CLIMATE CIRCLES

“Rarely, if ever, are any of us healed in isolation.”

bell hooks

Sitting in circle: Being with ourselves, the other & uncertainty

Held at Angel Central, London N1 0PS, UK

Generally on the 3rd Wednesday of each month, 7.15 - 9pm (see bottom of this page for all dates & please make sure to book!)

Climate circles are monthly, in-person gatherings where we choose to lean in and stay, rather than look away. We believe that we need a community of supportive others in order to do this; We believe that we need regular intentional practices in order to do this; And we believe that we need safely held physical spaces – preferably involving tea - in order to do this. 

Facilitated by two experienced gestalt psychotherapists and using a collaboratively created format, we have been running these open monthly climate enquiries since 2022 to invite all of the messy or joyous, terrified or angry responses that come up when awareness of the metacrisis comes in. With so much around us collapsing, disrupting and coming-at-us-fast, monthly circles provide a go-slow space for building our capacity to be with difficult emotional states without falling apart. Working on the belief that several, sympathetic nervous systems are better than one and staying close to body process and deep listening at all times, our hunch is that learning to tolerate our grief, fear and distress in community will leave us better prepared to surf those waves, when they come up, that threaten to wipe us out or numb us out. Resilience training if you will.

Climate circles are open spaces – come to as many or as few as you would like – and are for everyone. No prior experience necessary. Our approach is guided by a spirit of inclusivity, non-judgement, confidentiality, active listening, mutual respect, curiosity and a shared love of this spinning blue, green and white ball. 

Format: Each circle begins at 7.15pm with a short meditation, check-in and agreements about our ways of working. Doors lock at 7.30pm before moving into a lightly facilitated, deepening process space, finishing promptly at 9pm. Numbers are capped at 8 members plus facilitators. Please make sure to book in advance to secure your place and, since late cancellations are very impactful on small events, please let us know if your plans change so we can pass your spot onto someone else: climatecircle@leadingthroughstorms.org.

Accessibility: Located in an ex-burger bar within Angel Central, the Climate Circle is wheelchair accessible (lift access) and well-served by transport links. Exact details of where to find us will be included in the joining instructions you will receive after booking. If you have any questions relating to accessibility please do contact us, we wish to welcome everyone to this work: climatecircles@leadingthroughstorms.org.

Fee: Leading Through Storms is a not-for-profit, community interest company and we currently give our time freely to grow and support this work. Circles cost £10 and operate on a donation/pay-what-you-can system. If you wish to join and do not have the means to pay, please use code LTS-CC-FREE at the booking checkout. If donating at the reduced amount of £5 would make the difference between you joining or not, please use code LTS-CC-5. If you have the means and wish to support the ongoing development of this community by making a donation greater than the suggested £10, we warmly invite you to do so by making an additional donation using the button below.

Facilitated by:

Jake Farr is a Gestalt psychotherapist and coaching psychologist, co-founder of Leading Through Storms, and trustee of Hazel Hill Wood where she loves to hold this work grounded in nature. That said, offering this open in-person circle, in the heart of Islington feels right for these times.

Tanis Taylor is a writer, artist and Gestalt psychotherapist with a specialism in movement and the body. She has a hunch we are better off together in asking the big questions and is frequently astonished at the beauty we find in the shadows.

If you have questions of any kind as you consider whether or not to step in, please contact us: climatecircles@leadingthroughstorms.org.