Facilitating Listening Circles

Advanced Experience and Essential Skills for Facilitators

What is a listening circle?

Listening circles are a specific type of circle designed to help people process an event or issue that poses a challenge or harm to their communities or has impacted people in a significant way. They are voluntary, community-oriented forums aimed at providing an equitable opportunity for all attendees to have voice. Listening circles can be used in a variety of settings, including communities, workplaces, schools, organizations, neighborhoods, universities, and within families. They have roots in indigenous cultures and are backed by research in interdisciplinary studies.

They are not focused on problem solving, dialogue, or debating. They are meant for creating a space for expressing, listening, processing, and community building.

Why are skilled facilitators crucial for leading listening circles?

Just like any tool that is improperly used, harm can be done. Since listening circles cover topics that may evoke strong emotion from participants, having the proper experience on crafting questions, keeping participants on track, and creating spaces for people to confidently express themselves is key. It is important to fully participate in the process. Please come ready to discuss your thoughts and feelings after reflecting on the following questions:

What are the benefits of listening circles?

• Opportunities to connect and increase understanding
• Space to process an event as a community
• Empowering community members to build capacity for listening
• Cultivating empathy and a shared sense of understanding
• Building emotional connection among the participants

Learning Format

In this highly interactive experience, you will learn the skills and important considerations to becoming a skilled listening circle facilitator. Led by two expert facilitators, the event interweaves learning, practice, and reflection and is accompanied by practical documents and tools, such as sample scripts and emails, to prepare participants. The sessions will focus on a real-life issue or challenge to make the experience relevant.

• Online: Two non-consecutive days of live instruction via Zoom with breaks included. The first session is 4.5 hours, and the second session is 2.5 hours.
  (1 hour of pre-work required prior to the first session. Participants have two weeks to implement a listening circle and engage in threaded discussions between the first and second session.)
• In Person: Two consecutive 8-hour days of live instruction (two breaks and time for lunch included).

Learning Outcomes

Participants will:

• Understand the importance of listening
• Describe the listening circle process
• Comprehend the fundamentals for leading effective listening circles
• Explore how to use listening circles in their settings
• Participants will prepare and facilitate a listening circle

This professional development learning experience is open to anyone, regardless of your prior familiarity with restorative practices.

Notes:

• The skill building and information presented in the Facilitating Listening Circles event is the same for each event. The only difference in each event is the example topic for the listening circle experience.
• This event considers the possible use of restorative practices in cases of traumatic situations. We strongly advise facilitators to consult and prepare with the utmost care in these cases. Participants in these highly sensitive circles should be urged to establish their own emotional support system while participating in this event.

Price for events running through August 31, 2026: $475

Upcoming Events