The commitments we make to each other — and the practices that keep this space safe enough for real depth.
Metta Circles is a ServiceSpace initiative. These circle-specific agreements supplement — and do not replace — the broader ServiceSpace policies that apply to all users of the platform.
By joining a Metta Circle, you agree to these agreements as well as the ServiceSpace Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
Where these circle-specific agreements address a topic in greater detail (such as AI-assisted matching or recording consent), the more specific language here applies to your participation in Metta Circles.
Metta Circles are open to anyone 18 years of age or older. This is a higher threshold than ServiceSpace’s general platform (which allows users aged 13+) because circles involve small-group conversations on personal and emotionally sensitive topics with other adults.
An important note about who you’ll meet: Circle participants and anchors (facilitators) are fellow seekers who have self-selected into this experiment, just as you have. ServiceSpace does not vet, background-check, authenticate, or endorse any individual participant or facilitator. Everyone joins on the basis of their own reflections and intentions.
If something feels off during a call — or you have any concern about another participant — please reach out to the team immediately. We take the safety of this space seriously.
Metta Circles uses AI to create small groups with thematic resonance. Your identity — name, email, any identifying details — never leaves ServiceSpace’s system. The AI only sees anonymized text, with no way to connect your reflections back to you.
For the full picture — including the anonymization flow, security architecture, and a comparison with typing directly into an AI chat — see How Your Reflections Are Held.
When you join, you share reflections about what’s alive in you. Our Circle Agent anonymizes these reflections — stripping names, emails, and identifying details — before sending them to an external language model to surface thematic threads. The AI sees questions and themes, not people. A human reviews every proposed circle before it’s formed.
After each call, you’re invited to share what emerged. These reflections appear in a private circle feed visible only to your circle members. They may also inform the shape of your next call — for example, helping surface questions that the group wants to explore further.
All reflections, matching data, and circle content are stored on secure ServiceSpace infrastructure, managed by volunteers who have been stewarding community data for over 25 years. Your data is not exported to third-party analytics services, advertising platforms, or external databases.
For more detail on how ServiceSpace handles data broadly, see the Privacy Policy. If you have questions specific to how your circle data is handled, reach out to the team.
All Metta Circle calls are recorded via Zoom. This is communicated to every participant before their first call. By joining a circle call, you consent to being recorded.
Recordings serve a limited set of purposes: allowing participants who missed a call to catch up, and potentially (with group consent) enabling AI to reflect the shape of the conversation back to the circle between calls — not as a transcript, but as a mirror for what emerged.
If you’re uncomfortable being recorded: Please let the team know before your first call. We can discuss options, but please be aware that recording is currently a standard part of how circles operate. If recording is a dealbreaker, we understand — this particular format may not be the right fit, and that’s okay.
Metta Circles are grounded in contemplative practice and peer connection. They are not clinical, therapeutic, or counseling services.
Circle anchors are volunteers who steward a supportive group experience. They do not provide diagnosis, treatment, crisis intervention, or one-on-one professional support. The perspectives, opinions, and views expressed by anchors and participants are their own and do not represent the official views, policies, or positions of ServiceSpace.
If you or someone in your circle is experiencing a mental health crisis or needs support beyond what the group can hold, we encourage seeking appropriate professional care. The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (call or text 988) and the Crisis Text Line (text HOME to 741741) are available 24/7.
Anchors who encounter a situation that feels beyond what the circle can hold are encouraged to contact the team for guidance.
The full circle agreements are described in the Circle Participation Guide. In summary, every participant agrees to:
In addition to the ServiceSpace Terms of Service restrictions on harassment, hate speech, threats, and unlawful activity, the following are specifically not permitted in Metta Circles:
Interactions that participants initiate outside the circle — including one-on-one conversations, social connections, or follow-up contact — are between those individuals. ServiceSpace cannot oversee or take responsibility for what happens outside the circle container.
Metta Circles are built on trust. Most of the time, that trust is honored naturally. But when someone’s presence becomes consistently at odds with the safety or integrity of the space — despite good-faith conversation — the kindest thing for everyone, including that person, may be a parting of ways.
This isn’t judgment. It’s stewardship.
The Metta Circles team may remove a participant from a circle for:
Our approach is restorative, not punitive. The typical process:
A concern is raised — by an anchor, a participant, or the team itself.
The team reviews — we gather context, check with the anchor, and assess the situation with care.
A private conversation — we speak with the individual directly. Often, this is enough. People aren’t always aware of how they’re landing in the group, and a compassionate reflection can shift things.
If the behavior continues — we remove the person from the circle and, if appropriate, from future circle participation.
In cases involving harassment or safety concerns, removal may be immediate and without prior conversation. The team reserves this right to protect the wellbeing of all participants.
A removed participant will receive a private message from the team explaining the decision. They will be removed from the circle’s communication channels and will not receive further call invitations for that circle. Their existing reflections in the circle feed may be retained or removed at the team’s discretion.
Removal from one circle does not automatically prevent participation in future circles, unless the team determines that the behavior warrants a broader pause. We default to trust — and to giving people room to grow.
You can leave a circle at any time, for any reason. If you’re on the fence, we’d gently encourage trying at least a couple of calls — circles often deepen in unexpected ways. But no explanation is required, and letting us know helps us support the rest of the group.
Use the step-away form or reply to any circle email. The team will acknowledge your message within 24 hours.
If you’re stepping away because something felt wrong in the circle, please tell us. Your experience helps us steward these spaces better.
You have full control over your participation and your data:
To exercise any of these rights, use the contact form.
We may update these agreements as Metta Circles evolves. When we do, we’ll note the date below and, for material changes, notify active participants by email. Continued participation after a change constitutes acceptance.
Questions about anything on this page? We’d genuinely like to hear them. Reach out or reply to any circle email.