2nd and 4th Monday of each month
6:30pm to 8:00pm
with Elizabeth Rowland

Sharing, listening, and connecting deeply with others around life’s challenges can help us
navigate difficult situations, find genuine community, tap into greater meaning in life, and
generate personal and collective healing. Various types of listening circles have been utilized
over the centuries by many cultures around the world for different purposes. In the United
States today, and in Knoxville specifically, most listening circles are found in religious, recovery,
conflict resolution, or medical spaces, and there are not many opportunities to engage in the
practice in the context of everyday life challenges. This Deep Listening Circle on Caring for Aging
Parents is the first circle series of a new pilot program being developed by Knoxville-native
Elizabeth Rowland to fill this gap.

About the Circle
This Deep Listening Circle on Caring for Aging Parents is a small group of individuals who
regularly meet to hold compassionate space for each other’s suffering and joy around the topic
of caring for our aging parents. Participants do this by alternately sharing their own
personal struggles/experiences and listening to others in the circle as they likewise share. This
circle is a group for sharing and listening, not dialogue or advice-giving, though we will
experiment with ways of communicating relevant helpful resources regarding topics that arise
in circle sharing. While the circle is similar to a peer support group, it is not intended to be
clinical group therapy. Nevertheless, as we build community through the circle, we will seek to
expand understanding of ourselves and others.

The circle will operate under a set of “community agreements” that create a supportive
environment for vulnerability and expression. Such agreements include a commitment to speak
from one’s own personal experience using “I” statements, to assume good intentions of others
in the circle, to maintain confidentiality, no crosstalk or advice giving, no speaking on
theoretical topics or generalizing as to what others might be experiencing, etc. As this is a pilot
program, the community agreements and structure of the circle may evolve as the facilitator
asks for input and feedback and we shape this deep listening circle model together.

The Purpose of Deep Listening Circles

• Process our feelings and share deeply in a safe space with people who understand
• Build deep listening skills and expand our capacity for compassion and connection
• Learn about resources and strategies for navigating life's challenges

Who Should Participate
Each participant in the circle should have personal experience with and interest in addressing
caring for an aging parent, including the facilitator who will also be an active participant in
sharing. “Parent” can include biological, adoptive, or foster parents, a grandparent or other
guardian that cared for you in childhood, or another significant elder in your life that you are
currently caring for to some degree (even if mostly remotely).

In order to ensure group continuity and time for everyone to share in each session, the circle
will be limited to 15 people who commit to attending at least one meeting per month for six
months. Any individual participant’s first meeting will be considered a trial meeting during
which that participant can evaluate whether or not they want to make the six-month
commitment to the circle. Meetings will generally be held the second and fourth Mondays of
each month, though certain dates may be rescheduled or canceled due to holidays or facilitator
availability. The facilitator will email circle participants two weeks prior to any anticipated
schedule changes.