Circles opened its platform for free use: "The most significant thing for mental health relief is human connection."
In the aftermath of the war, the company's technology platform, which lets people connect with others in a similar situation for joint treatment, has been available free for Israelis. The stressful coping sessions for parents with special needs kids, wartime relationships, liberating writing, and bereaved fathers have already drawn thousands of people
Lior Avisar
Since the beginning of the war, Circles has made its technological platform available for free in Israel to those experiencing life crises like divorce, loss, stress, and stress. As they believe that the most significant thing for mental health relief is human connection, the company wants to solve the problem of inaccessibility of mental health services by connecting people.
"Immediately after the war outbreak, we trained Hebrew-speaking therapists who could facilitate dialogue circles and open them up to everyone. "Around 90% of people who have used Circles say they are happier," says Irad Eichler, CEO of Circles, which has developed a platform for online group emotional support, and raised $24.5 million in funding led by Zeev Ventures, NFX, Flint Capital, Sir Ronald Cohen and more.
There are between 20 and 40 people in the meeting. The call is not video but audio, which increases participant privacy. A third of the participants will share what they struggle with, while two-thirds will listen. Circles' data shows people get much value from listening. Sometimes, you don't need to speak; you just need to hear. The platform encourages the creation of personal connections between people, which often go beyond correspondence to encounters in reality."
"The feedback is very positive. People say they didn't know how to deal with stress and stress; others didn't even realize how stressed they were until they joined the session. Family members of abductees joined some of the sessions, shared what they were struggling through, and received support and identification from the participants."
The range of sessions varies: coping with stressful situations for parents of children with special needs, relationships during wartime, liberating writing, bereaved fathers, developing compassion during storms, and finding myself in the chaos.
The platform also provides recordings of previous sessions and guidance by therapists in therapies such as breathing, meditation, and more, offered in the individual program.
According to Eichler, Circles believes that personal contact is the key to providing mental health relief. A personal connection is a conversation between two people, not correspondence. The first step can be taken even when it is difficult and stressful. Sharing small experiences, not necessarily painful ones, can help people take small steps. Sharing small experiences makes us more open and resilient. The more we share, the stronger we become. Sharing and resilience have a direct relationship.
