankind Project
In this episode with Mike Irwin ([https://mankindprojectuki.org/circles](https://mankindprojectuki.org/circles)), he and Julia discussed:
- the evolution of men's groups and GBTQ+ groups
- how to introduce ice breakers and discussion starters
- circle as a conduit for emotional breakthrough
- the breadth of development opportunities through circle in the corporate world
- how men's circles have ch
New Beginnings - An Antidote to New Year Resolutions
In this episode, Julia and Tessa talk about creating a circle to look back over the last year and forward to the year to come. This could be with a group of friends in your home or in a special class or workshop.
The Ups and Downs of Circle Facilitation
In this final episode of Series 1 of the Circle Holding Podcast, Julia and Tessa reflect on what they learnt from the diverse circle facilitators who were interviewed. They also look back on their own experiences of being in circle and holding space, remembering magical moments and some challenging ones!
From Monastery to Participatory Democracy with Andy Paice
In this episode, Julia and Andy covered:
• Participatory democracy is about a deeper level of democracy e.g. Citizen’s assembly to listen to diverse voices and find common solutions
• Danger of spiritual bypassing when engaged in spiritual practices at the expense of everyday relationships in society
• ‘Deep democracy’ tries to draw inner voices into democratic process as microcosm of outer world
A Labour of Love: Building a Circle Holding Non Profit with Becoming Mum's Liz Allum
In this episode with Liz of Becoming Mums, we covered:
• The importance of having co-facilitators to support with the skills to read the room and create a permissive atmosphere
• How being clear about what your demographic needs is more important than what you want to do (and will help you get funding)
• Talking to existing organisations or projects that work with your demographic to see how they
Are Circles Woo Woo? with Julia and Tessa
In this episode, we covered:
Talking circles are called by different names, including conversation circles, listening circles, sharing circles and groups (women's groups, men's groups, girl's groups)
Circle time can be very straight forward or contain lots of ceremony - it depends on the purpose and the demographic
Ceremony can be missing in many people's lives and be enriching
Having familiar wor
Separation, Ordeal, Return: Creating Men's Circles with Lee Stegels
In this episode, Julia and Lee covered:
• How men are often attracted to circle when they’re at crisis point
• The application process for the closed group after being part of an open one
• The structure of the meeting allows deep sharings to happen: ‘freedom within form’
• How he provides several opportunities to talk, with longer each time for more depth
• Silence can be part of a person’s allot
Let's talk MONEY with Julia and Tessa
In this episode, Julia and Tessa covered:
The hidden costs and time spent in running a talking circle
Avoiding facilitator burnout by being compensated for your time
Different models for running a listening circle
Getting funding to make the circle free for participants to attend
Experiences of trying to run a circle by donation
Children's Circles and Rites of Passage with Jane Bennett
In this episode with Jane Bennett, we covered:
• How a circle format can work well for sensitive topics in general and to differentiate it from puberty lessons in school in particular
• We talked about how having a conversation before the circle can help manage expectations of what will happen
• How circle time can lessen feelings of shame or embarrassment and increase positivity around taboo subj
Stop interrupting! Attunement and Reciprocity in Listening with Julia and Tessa
In this episode about listening with Julia and Tessa, we covered:
The importance of the listener being attuned and not having an agenda
How wonderful when listening is reciprocal and the listener isn’t trying to fix anything
The signs of someone not listening to you
How to do a Listening Partnership
The joy of a longer term listening partnership
That self-worth can grow as someone feels their voic
Circle as the Container for Transformational Breathwork with Benedict Beaumont
In this episode, Julia and Ben covered:
• How breathwork can be transformation and does involve deep feelings and going to somone’s edge
• Breathwork is not regulated but you can check whether facilitators are signed up to the voluntary organisation Global Professional Breathwork Alliance (GPBA)
• There are two main aspects in facilitation: framing (doing, the structure, organisation) and the felt
How to Hold Space for Big Feelings and Big Personalities with Julia and Tessa
In this episode, we look at the common fear of new circle facilitators around managing big, raw feelings and diverse personalities. We discuss the balance between all feelings being welcome and allowing time for everyone to speak, between people being they're authentic self whether they tend to talk (a lot) or be very quiet and encouraging all to speak.
Teamwork Makes the Dream Work: The Joy of Collaboration with Red School
In this episode we talked about:
• How co-facilitation can flow
• How preparation is key in forming the container to hold space and arrive empty to attune to what happens in the gathering
• How holding space is a creative process that also creates a new you
• A held space is a safe one, but also an emergent space for something new to happen
• That inner work is an essential part of being a facilit
What is Holding Space with Julia and Tessa
In this episode we will be talking about the role of the circle facilitator.
When we talk to people about our book we are often asked the question: What is circle holding or holding space?
When we dreamed up the title we knew exactly of the book we wanted a step-by-step approach as you can see from the subtitle: "A Practical Guide to Facilitating Talking Circles" clarified our intention.
Inclu
Radical Empathy Through Sharing Stories with Narrative 4's Lee Keylock
In this episode, Julia talks to Lee Keylock of Narrative 4 and they covered:
* Storytelling around controversial topics build community through revealing nuance
* How exactly Narrative 4’s Story Exchange works through experiencing radical empathy in circle
* That empathy starts with the courage and generosity to try to listen
* Hearing your story told by someone else lets you see it in a new light
What is a Circle? with Julia and Tessa
This week we will be answering the question what is circle?
A circle is a tool that can be used in a whole variety of contexts, some of which you will hear about in other episodes.
In its purest form it is: In person, a group of people sitting in a circle who can all see and hear each other each having the opportunity to listen and talk.
Online it is a group of people who can do the same however
Overcoming Imposter Syndrome & Stepping Into Group Facilitation with Kate Codrington
This episode will be reassuring for new circle facilitators and get lots of nods of recognition from experienced ones. In this episode we talked about:
- Imposter syndrome is normal when moving from 121 to group work
- The difference between a leader, teacher and facilitator
- How you grow capacity to hold space as you do it
- That it’s normal for group process to be messy
- The more you bring you
Who we are - Our favourite talking circles with Julia and Tessa
In this episode, Julia and Tessa introduce themselves through:
* the circles they've attended,
* how they met
* their favourite circle stories from the book
* why they wrote the book
Trailer for the Circle Holding podcast
The first episode of the Circle Holding Podcast.
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