Relational transformation amongst deeply caring community impacting all of life – from family and work relationships, to identity, purpose, calling, navigating grief, harnessing joy, and more.Integrating contemplative faith practices with exquisitely caring relational presence for a life-transforming experience like no other.
“There is no greater gift of humanity than the loving presence of others—those who hold our pain, share our joys, and walk with us through everything we face in life. Research in psychology and neuroscience consistently highlights the transformative power of human connection. Studies by Dr. Brené Brown emphasize the role of vulnerability and empathy in fostering meaningful relationships, while research from the Harvard Study of Adult Development, one of the longest studies of its kind, reveals that close relationships are the strongest predictors of happiness and health across a lifetime. Additionally, findings neuroscience show that social support mitigates physical and emotional pain by activating brain regions associated with comfort and safety. These studies collectively underscore how the presence of loving, supportive others is not only a gift but an essential factor in our resilience and well-being.” Heather Sund
You are invited to an exceptionally unique experience of connection, community and care. Here you are welcome and encouraged to bring all facets of who you are and what you hold personally, relationally and spiritually. Our greatest commitment to one another will be as honoring witnesses, providing caring, grace-filled presence to one another’s unique life and relationship stories. The hopes you hold, the hurts you bear and the goals you wish to work toward in your time with the group will be attended to with utmost honor and support.
Facilitating a deeply caring, gracious, relationally transforming environment, Sacred Community can provide profound healing, touching every aspect of a person’s life and well-being.
What you may decide to bring to a Sacred Community group (a few ideas, but not limited to…)
Partners come together to deepen their connection, heal from past wounds, and enhance their intimacy. The focus is on building deeply present relational bonds, overcoming negative communication patterns, expressing and understanding emotions, fostering safety and vulnerability. Through Sacred Community conversations, partners are invited to open up, share their most personal desires, hurts, longings and truths, to be truly seen and heard in an exquisitely supportive environment. This group offers a space for healing, growth, and connection, where couples can build stronger bonds and rediscover their relationship’s potential.
Key Elements of a Sacred Community Group for Couples:
Sacred Community Groups will be cultivated as a reliable presence woven into the rhythms of everyday life. We will meet with regularity, about three sessions per month. The heart of our work and worlds will unfold in these sacred moments of regular commitment to be with and care for one another. Space will be limited to a small group of emotionally engaged, relationally committed individuals to maximize depth, trust and connection. Specific dates and schedules are in the application.
For our beginning, we will bring our stories to an initial gathering. We will meet to go over the structure and format for creating an intentional experience together, get to know one another, and lay a solid foundation of trust, care, and attunement for our time ahead. We will establish safety, community, and the beginning elements of cultivating sacred care.
All gatherings are purposefully and intentionally curated, with retreats and online gatherings. Thorough time, effort, care and planning will go into each and every gathering. Therefore, each person is registering for the full experience, regardless of their ability to attend each session, and asked to prioritize attendance at each gathering to the best of their ability. Your presence will be of such high value and will be a gift to you as well. Sessions will not be recorded nor will any recording devices allowed. Retreats are carefully planned out for your deep presence and connection with the group so please be sure to plan ahead and prioritize the time away to be unplugged and away from all work and responsibilities. You will not regret the care you will experience and the replenishment you will receive.
Please complete the application form here. You will then be contacted to schedule a 15-minute intake session. If you have previously participated in any groups, training, or supervision with Heather Sund, your application fee will be waived.
“Sacred Communities are an opportunity for deep self-care and self-actualization. It brought an opportunity to see more good in myself and the similar human struggle in us all; to heal some old wounds, and to know the path ahead. The most meaningful part was a profound self-acceptance and empowerment for me and my group members.”
“Sacred Community is group that allows you the space to deepen your understanding of your story and see yourself in new ways through the eyes of caring others. It offers time to pause and reflect on so many different aspects of your life. It can be a time of discovery, discernment, or clarity. It might also be a space to simply experience the compassion of others as you grieve. It’s hard to fully articulate all that a group encompasses because there were many facets but to distill down the core experience of the group, it is a place to share and have others offer you their authentic presence which, especially now, truly is a sacred experience in our busy, distracted, tech-focused world.”
“I think you’ll be surprised what you might learn about yourself through the process. It may be hard to make the time but it is worth it. The group was like a nice long walk in the sun each week, I left each session feeling lighter and reoriented to my own sense of purpose, calling and to hope. You may be thinking it could be weird to share your story and have others reflect on it- I assure that’s not the case. We are hard-wired for the kind of connection and attunement that the group offers, and when we experience it, we feel less anxiety and a greater sense of confidence as we go out into the world. That was definitely the case in my experience.”
“The most meaningful parts for me were the insights I gained in seeing myself through the eyes of the others in the group. I was surprised by how empowering it was to hear others reflect on my story.”
“I feel a greater sense of peace and strength within myself as a result of being in this group. It was also meaningful to simply have the rhythm of the group in my life for a season. As a mom of 4 who works in a caretaking profession, it is so easy for my schedule to quickly be filled to max capacity. When I said yes to this group, I was also saying yes to giving myself a time to stop each week, to reflect on my life, losses, hopes and to share them aloud with loving others.”
“Having this consistent space to pause, engage in a spiritual practice and contemplate different aspects of my life became an anchor for me each week. It was a space to be reminded of God’s loving kindness towards me, to be held safely in community as I grieved, and to refocus on my values. I was surprised by how empowering it was to hear others reflect on my story. I feel a greater sense of peace and strength within myself as a result of being in this group.”
