Skip to content

Types of Circles

There are many types of Circles you can use to build community and weave relationships. Here are a few that are most commonly used:

  • Talking Circles
  • Healing Circles
  • Support Circles
  • Conflict Circles

The talking circle is the most frequently used Circle. The basis of this type of Circle is to talk about a variety of topics and is especially helpful in building community.

The healing circle is designed to help participants go through a process of healing and understanding. The circle keeper will assist in gathering participants to discuss the situation and help participants move toward a place of healing.

Support circles are designed to gather the community around individuals who are in need of support. The circle keeper can give each participant an opportunity to support these individuals and support the community’s efforts to provide comfort and material support to those who are in need.

Conflict circles are designed to help participants resolve conflicts in a peaceful manner. Individual conversations are conducted first to understand the conflict from multiple perspectives and to decide whether the participants are ready to come together. Once that has been determined, those who are involved in the Circle can determine the additional people they want to invite to be part of the conflict Circle. Once the members of the Circle have agreed to resolve the conflict, Agreements can be generated to repair the harm and create a pathway toward reconciliation.

Test your knowledge

Which if the following is not a type of Circle?