The Story in Our Logo: A Journey Back to Wholeness
If you’ve ever looked at our logo and wondered what it means (or even if you haven’t) we’d love to tell you! Because the story behind it is really the story behind everything we do.
Did you know that the word “healing” comes from the Old English hælan, meaning “to make whole” (Egnew, 2005)? Not to fix, not to erase what happened – but to make whole. That difference matters. Fixing implies something is broken beyond its current state. Wholeness implies that all the parts of you (even the ones that feel fractured, unwanted, or out of place) belong. They are part of you. And they deserve to be met.
We chose the circle because, across cultures and centuries, it has carried one consistent meaning: wholeness. Carl Jung (one of the founding figures of analytical psychology) saw the circle as a symbol of the self in its totality: an image the psyche reaches for when it is trying to hold itself together (Jung, 1968). You don’t need to know any of that history to feel it. A circle has no start, no end, no hierarchy. Everything inside it belongs.
That’s exactly what we’re trying to create here – a space where every part of you is welcome, where every part of you can be held in connection. Where you don’t have to curate yourself to be accepted. Where the parts you’ve been taught to hide, are met with the same openness as the parts you lead with. Inclusion and belonging aren’t afterthoughts for us; they are the foundation. You can read more about the values behind that on our mission page.Â
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Inside our circle sits a tree. Roots, trunk, branches (all of it held within the circle). The tree is what grows, what bends in storms and stays standing, what reaches toward light while staying connected to the ground it came from (Ncube & Denborough, 2009). Humanist psychology has long held that people, like seeds, carry within them an innate potential to grow (they simply need the right conditions): warmth, safety, genuine acceptance (Rogers, 1961). As a practice, that’s what we try to be. Not the source of your growth, but the conditions that make it possible. We aim to hold that space of care, authentic connection and safety for you, all parts of you.
How We Work
At The Circle Clinic, we take an integrative and holistic approach to therapy. Our psychologists draw from a range of psychological traditions (rather than committing to a single method) and tailor the work to meet you where you are. Because you are not a diagnosis or a problem to be solved. You are a whole person, and the therapy you receive should hold that complexity. Learn more about how we work here
Healing Happens in Connection
We hold firmly to the belief that healing is rarely a solo journey. Neurobiologically, we know that our nervous systems regulate in relationship (we settle, grow, and come back to ourselves in the presence of others who feel safe) (Porges, 2011). Healing is not just something that happens inside the therapy room. It happens in community.
That’s why, alongside individual and couples therapy, we offer workshops and support groups (spaces where people come together, are witnessed, and find strength in each other’s stories).
We also believe that mental health care is a right, not a privilege. Our practice is built on a distributive justice model: a sliding scale payment system where those with more resources contribute, easing access for those with less. Because the circle only works when everyone gets to be inside it. You can read more about our approach to financial accessibility on our mission page.
So when you see our logo, here's what it's actually saying:
Whatever brought you here, whatever part of you feels broken off or out of place – there is space for it. We don’t erase parts of you. We are deeply, wholly, dedicated to meeting you in the fullness of being human. Walking you back home, alongside you – finding your way to feeling whole again.
If that resonates, we’d love to hear from you. You can reach out here whenever you’re ready.
References
Egnew, T. R. (2005). The meaning of healing: Transcending suffering. Annals of Family Medicine, 3(3), 255–262. https://doi.org/10.1370/afm.313
Jung, C. G. (1968). Mandala Symbolism (R. F. C. Hull, Trans.). Princeton University Press.
Ncube, N., & Denborough, D. (2009). The tree of life: A narrative therapy approach for working with vulnerable children. Dulwich Centre Foundation.
Porges, S. W. (2011). The polyvagal theory: Neurophysiological foundations of emotions, attachment, communication, and self-regulation. W. W. Norton & Company.
Rogers, C. R. (1961). On becoming a person: A therapist’s view of psychotherapy. Houghton Mifflin