What is Guardians of the Circle?

Guardians of the Circle is a non-profit initiative that offers peace circle training, community support, and workshops to train new facilitators.
Inspired by Indigenous traditions of conflict resolution and collective healing, this project seeks to create spaces for connection, listening, and transformation—in schools, organizations, communities, and hearts.

🌀 The ancestral power of the circle

Since time immemorial, human beings have gathered in circles. From the bonfires of Indigenous peoples to the community councils of many ancient cultures, the circle has been a sacred space for meeting, speaking, decision-making, and healing. Sitting in a circle eliminates hierarchies: no one is above or below; everyone sees, hears, and recognizes one another. It is a form that reflects life itself: cyclical, interconnected, in constant movement. In the circle, wisdom does not come from a single voice, but rather emerges from collective dialogue, mutual respect, and shared presence. The circle reminds us that we belong, that each voice has value, and that the fabric of community is strengthened when we meet with equity, listening, and an open heart.

The peace circles we practice and teach are rooted in the ancient traditions of Native American peoples, such as the Lakota, Anishinaabe, Navajo, and many other nations.
We respectfully and humbly thank those who have sustained these practices for generations, and we honor the path opened for us to share through care, consent, and reciprocity.

🎯 Our Mission
Promote spaces for healing, deep listening, and relational justice in educational, community, and social contexts through the respectful use of peace circles as a transformative tool.

🌱 Our Goals
Strengthen communities through the practice of dialogue circles and peaceful conflict resolution.

Train teachers, community leaders, and facilitators in the implementation of peace circles.

Provide safe and restorative spaces for marginalized populations.

Recover and honor indigenous knowledge as a guide for collective life.

🌀 What is a Peace Circle?
A peace circle is an ancient practice that creates an egalitarian and sacred space for sharing, listening, and decision-making.
People sit in a circle (without hierarchies), pass around a symbolic object, and engage in dialogue under the guidance of a facilitator or "circle keeper." By creating a space for active listening, where every voice matters, emotional healing, agreement-building, and the restoration of bonds are fostered, avoiding judgment and promoting mutual respect and shared responsibility.

The Facilitators:

Vito de la Cruz

Of Yaqui descent, Vito was raised in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas in a family of migrant farmworkers. He received his BA in Sociology and History from Yale University and his JD from the University of California, Berkeley. Vito worked for the Federal Public Defender's Office for over twenty years, defending people with limited access to resources and undocumented immigrants. He served on the Washington Human Rights Commission and has dedicated himself to defending the rights of the marginalized. Vito is also a musician, playing guitar, bass, mandolin, and indigenous flutes.

Bernardo Molina Sefchick

José Bernardo holds dual citizenship in Mexico and the United States. He earned his bachelor's degree in psychology and Hispanic studies from Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon. He worked as an educator in elementary and secondary schools with English language learners and as a community specialist assisting low-income families. He is currently an educational tutor at Portland Community College. He also teaches chess and plays the indigenous flute.

Nati Sefchick del Paso

Nati was raised in Mexico by a Mexican mother and an American father. She holds a bachelor's degree in communications from the Universidad Iberoamericana and a master's degree in educational and counseling psychology from the University of Nevada, Reno. She is pursuing a doctorate in community, liberation, Indigenous, and ecopsychology. With over 30 years of experience working in education in Mexico and the United States, her focus has been on the mental health and well-being of students from elementary school to adulthood. Nati worked for 10 years at the University of Washington, Seattle, providing therapy and counseling to low-income students and students of color.
She currently teaches Psychology at Portland Community College. She is the author of two books, Women of Fire and Snow and The Call of the Jaguar.

Our Services

Guided Circles: Voices that Heal

(Community circles for organizations, collectives, artists, schools and marginalized communities)
We offer and facilitate guided circles to support difficult processes, strengthen group cohesion, share stories, and promote active listening and collective care.

Teacher Training: Classroom with Heart

(Peace Circle Training for Teachers)
Practical training for applying circles in the classroom as a strategy for positive discipline, community building, and emotional support.
Includes class meeting templates, tools for resolving school conflicts, and promoting belonging.

Facilitation Workshop: Guardians of the Circle

(Training for new circle facilitators)
An intensive workshop for those who wish to learn how to run circles with ethics, preparation, and cultural sensitivity.
Includes philosophical foundations, structure, roles, prior preparation, and management of difficult dynamics.

Who is this for?

Teachers of all educational levels
Community organizations
Public and alternative schools
Artists, activists and cultural promoters
People committed to collective healing and justice

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Contact

nati.psico.consultas@gmail.com