Woman’s Circle: A Facilitator's Story

One of my favorite sayings by Coco Chanel is:

A girl/woman should be two things – who and what she wants.

And that is what I do every day in my company Permission 2 Be.

My organization works to support women impacted by trauma who are in the midst of a transition to take the steps needed to move forward in their lives. I’ve been utilizing the Women’s Circle^® curriculum in my Well Woman groups (online women’s support groups) for two years. I’ve used all three guides, but my favorite is the Identity—Who I Am activity guide. There are so many things that I love about the curriculum—the ease of use, the online model that allowed me to shift in the middle of the pandemic, and the activities. I want to tell you about two of the group favorites: My House activity (Session One) and Autobiographical Poem activity (Session Two).

I love the My House activity because it helps the ladies broaden their perspective on how they see themselves and show up in the world. It helps them to see how much bigger and brighter their world really is. It also helps them probe into how they relate to others in their world and ways that they can improve their connections. I love the Autobiographical Poem activity because it starts off with them identifying themselves as the world sees them—daughter of, mother of, sister of, etc. However, as they go further, the poem allows them to identify and tap into their feelings, thoughts, and desires. They are able to see that their emotions are as much a part of them and their identity as the roles they play in life.

The Women’s Circle^® guides have assisted me in helping my groups build community, strengthen their voice and identity as more than just Mom, and provide them with the tools that they need to move towards the glorious futures they have in mind.