A small in-person group where you can stop performing.
Eight Wednesday evenings to be more fully known, to meet others more honestly, and to set down the work of being "on."
Apply for the September circleYou know a lot of people. How many of them really know you?
Many people who join the circle are capable, thoughtful, and socially connected. They may have friends, colleagues, partners, clients, and full calendars. From the outside, they often look as if they are doing well. But something in their relationships still feels managed.
They listen well but are rarely known. They give generously but ask for little. They hold parts of themselves back, even with people they love. Some have noticed that they keep others at a polite distance and are not sure how to stop. Most are not lonely, exactly. They are just rarely met.
If any of that lands, this circle may be for you. No diagnosis is required, and no experience with groups is needed. Most people arrive a little nervous. That is expected, and welcome.
What actually happens in the room
We meet for ninety minutes each week, in person, with the same small circle for all eight weeks. There is no curriculum and nothing to prepare, and that is part of the design. Over time, the ways you seek approval, hold back, manage conflict, avoid need, or perform competence tend to appear in the group, much as they do in the rest of your life: in friendship, partnership, family, and work. Here we slow that down and look at it together, in real time.
We do not recap our week. We talk about what is happening between us, in the room, as it happens. As trust builds, people relate in ways they rarely allow themselves anywhere else, and that is where the change tends to begin. It is not therapy, and it is not a workshop. It is a structured space for honest relating, guided by an experienced facilitator.
"When you express your deepest feelings, secure that you will not be rejected or criticized, something sorts itself out in the mind and brings a sense of peace."Anthony Storr, adapted for inclusive language
What the circle gives you
Honest feedback
Everyday life rarely tells us how we actually land. People often adjust around us, go polite, withdraw, or drift away. Here, you find out, generously and directly.
Deeper self-awareness
You begin to see your relational patterns while they are happening, not only afterwards. That awareness can change how you show up in the relationships that matter most.
A place to be human
A space to set the performance down and be with what is harder to show: stress, isolation, the private sense of being an impostor, alongside others who understand.
In their words
The process created a shift in me. In being able to share my vulnerability in this space, the group has given me increased authenticity and confidence, and deeper, more meaningful connections with others.
It is a safe and brave space to shed our social identities and experience a more authentic self.
I am so glad I joined. I have developed real courage and authenticity.
The September circle
- When
- 8 Wednesdays, 7:30 to 9:00pm, from 16 September 2026
- Where
- Duo Galleria, 7 Fraser Street, Singapore 189356. In person only. View map
- Size
- A small circle, limited to 12 places
- Cost
- SG$1,200 for the eight weeks. Returning members pay SG$1,080 (10% less).
- Commitment
- Attend at least 6 of 8 sessions (5 if you have done more than one circle before)
- To join
- Apply by 7 September. With only 12 places, most circles fill before the deadline. We will arrange a short call first.
If cost is a genuine barrier, please mention it on the call. I keep a small number of reduced-fee places where possible.
Three simple steps
Get in touch
Send a short message through the form below with a few times you are free.
A 20-minute call
We talk it through, you ask anything, and we both feel out the fit. No pressure either way.
Join the circle
If it feels like a good fit, we confirm your place and begin together on 16 September.
Dr. Jonathan Marshall
I value the aliveness that emerges when people meet each other honestly. I have spent years leading and taking part in groups like this one, and I now work full time as a psychotherapist, executive coach, and leadership psychologist. For twelve years I taught leadership psychology at the National University of Singapore.
Irvin Yalom's work on human connection shapes how I facilitate: enough structure to keep the room safe, and enough openness for something real to happen. More about me here.
Questions
Is this group therapy?
No. The Authenticity Circle is not group therapy and is not designed to treat a mental health condition. It is a facilitated interpersonal process group for adults who are functioning in their lives and want to become more honest, aware, and alive in how they relate to others. People who are also in individual therapy or coaching often find the two complement each other well.
If there is no weekly topic or agenda, what do we actually talk about?
We start with what is alive in the room: how someone feels arriving that evening, what they are noticing about another person, what they are holding back, or what is happening between people as they speak. The group is not aimless. The structure comes from the attention we give to the present moment, to each other, and to the patterns that emerge.
Is this going to be confrontational?
No. Honest does not mean harsh. The aim is not to attack, expose, or pressure anyone. My role as facilitator is to keep the room psychologically safe, so feedback is offered with curiosity and care rather than bluntness. You set your own pace.
Do I need any experience with groups?
None at all. Many people arrive with no prior group experience, and a little nervous. That is normal. You do not need to be especially expressive, extroverted, or "good at vulnerability." You only need enough curiosity and willingness to participate.
Is what I say kept confidential?
Yes. Confidentiality is a core agreement of the group. We discuss it explicitly in the first session, and everyone commits to protecting what is shared in the room.
Who else will be in the room?
A small, mixed circle of thoughtful adults from different walks of life, limited to 12. The variety is part of what makes it work.
Is it really in person only?
Yes, in person at Duo Galleria. Some kinds of relational learning need bodies in the same room: pauses, glances, discomfort, warmth, hesitation, and the felt sense of being with others, in a way a screen cannot replicate.
Are there ground rules?
Yes, a short circle agreement covering confidentiality, respectful participation, attendance, and a commitment to stay engaged through the harder moments. We walk through it together on your chemistry call, so you know exactly what you are saying yes to before you commit.
What if I need to withdraw?
If you withdraw less than 72 hours after the first session, 80% of the fee is refunded. After that point the fee is non-refundable. If you are unsure, we can talk it through on the call before you join.
A little more to read and watch
- Read: a Straits Times piece on the value of emotional agility, the soft skill we all need. Read the article.
- Read: The Schopenhauer Cure by Dr. Irvin Yalom, a novel that brings the life of a group vividly onto the page. Yalom was a formative influence on how I work.
- Watch: Dr. Irvin Yalom demonstrationing what a group may look like.
Apply for the September circle
Places are limited to 12 and tend to go before the deadline. Applications close 7 September. Send a short message with a few times you are free, and we will set up a 20-minute call.