I wanted to share the exciting news that there are now two new IFS Drop-In Healing Circles starting this autumn — one in Cheltenham and another in Cirencester, alongside our two established Circles in Stroud.

These are grassroots community spaces: warm, relational, low-cost drop-in groups grounded in Internal Family Systems (IFS) and rooted in local empowerment, compassion, and connection.

If you’ve been curious about IFS, or simply looking for a supportive environment where you can slow down, listen inwardly, and be met by others doing the same, these Circles might be just what you’re looking for.

You’re welcome to join as a participant for your own exploration, or to pass this on to friends, colleagues, or clients who might benefit from a gentle, community-based space for reflection and repair.

Any questions? Have a browse through the Community section of my website or take a look at the images below.

What Are IFS Healing Circles?

At heart, each Healing Circle is a two-hour invitation to pause — to turn towards our inner world with curiosity and compassion, and to experience what happens when that process is witnessed in community.

Each Circle includes three simple but powerful elements:

Guided Meditation – A gentle introduction to the theme of the month, inviting participants to meet their inner parts with curiosity and care.
Parts Mapping/externalising – A creative way to visualise and name the different inner voices, feelings, and protectors that arise in our daily lives. On paper using crayons or writing… and externalising in a sculpt where people represent our own systems
Relational Sharing – Space to speak (if you wish) from a connected, Self-led place, and to listen to others doing the same.

It’s a structure that balances internal exploration with shared humanity. As one participant put it recently: “I came in overwhelmed, and left remembering I’m not alone in this.”

The Circles Across Gloucestershire

Stroud – The original home of the IFS Healing Circles, rooted in community generosity and quiet depth. These sessions often weave in creative mapping, embodiment, and the gentle humour that helps keep things human. Held by wonderful teams including Anna, Karen, Julie, Jeremy, Abby, Paul, Lou, and David and I.
Cheltenham – A new circle meeting in a warm and welcoming therapy space, co-held by local practitioners who bring mindfulness, somatic awareness, and a strong grounding in IFS principles. Held by Annie, Lorraine, Nikki, Kirsty and I
Cirencester – Hosted at The Sanctuary, this circle connects with the values of The Grace Network and The Long Table, linking inner work with community repair. Held by Anna, Karen, Shan, Amy and I
Stroud (Evening Circle) – An additional evening group for those who can’t make daytime sessions, focusing on connection and integration. This one i take renumeration for. Held by me, sometimes others coming in like Abby or Rundeep (i then share proceeds)

Each space has its own flavour — but all share the same foundation: no hierarchy, no “fixing”, no need to perform. Just a shared practice of Self-leadership, curiosity, and care.

This Month’s Theme: Clarity

Every month we explore one of the qualities of Self — what founder Dr. Richard Schwartz describes as the “8 Cs of Self”: curiosity, calm, clarity, compassion, confidence, courage, creativity, and connectedness.

Clarity, this month’s theme, is the ability to see things as they truly are, without the distortion of fear, shame, or reactivity.

In IFS, clarity doesn’t mean mental certainty or detachment. It’s more like the moment the mud in a glass of water finally settles — the water itself hasn’t changed, but the murk clears, and we can see through it again.

When we’re blended with our parts — the anxious one, the fixer, the pleaser, the critic — everything looks foggy or magnified. Clarity comes when Self is present enough that we can gently differentiate from those parts and begin to see:

what’s actually happening inside,
what belongs to us versus to others,
what’s being replayed from the past, and
what choices are really available now.

As Dick Schwartz often says, “When you can see your parts clearly, you stop being afraid of them. And when you stop being afraid, they start to relax.”

In our Circles this month, we’ll explore clarity through meditation, mapping, and conversation — finding how it feels not just to “understand” but to actually see with the eyes of Self: steady, open, and kind.

Why It Matters

Life rarely gives us quiet moments to reconnect with ourselves. Between the rush of responsibilities, relationships, and the general noise of the world, we can lose touch with our own centre.

The Circles offer a pause point — a place where you don’t have to have it all together, where every part of you is welcome, and where connection happens through honesty rather than perfection.

And something quite beautiful tends to unfold: as people share from their inner worlds, others recognise themselves in those stories. We start to see that the parts we thought made us “too much” or “not enough” are actually what make us human.

Come As You Are

The Circles are open to anyone — therapists, clients, community members, or anyone simply curious about IFS and inner work. No prior experience needed.

There’s no fixed membership, no expectation to speak, and donations go directly to local causes like The Grace Network and The Long Table.

You can come once, occasionally, or regularly — whatever fits your rhythm. Each time you do, you’ll find the same welcome: space, warmth, and the quiet joy of being among people practising presence together.

Find Out More

You’ll find times, dates, and booking information on the Community page of www.stroudtherapy.com.

Whether you’re in Stroud, Cheltenham, Cirencester, or simply somewhere in the UK or Ireland, you’re warmly invited to step into one of these circles either in person - or online — and rediscover what it means to be connected, clear, and compassionately human.

#IFSHealing #InternalFamilySystems #PartsWork #HealingCircles #CommunityHealing

#TraumaHealing #NervousSystemHealing #Coregulation #SomaticHealing

#CheltenhamWellbeing #StroudCommunity #CirencesterHealing #GloucestershireHealing

#StroudWellbeing #CheltenhamEvents #CirencesterEvents #GrassrootsHealing

#HealingTogether #RelationalHealing #relationalhealing