LDS Family Fellowship to Hold Forum

Kendall Wilcox

June 23 at 5:00 PM in Salt Lake City 

Circle of Empathy – Presented by Kendall Wilcox

WHEN: June 23, 2013, 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm

WHERE: Northwest Community Center, 1300 West 300 North, Salt Lake City, Utah 84116

TOPIC:

“So you’re Mormon and you find yourself attracted to others of the same sex (or you care about an LGBT/SSA Mormon), what are you going to do about it? That is the common question but the answer depends on your answers to the more fundamental questions at the heart of the matter.

A circle of empathy is a small-group practice for Mormon LGBT/SSA and straight people that helps participants become more aware of their feelings and beliefs about the conflict between their faith and sexuality by focusing on seven fundamental questions that most inform the issue. Based on this process of deepening self-awareness and empathizing with others, participants gather the clarity and resilience needed to act (or continue to act) on their feelings and beliefs by making healthy life choices.

The circle practice can help anyone feel less torn by external pressures or internal insecurities and more grounded in their own core beliefs. Therefore, the practice is equally relevant to people who are just beginning to deal with the religious/sexual conflict as it is to those who feel they’ve dealt with the conflict already and “moved on”. The circle practice can be helpful to the full spectrum of LGBT/SSA Mormons, from a single-celibate person with unwanted same-sex attraction to one in a same-sex marriage or opposite-sex marriage.

The circles of empathy practice does not have a hidden agenda; neither to convince participants to transition out of the church nor to remain active. The goal of the practice is simply to help the participants become more grounded, with greater self-awareness, clarity, and resilience.

A Circle of Empathy is not group therapy nor are the facilitators trained or licensed mental health practitioners.