Spotlight on Tanisha Corporal: Healing Circles

As if serving as the Emmaus House case manager, and newly promoted Director of Community Partnerships & Strategic Initiatives isn’t enough, Tanisha Corporal has found another way to connect with the community. Every Tuesday she leads a “healing circle” at FCS (Focused Community Strategies) in Historic South Atlanta.

Two years ago, with no dream of the pandemic and associated crises to come, Tanisha trained with the non-profit program CHRIS 180 as part of an effort to create “trauma resilient communities.” Tanisha learned to create space where residents could take time for reflection. She guides participants through contemplation, having them think about connecting, communicating, and celebrating. Each neighbor is encouraged to bring an item for a centerpiece that anchors the circle, symbolling the communal ownership of the space and their relationships to each other.

With the trauma of the last year, the circle has become even more significant.

Writing in the Permanente Journal of the Kaiser Permanente health system, Dr. Lewis Mehl-Madrona of Dartmouth explained that the healing circle, also called the peacemaking circle or the talking circle, is rooted in the traditional practices of indigenous people. The shape of the circle, and the relationships around it, ensure that everyone is included, Dr. Mehl-Madrona said.

The circle is considered sacred space.

Tanisha has said that she considers herself an “intentional neighbor.” With the healing circle, she is neighboring in a new and unique way.