Our Reviews

The desire to learn, grow, and be vulnerable with community that understands is what motivated me. 😊

The reason I joined kinship is over the last year or so, I have been dealing with things in my life that I've never really dealt with in a long time. Some anxiety, some depression. And living in the area that I live in, I don't really have much of an outlet. I don't have a lot of people to talk to. The friends that I do have don't really understand the situations that I'm going through. And so one night, I was just scrolling reels on Instagram and came across a pastor that I follow mentioning this platform. I felt a strong urge, push, so to speak, to join. And I've joined it. I found a place where I can be authentic and be my true self, and I owe a lot to kinship.

I’ve been struggling with my mental health and loneliness recently and kind of closing myself off from the world lately…[Kinship] definitely exceeded my expectations. I liked the small group and I’m proud of myself for coming out of my shell.

I am on a healing journey and these sessions resonate with me. It met my expectations.

Hey, just wanted to say thank you very much. I just attended my first kinship meeting, and I thought it was really great. I really liked the speaker. I think it was Scott and the facilitator of our small group, who was Bryce. And I thought it was really interesting. I like connecting with new people. I like conversation that is a little more on the deep side, a little less on the small talk, shallow side, which is there aren't a lot of, I feel, like, venues where conversation naturally goes deep amongst people that you just met. So I really appreciate that. Reminds me a little bit. And I said this in my group of some twelve step programs that I've been involved in in a positive way. I like the speaker followed by discussion format. And I think the technology piece, the little glitches will get ironed out. I had a few glitches, technologically speaking, today, but it wasn't too distracting. And it was kind of interesting to be in a group video chat where it wasn't on Zoom, so it looked different. Like, visually just. I like the fact that it looked different from all of the many Zoom meetings that I attend every week. Yeah. And I had a question in the group that Bryce answered to his best ability, but I'd be even curious to get more information about, which is just, like, the background of this. What are the intentions of the people who created this? I understand, basically, but what is the background? I'm just curious how this came about. And maybe that would just be in the form of, like a blog post or something, but I'd love to know more. Okay, thank you so much, and I'll see you again.

I would say yes to all of them being seen, felt, heard, connected. In this small group that I had today, particularly, Mimi was somebody I was in a session with before as just two people attending this platform. And now that she's a moderator, she did an awesome job in our small group. But I think with her and I being kind of the same generation, having kids the same age, we can really, I guess, understand each other a little more. I think having her as a moderator for me was fantastic because I can really relate to a lot of the things that she was saying.

You. Yes. Number ten, I would highly recommend this to a friend and family member. You have different styles, though. I know a lot of people that would not engage in a platform like this because it is too vulnerable for them. Just like they won't go to therapy because it's too vulnerable. It's hard. It's difficult to put yourself out there in front of strangers and just talk. But I would always recommend something like this, as in, this is a safe space for you to be vulnerable and not be judged. And I'll preach it. And I would preach it high and low on my LinkedIn, on my Facebook. I think this is a great platform and it is needed.

I would give this a 9.5 out of ten. I really enjoyed it. I thought the atmosphere was really friendly, engaging, inclusive. Never at any point did I feel like I couldn't open up and be honest again. I thought Andrew did a really good job and the other participants did a great job. I learned a lot of things and just feeling connected to others around a topic that we all can relate to really mattered to me.

Ten out of ten recommend. Listen, if you have not tried kinship before, I don't know what you're waiting on. Honestly, I was really nervous at first. Talking to strangers on some random app that I heard of on Facebook or for me, it was Instagram. That seemed crazy to me, and it just didn't really seem real. But I guarantee you it's real. Like, kinship is real. You have a speaker that talks for a little bit, and then afterwards, you get to choose if you want to be connected to a small group, which I did. I was so scared. But I got connected to these other people across the country, which had vastly different life experiences than mine. But somehow we found commonality in the story of the speaker. And it's like we were able to use the speaker story to find a moment of connection, and it was deeper than, oh, well, where are you from? Or what do you like to do? Or just stupid ass icebreaker questions. Because of the speaker, we were able to have authentic connection, and I am craving authentic connection, I'm assuming is just as much as you are. And so I don't know what you're waiting like. Get Ken. Yeah.

To me, kinship is different than other support communities because one I feel like the groups are led really well, so not one person kind of dominates or takes over the group. And then it's like a personal therapy session for one person. We all get the chance to share equally. Our facilitators do a wonderful job at asking questions, but also low. They're open ended questions, so they leave space for you to talk, even if it's not a direct answer to that question. Everyone feels welcome, even people's kids, sometimes pets in the background. We all just love each other's company, and it's also a space that welcomes faith based talks. So I've enjoyed that the most. I never felt like I had to be filtered or watch what I'm saying. I feel free sharing the fact that I am a Christian and talk about God and such. So I love that in that sense.

You after the kinship sessions. I feel a variety of different things. More often than not seen and heard and valued. Sometimes I feel heavy because it's been something that has come out that I'm dealing with or somebody else all have value, and there's always that support and kindness and love. And you know that if you're feeling such a way, you can always reach out. That helps too. You're not just left alone with those heavy feelings on those days. You can certainly reach out and say, yeah, today's session was heavy, or it really got me in a lot of different ways, or I need more processing. Especially when you build further connections with people as you do, you're able to get that valued support. But for the most part, it's better than when I started the majority of the time. And I appreciate that so much and really look forward to it. And I'm sad when the days come that I have full intent to get in and something happens and I can't. But I know that there's another one around the corner.

10! You guys have a great vision, and great platform and I'm looking forward to staying connected with YOU!

Truly blew me away. What an incredible experience. JR3 was such a phenomenal facilitator and human and really created a safe space for us to connect. Thank you!

The speaker's talk was very engaging. She kept the conversation flowing with her questions and even the feedback that she gave. Sharing her experience was also beneficial because we were able to relate to her. She also kept the conversation going, so I appreciate that.

It was. It was a ten. I think the fact that he was able to organically use what had happened in his day that was very shocking and hard to deal with and apply why something he already had some knowledge of, to use with, that was very effective in opening up the conversations in the small groups about the topic of grief, because, really, grief underlies a lot of wide, varied pain.

I would say ten to the highest of highest can be. I think it was a great, great experience for me. And as busy as my schedule is to take this time out, and whatever environment I am to set aside to seek wisdom was very, very good. I would highly recommend it to all my friends and colleagues.

It. Yeah, I definitely appreciated the small group part the most because it takes people from being just a digital name to an actual face, and just being able to even read people's body language and hear their tone and how they're speaking really holistically brings the whole concept of full communication together. So, yeah, definitely love the small group breakouts.

It. I give this a ten. I would absolutely recommend kinship to really, anybody. I think it's going to be a really good. Oh, what's the word I'm looking for? I think it's going to be a tool in my toolbox. On helping me, I can figure this world out a little bit better than I have been lately.

I can sincerely feel that the speakers that spoke in the sessions, they're genuine people. They're sincere about this platform and they were very understanding. The speakers made me feel really welcome. They made me feel like I was human. They made me feel normal. Because I love it when a speaker is not afraid to let their audience know, like, hey, I'm going through a rough time. I see nothing wrong with that. I feel like that is authenticity. And that should also strengthen the sessions because it's like a form of really communication as well.

I really appreciated the moments of connection that were brought up by our speaker, Andrew, and the way that he related to the things that we were sharing. The other participants in the group were able to build on those things as well. And I also really enjoyed the feature where you could add an emoji when someone's speaking. I think that was a way to feel affirmed and heard as well.

My experience has been very wonderful and very helpful. It's something that I look forward to. If, due to obligations, I've missed a group that I had signed up for, I am saddened by it because it sometimes has been and often the best part of my day. The moderators have all been very wonderful and kind and supportive. I can't think of anything that I haven't gained from this experience. It's actually been an experience that I am thankful that I took the time and and just took the leap to be a part of because it really has been amazing and in some cases, what I've needed the most at this point I've received from being in the groups and being able to connect with the people in it.

I love Andrew F. Carter's talks. Just the way he speaks and how he brings his past is just amazing and inspiring to me. It opens up my thought process going into these small groups and just listening to someone that's authentic and very honest and upfront to a bunch of people that he has no clue who we are, it's just amazing.

He was very engaging, very vulnerable, very kind, very welcoming. Felt very safe. And I wrote down many, many things that he said that really resonated with me. I would love to be able to listen to more of things that he has to say and more about his experience. He's very believable and in such a welcoming way.

…And as far as the chat session went for the group, that was like a huge ten for me, because you were able to express, I did cry. I'm not going to sit here and paint you a beautiful picture, but I did express my darkness moment situation that I'm going through, and it helped. The little chat sessions that we have with everyone else, they express themselves and we all listen intently. Everybody was respectful, and I appreciate that very much. So I look forward to a next session. So thank you again, kinship. Thank you for reaching out. I appreciate it.

“Having a platform where I could just get my voice out and be heard, be seen, and be vulnerable for this time in the evening...just catapulted my week into a better space.”

10! I feel safer being vulnerable...no one knows me so I feel comfortable and a bit more free to share. We need each other and sometimes it's hard to find connection even if you're in a group of people you "know".

This platform is a great place to learn, grow and heal. It's a safe place to say things you might not be able to say to people otherwise. I think we need to give voice to the things we struggle with in order to heal, and if you can't do that with people in your everyday life, this is a great place to do that.

It. The question is did you feel seen, heard or connected in the small group? Yes, I did. I mean, I don't have a problem with speaking my truth, but I feel like when it says did I feel seen, heard or connected? Yeah, people listened. I feel like the connection came from listening. So I immediately just love my people in my group. I've just heard them. Their brokenness makes me hurt the love that I feel for them. I just want to heal them. I just want to help them. And also I hope everything that was said in the group, I hope they come away from it feeling a little lighter, that they let off that conversational, that load and then also felt some kind of encouragement from us in the group. And I think we all did a good job with that. So yeah, I think I felt connected. I think I felt the connectedness of everyone in that group as well.

I would give this a ten. It's just people getting together for all the right reasons to try and better ourselves. I'm telling everybody about it.

10 ... this is a great platform and a beautiful offering to help people along in their journey…

💬 10. This platform is shaping up to be a great place to gather with others, hear a speaker to center everyone on the same general topic and then break out into groups where you can get into the meat of the topic. It can feel scary to share sometimes, and no one is forced to, but I think you get more out of the sessions if you allow yourself to be seen and heard. This is a great place to do that. After doing several sessions, I feel like I am building a group I can trust to share feelings I don't feel safe sharing with others.

“The small group was phenomenal – worth its weight in gold…it was so uplifting, and so nice to connect with other people. It was definitely the best part of the whole experience.”

I'm just glad to be a part of it. I'm glad to be here, and I hope that this platform really strives and thrives for a very long time.

The best part of kinship for me is it's a place that I can be my true self. I don't feel judged. I can be authentic. I can speak my mind and feel like the people that are in my small sessions are not judging me. In fact, a lot of them are dealing with the same things that I'm dealing with. And it's nice feeling knowing that there's others out there that are dealing with those things as well.

10. This is a safe place to connect with others on a deeper level.

It feels like we are building a community, one small group at a time. I love that I never know who is going to show up in the room or what is going to be said, but that I am changed, even if it's just in a small way, each time I decide to show up. I don't trust easily, but I feel safe enough to be able to say what I need to say and not worry about someone gossiping my stuff or using what I say against me in some way.

Kinship has been an awesome safe space where everybody gets to share their beliefs, their worries, their concerns, their struggles, their positives, their negatives. Whatever's really on your mind, you get to share it. And that's awesome, because no one goes in with an agenda. We all kind of feel like a little family when in our groups, and we want to hear from each other. We want to be there for each other. And you get to have a different connection with people that you start out as complete strangers with, and 45 minutes later, you feel like you're friends or part of a little mini kinship family.

I was motivated by curiosity and the need to interact in a space where it is safe to share. Also, You PROMISED I would come away feeling better and uplifted and I was up for the challenge. You came through!!!

Ten out of ten. My group was amazing. I was so scared before and then just during the group. I think that you're put together for a reason and just being able to see people from diverse life experiences. I mean, I don't know these people before. I would definitely like to talk to them again. I love that I get to connect with them afterwards. The only improvement that I would have is the time limit thing. Like I said in my first video, I didn't understand how this thing would work. I'm trying to kind of give you some things, and I can change my background. So it's not me sitting in the car, but also it's authentic. I am sitting in my car, okay? I have car seats in my car. My car is dirty. It's reality. This is me showing up authentically. It doesn't need to be perfect. So I love the group.

I think the concept and vision of kinship is very much needed in our world today and a great initiative to bring people together and connect, as we are witnessing more and more loneliness is growing in our world today

Without hesitation I would say a 10! It's a great platform to connect and share with others. There is likely a great need for this type of platform. Many people are lonely or they simply do not have good support from their circle of friends / family.

10, I think we need to see more of this kind of thing especially with so many lonely people and the mental illness we have in this country. [Kinship] is priceless.

10! Kinship is a safe space where everyone from the Speakers, to the Facilitators to the group of people. The particular Facilitator in my last session was great! Very engaging, welcoming and made it so comfortable for me, who is an introvert, to open up and join in the conversation. Kinship is amazing! It is complete strangers who don’t know anything about one another at the beginning of session, who come together with similar things in common that you would not except. It has taught me that we are not alone, there is supportive people out there and I leave with a sense of comfort, calm relief of things I was able to get off my mind and heart.

Loved the group, everyone was so kind and raw.

I have gotten a lot out of the groups before and today just felt like I really NEEDED to be in a group.

[The overall experience of the platform was a] 10 because this is something that is needed people often are alone and this helps people come together.

I love the concept that we were able to come into a space that we had the same kind of mindset in talking to each other. We completely complete strangers from all walks of life that we were able to come and talk about something that we all seem to be going through. I felt welcomed. I felt that I was happy to engage in the conversation because again, there is someone else that seemed to be going through the same thing that I am. And it felt good. It's a good vibe, good energy to be around. Like minded individual that want to see me win just as much as I want to see them win. So was a great experience.

You guys made use of deep topics that put people out of their comfort zone and you guys have done a great job with creating a platform for everyone to feel comfortable and inspired and included.

I appreciated both aspects of the speaker and the small group and knowing that even a facilitator was able to share and have a space of being vulnerable and sharing his experience with us is priceless. But it also gave us an opportunity to interact with each other in a small group is absolutely valuable. We'll see people on the road and are around us that seem to seem like they have it together and deep down inside they're screaming. Sometimes we just need a chance to sit down and talk to people and not knowing there's a place that we can go to actually share how we're feeling about certain things without being looked on like, oh, you just need to get it together. We all don't have it together. So I'm grateful for both that Scott was able to share and also with Kyle in the small group that we was able to share all of our experiences and how we're feeling. And it was a great session.

You. So my perspective is that it just felt warm. It felt very welcoming. It was just all good energy. And it's just a wholeheartedly spirit that knowing that this person that's on the other side of me wants to see me win, want to create an environment that I can be able to open up and not feel defensive or to close up in any way. I felt so welcome and I felt so respected in that hour. I'm actually upset that our session is over, but I felt very welcome and very heard in the session with Scott talk and given his perspective on what his story in reference to his yes. Person. And it was great hearing all the individuals in my group that we all have different things, and we are all different stages in our lives that we're going through things, and it was great that we're all able to share. Thank you.

10/10, because they made me feel like family. I need healing and clarity and it was a lot different than what I expected. I would highly recommend this to friends and family because if it benefitted me then it will do the same for them.

Absolutely. I felt that I was able to connect with pretty much everyone in the group, of course, from my perspective. And actually, one of the gentlemen, I think his name is Damien, that he mentioned that he relates. He can understand my perspective and what I was saying in reference to my journey. And just again, the whole concept of being around like minded individuals that wants to have a community, have friendship, real, genuine friendship, of actually showing up as yourself without being judged and looked down upon, it's a great feeling, just good vibes and good energy. It is absolute best. We live in a world that is primarily fake, and being authentic and real is looked down upon, which is weird to me. Your uniqueness is not appreciated unless it's by another person that has it as genuine as you are. And that has become a rare thing nowadays. So I'm grateful for the opportunity.

Met my expectations and maybe exceeded them. Came to learn and share in such a safe place and that is exactly what it was!

“[Kinship is] definitely needed. We need connection. We need to be understood, seen, and heard. We don't get that in our daily lives. Often we do in bits and pieces, but sometimes not in the way that we need it. Or we don't feel that we can share certain thoughts or ideas with everyone in our lives, or may not want to. So, I feel like this is a great platform and the right setup. It's great to have that interaction and that outlet. It's much needed right now.”

“On a scale of one to 10 – 10 being the best – I'd recommend this at a 20. Seriously. I've been to counseling sessions where I didn't feel as good at the end of it. To do this in the comfort of your own home, on your schedule, and to share like that…it was phenomenal.”

I pretty much knew I was going to like this experience, and so my expectations were pretty strong and they were 100% met every step of the way. Great user design in the whole system as everything was super easy to figure out and navigate as a newcomer. The speaker did not disappoint at all, and neither did the moderator who actually exceeded expectations.

10 - Julie's talk was authentic and I could feel her heart and related to just about everything that she said. I felt like she was telling me about my life and in our small group, we could all relate.

I absolutely enjoyed and loved engaging with the group that we had. Tim really carried it, so that was great. When you have someone in the room that has that energy that can help see things along. And then also, Lisa was just very raw, just open and vulnerable and made everyone feel know. I think it takes courage and bravery to just be able to speak your problems, how you're feeling. And it was really engaging and I enjoyed it very much. One tidbit from the Yoni circle platform is that they have this little talking stick that allows people to know when it's their turn to talk. Because depending on the personality in the group, you definitely need a facilitator to be able to manage so everyone can feel that they have enough time. But if you don't have a facilitator in the group, some kind of talking stick or something, that they know it's their turn so that they can have equal time to contribute and speak.

I am extremely likely to tell my family and friends about this. Don't know if they'll follow through, but I'm sure if they do, they'll love it just as much as I do. And I look forward to maybe seeing a familiar face in there sometime. But, yeah, I'm telling everybody about it. It was great.

10 - easy registration, great reminders leading up to the talk, no bugs or glitches, organized discussion forum and I felt like I was in-person with my small group. It was just the right size for engagement. Well done!

I would say the transition from the live event to group was really nice. I felt confident, I didn't feel forced to show my face or to put on my microphone because of the space I was in. I wanted to put on my microphone. I wanted to put on my video record so everyone could see me. And I like authenticity. I like normal. And I guess on a scale, I would say I would give that a nine, because it was honestly great.

I attended the January 15 at 06:00 p.m. Session with Ms. Julie, and she spoke about triggers. And when we went into the breakout session, we did not have a group facilitator, but Tim, who was previously in other sessions, knew how it kind of worked, so he kind of led the way, and I helped assist him with that. We had three other members, Ms. Lisa, Mr. Brian, and Ms. Russell. And it was just good conversation, openness, moments of vulnerability. And I think everyone left better for this session. And I look forward to future sessions and just seeing how this works because this is really great. I think a lot of people need it. They feel connected, a lot of lonely people, a lot of people who live in rural areas that don't have the ability to connect at this level. So this is wonderful. I see the potential in this, and this is great. Thank you.

The reason someone should use kinship is because it's like no other forum out there. It has something for everybody's needs. It is not just one thing, it's so many things. And you do get the support, and you do have people listen more and be present with you and be able to support you and help you. You're not just dropped off or you don't get at the end of what you're talking about. Just, oh, thanks for sharing. Let's move on to the next it's something that everyone, when you're speaking about your difficulty is holding the high watch for you and making sure that you feel and know that you are safe. You can be happy and elated and vulnerable and sad, and all of those emotions are welcome and supported.

[After the sessions] I honestly usually feel refreshed, hopeful, happy. I get to cry during the session if I feel like doing that. I get to laugh. I get to really have a space to feel however I want to feel. And afterwards, you feel like a sense of relief sometimes, or peace, joy. Just lighter sometimes. It really depends on what we were able to discuss during that session, and overall, it just feels good afterwards.

10. Y'all, it just seems to get better and better.

I would rate this an 11. I really enjoyed this concept of getting together to talk about something without judgement, without fear of being judged in a safe space. I’m hooked. I love this idea, and I’m looking forward to more sessions together.

“[Kinship] is phenomenal. The conversation was very open, transparent, vulnerable, and authentic. I didn't even know that I needed that conversation so much – with people who I didn’t know but can very much relate to. I'm looking forward to my next session.”

When two people especially shared their experiences, I was able to relate to what they were saying. I really like that type of engagement and it really made me feel connected and definitely come back to another session.

The session has boosted everything in me and I’m ready to explore my healing even more. 💙

Overall, I enjoyed my first session with kinship as we had a very authentic conversation. Everyone was very open and genuine, so I really appreciate what kind of community this platform is creating thus far. I felt like I connected with everyone since everyone shared something that was relatable, so it was refreshing to be seen and understood by multiple people.

Just being able to share made me feel seen and lighter, like something had fallen off my chest.

10 - Very well organized from start to finish. The conversation stayed relevant and engaging. I think people can get a lot of support and help from being with like-minded people who are all wanting to grow and move their life in a forward direction.

The speaker's talk was great, and I appreciate him opening up to share initially. He set the tone for the level of openness that the group presented and made it a safe environment for people to open up.

Kyle. Holy wow. I want to shadow that man and learn from him how to manage conversations in groups. That was some of the like. I can't believe how quickly he was able to move without making people feel cut off or artificially forcing the conversation to move on. I mean, I was cut off, but that was my technology's fault, not his. And it just flowed so naturally, and that does not always happen, I guess rarely happens for a group of strangers. So my only suggestion and wish would be a bit longer, because our conversation, it was going, it was moving, it was fluid. And for someone as masterful as Kyle, he's great at keeping, getting able to talk and share and all of that, so kudos.

“It was a safe environment. It felt personal, and there really wasn't any part of it that…could have been better. It left me with an incredible feeling.”

I'd give it absolutely a ten, and I would recommend it. And I have, in passing, spoken about it to two people so far. I don't know that they'll participate in it. I hope that they will, but I would definitely recommend it. People have to get a sense of what exactly it is. And basically, the way I've conveyed it is that it's meaningful conversation around a topic that a speaker presents, and then you break out into small groups and you talk about what comes up for you based on that subject. So I think it depends on whether you feel you, quote, need it or not. For me, I do feel like I need meaningful conversation, and I also just want to add that I feel like I want to be able to participate in meaning conversations more often so that in real life and person to person, face to face conversations, I can be initiator of more meaningful conversations or feel like I can contribute better and or receive better. The more meaningful conversations you engage in, the better you become at being engaged and being a helper in a conversation and a contributor.

I'm going to be completely honest with you, since this is a very authentic platform. What motivated me to come to the session today is because I got a Facebook advertisement for our kinship, and it was interesting enough for me to check it out and see what it was about online. But I went to the career page or whatever that you have about posting for needing facilitators. So. Well, mainly I was interested in getting a job with you guys, a side hustle, at least part time to do this. But the more I read about it and the more I kind of saw the little testimonials, I thought, oh, I love this. This is where you get that true connection and you feel that feeling of you're providing a service to others and that investment in others and that connection. I loved it. So did it meet my expectations? Yes. I look forward to doing another session because I have to just kind of check it out a little bit more, see how you pair the groups and all that as well. But I was mainly motivated because I'm looking for a side hustle job, but also because I do love this type of connection with other people. And it did meet my expectations, and we'll see how this goes.

I will give it a 10. Kyle made everyone feel comfortable, I think. He even made me feel connected and a part of the discussion and I don't really talk much in a crowd especially the first time.

“I actually connected with one of the other members in my group because she was going through the exact same thing that I had gone through. So, I was able to give her encouragement of how I worked through those things. I was really excited about that – that I was able to connect and encourage another person. I was heard by our [facilitator] and really acknowledged. I felt like I developed a group of soldiers in this fight. That I'm not by myself.”

I would rate it a nine. I would recommend this to a friend or family member. Absolutely, I would. It's a good platform to get your thoughts out and not feel judged. Everybody seems pretty genuine.

I am very thankful about the fact that there are communities out there, they're safe or they feel like we can share the day and the journeys that we are living through.

Just connected in sharing vulnerability. I listened, didn't say much today, others needed to talk, needed to get their feelings out so we could be there to support them. You don't need to say anything to be connected sometimes, just listen.

I'm going through a big transition, and the support is needed. And it's nice to be able to have the ability to speak freely. I'm not able to do that a lot with people in my life. [Kinship] has always met my expectations.

It was my first session and I didn’t really know what to expect when I was coming in — my takeaway for the rest of my day is that we’re not so alone. We’re able to speak openly and vulnerably and be authentically ourselves with these people that we just met for the first time and we are all there for the same kind of thing. We all want to feel better and find that community that gets us. And I feel like I found that already with Kinship.

I don't know what kind of wizardry you guys use to match up the small group, but it was like sitting down with a bunch of old friends. That was just absolutely awesome. It really was. And if we're all in the same room, I would have been offering hugs. It was great.

The small group and the speaker because with this being my first time attending faithful groups, I was able to make a profound epiphany after the first meeting.

I joined Kinship because I had been part of the original pilot and realized how valuable it was in my life to have connections, deeper connections. Being with people that were going through things similar or sometimes not at all, and learning from their experience and just being able to know that on any given day that there were people out there to support you, to give you love, to be present for you, and also knowing the value and the strength and the empowerment it gave me to be present for others when they needed it most often. It's been the best part of my day.

There's many different reasons to join kinship. I think, for me, the biggest thing was, is that I was heard and that I could be truthful and that I cannot be judged. It's a platform that the talk that they have for the 15 or so minutes before really puts a lot of thoughts in my head that I would have never thought about. And then going into the sessions just kind of goes deeper into those thoughts. Makes me think about things a little bit differently than I normally would have and then the interactions with the people in the group and the facilitators. I feel, truly that it's a place where you can be heard, where you can be truthful that you won't be judged, and that knowing that there's others out there that are dealing with similar situations is somewhat comforting. Knowing that you can get through them together and with this group. And it's the biggest positive influence that has happened to me for this past couple of months. And I owe a lot to kinship, and I'm thankful for them, and I'm glad that I can spread the word about this platform, because it's something that I'm truly proud of.

Connecting with the group was a truly rewarding experience for me. After those inspiring sessions, I left feeling calm, focused, and more hopeful in my ability to allow my dreamer to be awakened. It was a very positive experience.

10, you guys are killin' it.

I think everyone has been supportive in what it is that you need help with.

Personal connection, growth, wanting to meet new people, curiosity in the program. I love just opening up with people, connecting with people, sharing space with people, telling stories. I love that stuff, and I'm so glad I came for that tonight.

I don't know how your algorithm works but you nailed it. The other first time user, myself and the other new user to the group were both first time users. We had never been on the platform before. I am from the northwest, the other user is from Chicago. We connected instantly. I mean the rapport we had, the laughter, the encouragement, the support, you could tell that when you hit an emoji the other person is like oh thank you for that. And it was empowering because we were connected. We had a shared faith experience and we really dug into a topic of dealing with family traumas and dealing with family dynamics as adults that are navigating issues with controlling parents. And I don't know how your algorithm knew to put us together as a group but it was spot on. The discussion was real, it was, it was engaging. It was so perfect for what I needed and for what this platform I hope can be was very encouraging.

I just want to reiterate that I am very thankful for this platform. This is an area that I've worked in for a long time of healing and connecting just in my own professional, personal life, not only for my own journey, but to support and help others been my life's purpose. And I see how this platform really helps connect all of those things in a very lovely way. And people don't have to just go sit in a stuffy room with one person and asking, how do you feel about that? This is something where you can say, I felt like this today. And you can steer your own guided emotions as you know who you are better than anybody else. And even though we have questions, it's not rigidly scripted, and that's very important. To continue allowing your authentic self to come through and not be bound to do just the script, which I've loved that so much, is having the freedom to step outside for a minute and then we come back to a few guided questions to give us a thought, but not feel institutional. Thank you for everything.

I would definitely recommend this platform to those who need to talk. Thank you for the way you asked the question [about gender identification], shows you are accepting.

I preferred the small group afterwards; it was more personal and interactive. It’s like the more you put in, the more you get out of it and that is unique. I don’t see a lot of other places/apps doing this, so this is a special feature. I like being able to talk to real humans in real time.

What I found that makes kinship so different, and I like so much, is that there is a structured topic that you start out with that gets you going, gets you kind of feeling like and thinking about it ahead of time because you know what you signed up for. End how am I impacted by that specific topic instead of going into other support groups and things bounce so much, it's hard to process. I also appreciate with that said, that once we get into our groups, that if something else comes up off topic, we have that flexibility and support of each other to go there, too. So it's not rigid. And I'm thankful for that, because sometimes it does. It leads down a complete other path, and we're able to do that naturally and organically and shift in ease with each other and support each other through that.

I enjoyed the introduction with Scott and what he shared with us. The breakout room was neat too. Getting to talk to someone else that struggles with feelings of loneliness, sadness, or depression. I think it helps us feel that we are not alone.

The feeling I get from attending a session of kinship is a sense of relief. I feel like I'm being heard. I feel like that I am also listening and being a shoulder to cry on, so to speak, for others that are going through some pretty bad events in their life. Th but I know after a session it feels like I can be a little more easy going with my family and those around me. I feel that the communication window is open more within my family, that I can be more of a person that is, I guess, who I am. Rather than being quiet, closed up because I have all these worries and all these thoughts going through my head. I was able to vent those thoughts and say those worries in my kinship group, and in turn, I think it provides some relief afterwards.