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Men’s groups & women’s circles
Growth, support, reflection, sisterhood, brotherhood, and life transitions.
The Talking Stick Platform Free During Beta
The better way for groups and teams
to listen, be heard and really connect.
CircleUp brings small groups together in a beautiful shared setting where one person speaks, everyone else listens, and real connection has room to grow.
Join on a computer using Chrome, Firefox, or Safari. Designed for presence.
- CircleUp with 3 - 12 people
- Private by design
- Free during private beta
- Nothing recorded
- No AI
- No Note Taking
- No Screen Sharing
- No Recording
- No Chatting
- No Emojis
- No Interrupting
- No Participant Accounts
- No User Tracking
The feeling of gathering
You can feel the room settle.
Everyone arrives in the circle. The shared setting draws your attention inward. The pace softens.
When someone begins to speak, the rest of the group can simply listen. There is no need to compete for the moment or wonder when to jump in. Each person has a place, a turn, and the experience of being received.
Less performing.
More presence.
More room for what is real.
The rhythm of a circle
A natural way to gather.
From the first arrival to the final reflection, CircleUp keeps the experience simple and human.
- 01
Arrive
Open your invitation on a desktop or laptop computer using Chrome, Firefox, or Safari, and take your place. There are no participant accounts to create.
- 02
Settle in
Gather around a setting chosen for the group’s purpose—a fire, candle, ocean, forest, altar, or another world.
- 03
Listen
One voice is heard at a time. Everyone else can give that person their full attention.
- 04
Speak
Press the spacebar when you are ready. Your place glows, showing that the talking stick is with you.
- 05
Pass it on
When you are complete, press again. The talking stick moves to the next person who is ready.
- 06
Leave connected
People were seen, stories were held, and the group moved closer together.
One screen. A shared circle.
Room to be present.
Designed for presence
A computer.
Your full attention.
To help everyone feel connected and less distracted, CircleUp gatherings are available only on a desktop or laptop computer using Chrome, Firefox, or Safari.
CircleUp is intentionally designed for computers, not mobile phones. Joining from a computer helps everyone settle into the shared space, listen more deeply, and give one another their full attention.
- Chrome
- Firefox
- Safari
Please join your circle from a computer. Mobile phones and tablets are not supported for participation.
The talking stick
One voice.
A circle of attention.
CircleUp’s talking stick gives each person uninterrupted space to speak. While one person shares, the circle listens. When they are complete, the talking stick passes on. The rhythm is simple, visible, and easy to understand.
This talking-stick format is inspired by the successful and proven ancestral and indigenous council and communication practices used to support attentive listening, shared participation and collective decision-making, as suggested by our Co-Founder Tree Willard, a descendant of the Cherokee Nation.
The impact of being heard
Sometimes one uninterrupted moment changes the whole conversation.
A family therapist shared that, during a CircleUp session, a wife was able to speak without being interrupted by her husband or other family members. For the first time in that conversation, she could complete what she needed to say. The experience of being fully heard shifted the dynamic of the session.
Shared environments
Choose the atmosphere your gathering needs.
Gather around a glowing fire for warmth, beside the ocean for spaciousness, in a forest for reflection, or around a candle or altar for ceremony. Hosts can choose an image or video that gives each gathering its own emotional tone.
A setting is more than a background. It helps everyone arrive in the same place.
Who gathers here
For groups that want to be more present with one another.
What these gatherings share is a desire for more attention, honesty, care, and belonging.
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Support & care circles
Grief, recovery, health, caregiving, and spaces for healing.
03
Families & close friends
Conversations that deserve time, patience, and everyone’s full attention.
04
Faith & spiritual communities
Prayer, meditation, study, ceremony, and shared reflection.
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Neighborhoods & social groups
Community circles, book clubs, civic gatherings, and old friends.
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Therapy & coaching
Facilitated conversations centered on listening, insight, and connection.
For hosts and facilitators
Hold the space.
CircleUp supports the rhythm.
Create a setting that matches your purpose. Open with intention. Offer a prompt. Let the talking stick guide the flow so each person has time to speak and the whole group can listen.
CircleUp provides
Host Starter Kit
Circle templates
Facilitator Training
Technical supportPrivacy
A private place for real conversation.
Participants join through a private link and do not need accounts. CircleUp does not record conversations nor collect participant data. Hosts provide an email address so CircleUp can send a secure access link and requested service communications.
So...CircleUp's privacy policy is to NOT collect any user information, so your data will always remain 1000% yours.
- Nothing recorded
- No participant accounts
- No participant tracking
- Host-controlled room link
Therapists, healthcare providers, and organizations with specific compliance requirements should contact CircleUp before using it for regulated services.
Founding Team
The people helping bring CircleUp to life.
Questions, answered
About CircleUp
Who is CircleUp for?
CircleUp is for small groups of up to 18 people who want to gather with more presence, intention, and care. It works especially well for groups that value deep listening and want every person to have uninterrupted space to speak.
What does a CircleUp gathering feel like?
People gather in a circle inside a shared visual environment. The pace feels calmer. One person speaks while everyone else listens. Each participant can be present without competing for airtime or being interrupted.
Can I join CircleUp on my phone? Which browsers work?
CircleUp gatherings are available only on a desktop or laptop computer using Chrome, Firefox, or Safari. Participation on mobile phones and tablets is not supported. This is intentional: joining from a computer helps everyone settle in with fewer distractions, listen more deeply, and be fully present with the group. You can browse this website on your phone, but please use a computer to join a circle.
How do I speak or pass the talking stick?
Press the spacebar when you are ready to speak. Your place in the circle glows to show that the talking stick is with you. Press again when you are complete so it can move to the next person who is ready.
What can I choose for the setting?
Your group can gather around a fire, candle, altar, ocean, forest, waterfall, mountain, desert, lake, temple, church, cave, retreat center, or an imaginative world. Hosts may also choose an image or video that fits the circle’s purpose and tone.
How do I create my first circle?
Request an invitation below. CircleUp is free for all users during private beta. The Host Starter Kit includes short videos, guides, sample formats, and practical tips. Facilitator Training is also available if you would like personal support before hosting.
Is CircleUp private?
CircleUp is private by design. Participants join through a link and do not need accounts. Conversations are not recorded, and CircleUp does not collect participant data. Hosts can delete a meeting link when it is no longer needed.
How much does CircleUp cost?
CircleUp is free during private beta. We are currently gathering feedback from users about what they feel fair pricing would be for the value CircleUp delivers.
Is CircleUp HIPAA compliant?
Healthcare providers, therapists, and facilitators should contact us before using CircleUp for services subject to HIPAA or other regulatory requirements. We can discuss the intended use, privacy, security, and applicable agreements.
What support is available?
Hosts can access short videos, articles, how-to guides, and support requests. Customized Facilitator Training is also available.
Private beta
Bring your people closer.
Create a circle where people can slow down, listen with care, and share what matters. CircleUp is free for all users during private beta. Tell us a little about your group and we’ll follow up with next steps.
To participate, you’ll need a desktop or laptop computer with Chrome, Firefox, or Safari. CircleUp gatherings do not work on mobile phones or tablets.