Connection Circle: A Psychology Discussion Group

In this bonus event of Connection Circle, we'll explore a movie club format.

Spirited Away isn't just a coming-of-age tale. It's a reflection on what we lose in order to belong, and what we reclaim when someone sees us clearly. Together, we'll explore themes of identity, memory, boundaries, and the strange spaces where we come to know ourselves and others.

The movie follows 10-year-old Chihiro, who stumbles into a mysterious spirit world after her parents are transformed into pigs. Trapped in a bathhouse run by a powerful witch, she must navigate unfamiliar customs, earn her place through work, and uncover her true name to find the way home.

As we trace Chihiro's journey from a frightened child to someone who finds her footing in a surreal world of spirits, we'll reflect on our own moments of becoming. What parts of ourselves have we had to surrender to survive? What happens when we are seen, named or recognized by someone else? And how do we reclaim what was once ours?

Watch Spirited Away beforehand as it won't be screened at the event. It's currently available on Netflix and other platforms.

Connection Circle is a psychology-based discussion group. We explore emotional themes through a lens of introspection and relational insight, one conversation at a time. This bonus event won't replace our regular ones. It's a new concept we're exploring: a psychology discussion inspired by film.

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Important Note:
Connection Circle is a space for meaningful conversation and shared reflection. While we often explore topics that touch on psychology, emotion and personal experience, this group is not a form of therapy or mental health support. There are no therapists or mental health professionals involved in organizing or facilitating the group. If you're in need of psychological care, please seek support from a qualified mental health professional.

AI is quietly becoming one of our most dependable companions.

We ask it the questions we're not ready to ask anyone else. We cast it as therapist, fact-checker, and stand-in for our private thoughts. We let it witness our spirals, our obsessive rants, our midnight worries. And often, it responds with more patience, consistency, and curiosity than the people in our lives. It's always there at the palm of our hand—any time, any day, asking for nothing in return.

What are we really seeking when we turn to technology for comfort? What does it mean—psychologically, relationally, existentially—that we've built tools that seem to listen better than we do? Can something that doesn't feel still help us feel seen? And if so… are we healing something, or drifting further apart from each other?

In this week's Connection Circle, we'll explore the role AI is beginning to play in our emotional wellbeing. We'll reflect on what happens when support comes without presence, and when validation comes without conflict or risk. We'll consider how grief, disconnection, or past wounds might be shaping our pull toward AI—and what that pull might mean for the future of our relationships, our intimacy, and even our humanity.

Some of the questions we'll explore:

• Have you ever turned to AI when you were feeling lonely, anxious or overwhelmed?
• Does using AI make you feel more or less connected to the people in your life?
• Do you speak to AI differently than you would to a person? How do its responses compare?
• Are we outsourcing emotional labor to machines?
• Can AI foster intimacy—or is it the most refined form of solitude?

Come join us in this discussion about our growing emotional attachment to AI.

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Important Note:
Connection Circle is a space for meaningful conversation and shared reflection. While we often explore topics that touch on psychology, emotion and personal experience, this group is not a form of therapy or mental health support. There are no therapists or mental health professionals involved in organizing or facilitating the group. If you're in need of psychological care, please seek support from a qualified mental health professional.