This sounds like group therapy. Is it?
Arkitekt is not qualified to do group therapy, nor am I a trained therapist. For over a decade, Arkitekt has been a grassroots organization facilitating peer support circles where kindreds gather together to offer each other presence and support.
We describe Arkitekt as a doorway into a room filled with many doorways. Many of the humans who join a Circle end up recognizing their need for additional support and then connect with a therapist, somatic practitioner, or other healers in other modalities. We love when this happens because we believe everyone needs a Design + Build team to help them Come Home To Themselves.
What do you mean by Curriculum? Is this a class?
The Curriculum is the heart of Arkitekt and what differentiates us from other peer support groups. The internal work of engaging with the Curriculum deepens the experience of the Arkitekt work and works in tandem with the magic of sitting in circle once a month. I find that the more you invest in this soul work in your private practice, the more the public gathering reflects this…the breakthroughs come faster, the connections go deeper, the community bonds sooner.
Empowerment is key in Arkitekt. This journey is yours to own and yours to steward. When you join a Circle, you are making a commitment to your own becoming and to being fully present for your kindred’s becoming; doing the Curriculum and Coursework is part of that commitment.
What is the Curriculum? Who wrote it? And why does it change?
The Curriculum is like a blueprint to help you navigate your journey of Coming Home to Yourself. It draws upon a wide array of spiritual and wisdom traditions, charting a path through the cycles of Decolonization, Deconstruction, Reconstruction and Integration.
The Curriculum is a living document- it reflects continuing education and the feedback of Arkitekt kindred over the past decade because as we know better, we can do better. Right now, the Curriculum in its fullness is FOUR semesters worth of life-changing material. You can choose to engage the Curriculum + Coursework one semester at a time.
Is Self-Awareness the endgame of this work?
No. Self-awareness is an entry point into the journey; it’s a door, not a destination. The purpose of sitting in Circle is to come into alignment with yourself SO THAT you might help the world come more into alignment. This is a practice of social justice, daily activism, and humility as you heal in community.
To quote Toni Morrison, “The function of freedom is to free someone else.” To read more, click HERE.
How do you keep your circles from becoming trauma-bonding situations?
We have a very specific structure to our Arkitekt Circles, which includes how many people are in a circle, how often we meet, and how we handle the boundaries of time and space. We also have a 22 page Arkitekt Field Guide—required reading for each Arkitekt member, with included Community Agreements. We have over a decade of experience on how to run circles with efficacy and an intent towards harm-reduction, understanding that we are all human and we cannot guarantee safe spaces or healing spaces.
What do I do if I'm not sure I'm ready to join an Arkitekt Circle?
It's rare that anyone ever feels ready to do deep soul work.
Maybe instead of wondering if you are ready, use your curiosity to investigate why Arkitekt has crossed your path at this particular time, in this particular season of your life?
We would suggest there is a reason.
Maybe it's enough just to acknowledge that and then say yes, without any idea what you are really getting into....because do we ever really know what we are getting into, in anything in life?
Once you make the decision to show up, we've found that the people who get the most out of their Arkitekt journey are the ones who put in the most. They come with a desperation that fuels their determination to hold nothing back.
Arkitekt begins with the willingness to deconstruct who you are and how you've been living your life.
It's gonna get messy.
Freedom, abundant life, pleasure, purpose - these things don’t come without intentionality.
If you are expecting to come and do an intellectual study on how to become awake and alive, we would submit this is not the circle for you.
When you join Arkitekt, you are committing to show up for yourself and for your kindreds. You are committing to humble yourself before the holy work of aligning with the truest parts of you and watching the magic that begins to flow forth and the transformation that ignites.
You are committing to embody your longings and speak out your truth.
If the fire in your belly is still burning, take that as a sign it's your time!
What kinds of results do members experience from joining an Arkitekt Circle?
Based on over a decade of qualitative research, member experiences include:
redirected their career or primary function
left abusive relationships
sought addiction treatment
sought counseling
adopted new self-care practices
sought new spiritual practices
chose to facilitate an Arkitekt Circle
recommitted to their unique creative expression
chose to go back through the entire curriculum more than once
What should I expect if I join an Arkitekt Circle? (a compilation of Arkitekt kindreds’ words…)
Expect opposition.
Expect pleasure.
Expect things to feel like they are getting worse but they’re actually getting CLEAR.
Expect your life to change.
Expect the ways you interact with your people to change.
Expect to learn the voice of your inner knower.
Expect to feel all the feels.
Expect to be resolved, but not resolution.
Expect to be able to tell the truth about who you are to yourself and to other people without shame or apology or excuse.
Expect to have nothing to prove and nothing to hide.
Expect to be a better listener and a better friend.
Expect to have a wisdom tradition, kindreds to ask for help, and a connection with SOURCE to be your strength when you feel weak.
Expect to be more comfortable in your own skin.
Expect awareness of what matters to you and what doesn't.
Expect to have less fear and more language and tools when the next crisis comes.
Expect that you will fall in love with WHO YOU ARE and HOW YOU ARE MADE.
Expect joy and delight.
Expect to release yourself from expectations.
Freedom births freedom.
Free people who RISE UP and USE THEIR VOICE to bring LOVE and LIGHT into the world are a force to be reckoned with.
Expect the reckoning.