What Healing Circles Global does

Healing Circles Global is a nonprofit organization and a program of Commonweal, founded in 2015-2016 to unite a global network of peer-supported healing circle centers. The organization offers facilitated group gatherings in two formats — Circle of Two (one-on-one) and Circle of More (three or more participants) — across eight focus areas including Living with Cancer, Grieving Together, Caregivers Together, Supporting Healthcare, Expressive Arts, Passages, Race Culture and Identity, and Coming Together. The methodology is rooted in The Circle Way (founded 1992 by Christina Baldwin and Ann Linnea) and Commonweal's Cancer Help Program, using structured agreements, a talking piece, and host/guardian/scribe roles to facilitate deep listening and shared humanity. It is delivered primarily via Zoom in a virtual format, with a global learning community spanning 21+ countries.

The business model is hybrid: healing circles are offered at no charge to individual participants, with donations solicited to cover costs. Sustainability is built through two organizational partnership programs — Corporate and Healthcare — which provide custom-designed facilitation, training, and implementation support on multi-year contracts with sliding scale for select nonprofits. Named enterprise and institutional clients include Kaiser Permanente (21 medical centers), VA, Lurie, and UCANR. A separate Healing Circles Training program generates fee-based revenue through Fundamentals and Practicum courses with mentorship and professional contact hours.

The organization operates with 12 employees from Bolinas, California, with sister centers in Canada, the US, and Israel, and newer centers in India, Switzerland, and Thailand. Leadership is held by co-directors Diana Lindsay and Oren Slozberg (who also serves as Executive Director of Commonweal). The offering is supported by the Charity Navigator four-star rating of parent Commonweal, and the broader ecosystem includes The New School at Commonweal for webinars and virtual events, a Global Circle of Hosts community, and Petra's Office Hours for ongoing host mentorship. Revenue is not publicly disclosed.

Name

Healing Circles Global

Legal name

Healing Circles Global

Website

https://healingcirclesglobal.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Healing Circles Global is a nonprofit that facilitates peer-supported healing circles globally for individuals facing illness, grief, and life transitions, and offers corporate and healthcare partnership programs for organizational well-being.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Peer Support and Community Wellness Services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412)

SIC

Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Health, Wellness & Patient Communities (MPACAJAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Holistic & Integrative Wellness Education (Ayurveda, Traditional Practices) (EDAAAHAH), Caregiver Support, Coaching & Training (HLADALAG)

Keywords

• Peer support circles
• Trauma-informed facilitation
• Healing circle methodology
• Group wellness programs
• Community wellbeing services

Headquarters

HQ city

Bolinas

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donations and Sponsorships: Healing circles are offered at no charge to participants. The organization is funded through charitable donations and sponsorships. The website invites participants who are able to make gifts to help cover the cost of participating.
2. Organizational Partnership Fees: Custom-designed healing circle programs for corporate and healthcare organizations. Pricing available upon inquiry with sliding scale available for select nonprofits or mission-driven organizations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Healing Circles Global facilitates free, peer-supported virtual healing circles for individuals facing life challenges such as cancer, grief, caregiving, aging, and identity exploration, delivered via Zoom by trained volunteer hosts using a trauma-informed methodology. For organizations, it offers custom-designed Corporate and Healthcare Partnership programs that bring facilitated healing circles and host training into workplace and clinical settings to address burnout, disconnection, and grief.

Product overview

Healing Circles Global offers a portfolio of peer-supported healing circle services organized around shared life experiences and transitions. The core offering consists of Healing Circles—facilitated group gatherings available in multiple formats (Circle of Two for one-on-one, Circle of More for groups) and across eight focus areas: Caregivers Together, Coming Together, Expressive Arts, Grieving Together, Living with Cancer, Passages, Race Culture and Identity, and Supporting Healthcare. Supporting the core circles is the Healing Circles Training program, which provides Fundamentals and Practicum training for prospective hosts with mentorship and contact hours. The organization also offers two specialized partnership programs: Corporate Partnership for workplace teams and Healthcare Partnership for clinical organizations, each providing custom-designed facilitation and training. Additional community services include the Global Circle of Hosts monthly gathering and Petra's Office Hours for ongoing host support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Healing Circles Peer-supported group gatherings that foster connection, compassion, and cultivation through deep listening and shared humanity. Offered across eight focus areas: Caregivers Together, Coming Together, Expressive Arts, Grieving Together, Living with Cancer, Passages, Race Culture and Identity, and Supporting Healthcare. Free to participants.
• Circle of Two A one-on-one healing circle format where two individuals engage in deep listening and intentional sharing, facilitated through specific practices such as using a talking piece and speaking to the center.
• Circle of More A group healing circle format for three or more participants, featuring roles of host, guardian, and scribe, with practices including checking in, learning, harvesting collective wisdom, and closing.
• Healing Circles Training Training program offering Healing Circles Fundamentals (foundations) and Healing Circles Practicum (experience with mentorship) for individuals learning to host circles. Includes contact hours for professional development.
• Corporate Partnership Program Organizational partnership offering facilitated, evidence-informed healing spaces for teams, including custom design, trained facilitators, and impact reflection. Addresses workplace burnout, disconnection, and grief through peer support. Custom pricing available upon inquiry with sliding scale for select nonprofits.
• Healthcare Partnership Program Partnership offering healing circles for healthcare teams including facilitator training, mentoring and support, and customized implementation. Addresses staff wellbeing, burnout reduction, and connection for healthcare professionals.
• Global Circle of Hosts Monthly virtual gathering for trained circle hosts from around the world, providing peer support, story sharing, and continued learning in circle work.
• Petra's Office Hours Weekly virtual office hours hosted by Petra for circle hosts, providing ongoing support and mentorship for the global host community.

Quantifiable outcome

• After participating in 10 or more healing circles, surveyed participants report increased sense of wellbeing, increased hope, reduced stress/anxiety, and feeling less isolated/more connected.

Named customers4 records

Segments9 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Kaiser PermanentecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealing Circles support healthcare teams across 21 Kaiser Permanente medical centers, serving as a foundation for well-being and connection. This approach has shown positive impact in specialty trainings and nurse residency programs, fostering resilience.
• VA (Veterans Affairs)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealing Circles are an interdisciplinary tool supporting well-being of both patients and staff. This peer-based approach significantly enhances emotional well-being, hope, connection, and the ability to navigate stress and emotions.
• LuriecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealing Circles have strengthened well-being infrastructure by integrating circle-based practices into the daily lives of nurses and allied teams. Serves as a sustainable foundation for well-being across teams.
• UCANR (University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganizational partner receiving healing circle services for staff well-being.
• CommonwealcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealing Circles Global is a program of Commonweal, a nonprofit with more than two dozen programs in health and healing, education and arts, and environment and justice. Commonweal has operated for more than four decades.
• Callanish SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding sister center of Healing Circles Global, based in Vancouver, BC. Founded by Janie Brown, offering retreats and local circles for cancer patients inspired by Commonweal's model.
• Healing Circles LangleycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding sister center started in 2015 in Washington state. Co-founded by Diana and Kelly Lindsay, adapted circle model for rural and urban settings at no cost to participants.
• Harmony HillcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding sister center established in Washington state as expansion of Commonweal's Healing Circles Cancer Help Program. Founded by Gretchen Schodde.
• Smith CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding sister center based in Washington, DC, part of the Healing Circles Global umbrella organization.
• RevadimcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding sister center in Jerusalem, Israel, bringing the Commonweal model supporting cancer patients to Israel.
• The Circle WaycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMethodology founded by Christina Baldwin and Ann Linnea that underlies Healing Circles. Teaches 'a leader in every chair' approach to circle facilitation.
• Center for Courage & RenewalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounded by Parker Palmer, teaches 'Circles of Trust' model. Healing Circles draw on Parker Palmer's concept of 'hidden wholeness' and circle methodology.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Wellness House: Illinois-based nonprofit offering free psychosocial support, educational classes, and peer groups for cancer patients and families. Directly comparable as a community-based peer support organization for cancer patients and caregivers.
• Share Cancer Support: National nonprofit providing peer-led support for women affected by breast and ovarian cancers, including telephone and online support groups. Directly comparable as a peer-led cancer support community with virtual delivery.
• Center for Courage & Renewal: Founded by Parker Palmer, offers Circles of Trust retreats and training using a similar circle-based methodology rooted in personal/professional renewal. Directly comparable as the closest methodological peer, sharing 'hidden wholeness' lineage with HCG.
• National Alliance for Children's Grief: Nonprofit advancing awareness and support for grieving children and the organizations that serve them. Directly comparable as a peer-support network addressing grief, one of HCG's primary segments.
• Family Caregiver Alliance: National nonprofit providing services, education, and peer support for family caregivers of adults with chronic or disabling health conditions. Directly comparable as a caregiver support organization serving one of HCG's primary segments.
• Cancer Support Community: National nonprofit providing free, professionally led support groups, education, and resources for people impacted by cancer. Directly comparable as a peer-led cancer support community model, though larger in scale with 175+ locations.
• Schwartz Center for Compassionate Healthcare: Nonprofit focused on compassion and wellbeing programs for healthcare staff, including peer support. Directly comparable as the closest competing model for healthcare-system employee wellbeing partnerships.
• Gilda's Club: Network of clubhouses offering free social and emotional support for people living with cancer and their families. Directly comparable as a community-based cancer peer support nonprofit with multiple locations.

Others

• Commonweal: Parent nonprofit of Healing Circles Global, operating more than two dozen programs in health and healing, education and arts, and environment and justice. Relevant as the institutional parent and source of methodology lineage (Cancer Help Program).
• Compassion & Choices: Nonprofit focused on end-of-life care planning and support, including peer counseling. Adjacent peer supporting the 'Passages' segment HCG serves through end-of-life circle work.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubesoundcloud.com/tnscommonweal
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/healing-circles-global

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Healing Circles Global