Background & Origin

The Braxton Institute Circles of Care represent a specialized ‘heal-the-healers’ initiative designed by the Braxton Institute. Grounded in trauma stewardship, moral injury frameworks, and spiritual sustainability, the Circles of Care offer structured, peer-supported sanctuary for front-line social justice leaders, organizers, clinicians, and faith leaders who face systemic oppression, occupational burnout, and secondary traumatic stress.

The Circles of Care framework grew directly out of the Braxton Institute’s core focus on moral injury and collective healing. During the COVID-19 pandemic, with vital support from the Henry B. Luce Foundation, the Institute piloted a dedicated peer-care project specifically tailored for Black ministers, healthcare professionals, and community leaders who were bearing the double burden of pandemic response and ongoing racial trauma. The success of this pilot established that long-term, sustainable activism requires dedicated spaces explicitly focused on spiritual well-being, intentional rest, and mutual witnessing—leading to the formal institutionalization of the Circles of Care model.

Most of all, Circles of Care are radically hospitable spaces that are all-faith and no-faith inclusive. We understand that care for our most marginalized communities means:

● We must acknowledge the violence many have experienced in the name of religion;

● We must honor the range of religious / spiritual / ethical lineages from which we come; and

● We must reflect the plurality of traditions and rituals from which we practice.

To seek peace, we must be at peace. We are excited to create a sanctuary and place of refuge for those of us whose very existence is threatened.

How the Circles Work

Circles of Care function as small, tenderly facilitated, cohort-based communities (typically capped at around 10–12 participants to ensure confidentiality, psychological safety, and meaningful intimacy). The model operates around three central pillars:

• Radical Hospitality & Inclusivity: The spaces are all-faith, multi-faith, and no-faith inclusive, honoring diverse spiritual lineages, ancestral wisdom, and secular/humanist ethical traditions without imposing dogma.

• Trauma Stewardship & Mutual Witnessing: Rather than standard clinical therapy, circles incorporate contemplative practices, artistic disciplines, narrative reflection, and peer witnessing. Participants process moral suffering so they can remain engaged without being consumed.

• Institutional-Grade Confidentiality: Designed with rigorous privacy protocols, creating a brave container where leaders can drop their professional armor and engage in authentic vulnerability.

Core Circle Streams

The Braxton Institute tailors its Circles of Care model into specialized focus streams to meet the unique structural needs of specific communities:

Why the Model Matters

Protecting the Protectors & Preventing Attrition

Social change leaders and caregivers experience disproportional rates of burnout, secondary trauma, and moral injury. By systematically nourishing those who care for others, the Braxton Institute helps prevent activist attrition and preserves vital community leadership.

Mitigating Harm Within Movements

Exhausted, traumatized leaders face an increased risk of unintentionally perpetuating dysfunction or lateral violence within their organizations. Circles of Care equip leaders with emotional self-regulation, ancestral grounding, and distress management to foster healthier movement ecosystems.

Redefining Inclusive Spiritual Care

By decoupling spiritual grounding from rigid religious dogma, the model addresses historical harms associated with institutional religion while honoring the universal human need for sacred connection, community, and purpose.