The Circle Of Friendship Program now running as part of our Community Friendship Project 2020 , funded by the big lottery, is a peer support program that aims to help visually and hearing impaired young people and their sighted and hearing peers form deeper connections with themselves, others and the environment.

The Circle Of Friendship Program, we offer as part of our Lottery Funded Community Friendship Project, is based around a 10 day program running monthly. The Program is essentially based in and around nature, at Moulsecoomb Forest Garden. The more we understand the natural world the more we learn about ourselves.Working through nature we explore the textures and layers within the seasonal cycle making connections through activity, myth and metaphor.

Our 10 day program is based on significant natural changes during the seasons of the year.

Creative activities relate to significant points of the seasonal cycle in the year, often corresponding to internal archetypal feelings and cycles of relating.

The delivery of the sessions are experiential, person centred and non directive. Counsellors, Creative Practitioners, Eco-therapists and social workers, work together to meet the emotional needs of the young people at Sensing Friends.

Each session offers the young people a chance to experience a deeper connection with an important point of reference within the changing year, exploring archetypes and feelings within themselves and having the chance to share these with each other. Sharing common ground, based on shared archetypal points of reference, helps to break down barriers of relating and facilitates a deeper shared experience of each other throughout the course of the year.

There are a total of  10 sessions, which run once a month.  In between these sessions there are opportunities for building  connection and deeper friendship in the form of our evening  Drop-in, where family are also welcome.

The Sensing Friends yearly program is based on Jungian and Gestalt theraputic models.

1. Awakening/ Sensing.
2. Awareness and Recognition of ourselves, environment and others within it .
3. Motivation and Mobilisation of ourselves relating to our awareness and recognition of others and environment.
4. Power and Action, our own presence and involvement within the bigger picture
5. Abundance and Sharing together
6. Experiencing gratitude and satisfaction together.
7. Reflection/ looking within, relating to our past and roots.
8. Stillness and finding internal sanctuary within.

Our cycle focuses on self reflection and self awareness. It also highlights that our internal patterns, relationships and relationship to our environment are not linear and puts emphasis on our own instincts to move through life in a cyclical fashion, often returning to a rejuvenated place after self reflection or withdrawal.

As well as providing an opportunity for the young people to form deeper connection with themselves, their peers and their natural environment our  sessions also offer vital respite for parents and carers, allowing them to recharge and feel rejuvenated which helps to facilitated more rewarding family relating and connecting.

To find out more about The Circle Of Friendship and how a young person may participate please Contact us