Trust Circle

TARGET GROUP

Young people (15 – 29 years). It can even be used when working with adults.

TIME NEEDED

30 minutes

IMPLEMENTATION

Trust Circle is a simple activity that helps us visualize our relationships. It helps us identify which people we trust the most, what kind of influence they have on us, and how easily we trust people, but mainly it helps us get to know how we act in our relationships and what practical steps we can take to feel closer to people and form more meaningful connections. 

This activity consists of multiple concentric circles with the names of the people in our lives. The more we trust a person, the closer their name is to the center. The participants draw 5 circles within each other (see the example below). 

1. The innermost circle is named SELF (your own name).
2. The second circle is for CONFIDANTS (people you feel closest to).
3. The third circle is for CLOSE FRIENDS (people you can pick up right where you left of).
4. The fourth circle is for TRUE FRIENDS (people that support you).
5. The last circle is for DISTANT FRIENDS (people you just do activities with).

When all participants finish with their circles, they form a group of 4 people and answer the following questions among themselves:

• What criteria did you use when deciding which people to write in which circle? 
• What characteristics do you value most in people you trust?
• In which circle did you put the people you spend most of your time with (family members, classmates, coworkers, …)?
• What kind of relationship do you have with the people closest to the center? What kind of person are you when you are with them? 
• Do you want to move some people closer to the center? Or do you perhaps want to move some people further away from the center?
• Did you notice any interesting patterns when placing people in the circles? For example, are the majority of people further away from the center or very close to the center? How does that make you feel? 
• Are you happy with the current position of the people in your life?  Do you think your current relationships fulfil you? 
• How quickly do you trust people and let them in? Do you think all people deserve to be in the circle you chose for them?
• If you feel like some people are too close to the center, why is that? What can you do to move them further away?
• What action can you take in your life currently to move certain people closer to the center?
• How much do you trust yourself? Are you truly in the center of your trust? Do you trust yourself in every situation or only in certain ones?

LIST OF MATERIALS

• Pens,
• papers.