Building Healing Communities Online
Sharing the ingredients that make for supportive virtual spaces.
I warmly welcome you to join The HSP Revolution online membership community — where I host two live workshops per month, post daily inspiration, and provide opportunities to share and connect.
Access to this weekly newsletter is now reserved primarily for community members. I will continue to send one edition per month free to all existing subscribers. To continue reading the whole newsletter each week, please do join us in the membership community, and gain access to workshops, daily inspiration and more!
During my late 20s and early 30s, when I was exploring many different kinds of groups and communities dedicated to personal growth, I learned how transformative safely-held spaces could be. There was a special kind of power in discovering circles where I felt safe enough to share something of my private struggles, be witnessed by supportive peers, and attend to the changes unfolding in others.
During the pandemic, I was surprised to discover that this power worked equally well online. And there was an added dimension: No longer confined to groups comprised of people who lived a drive or train ride away, I found myself connecting with people from all over the world. I believe we’ve barely begun to tap into the potential for shared exploration and transformation these kinds of new connections might support.
Since launching The HSP Revolution online community in January, I’ve been thinking a lot about the ingredients needed to ensure that virtual platforms are as safe and supportive as possible. We all know how much superficiality, toxicity, spamming, and trolling exists online. But the advantage of a membership community is that it serves as a kind of walled garden. We can intentionally nurture a culture where each member can feel truly seen — and confident that whatever we choose to share will be heard, received and respected.
Any healthy community is by definition a work in progress — continual learning and evolution are fundamental components of a dynamic group space. So this week I wanted to share a few thoughts about the kinds of principles we’re working with in The HSP Revolution, and the potential obstacles these approaches can help overcome.