A private place to talk about your family
Maybe it's a sibling you haven't spoken to since the argument, or a parent who gets defensive every time you set a boundary. Maybe you keep giving and still feel like the one nobody calls, or the holidays are coming and you're already dreading the table. Family is hard to talk about with family, and friends only hear one side.
Ember is a private place to talk about your family with an AI, by voice or text, at any hour. It listens, remembers what you said, and knows how things went for other people who stood where you are: what they tried, and what happened after. It won't tell you what to do.
Talk it out now · Join Ember — one text
In beta · 18+ · Nothing you tell becomes a public post.
What other people asked
Every situation people keep coming back to has a public page on Ember, where you can read what the people there asked and how it went for them, drawn from what they went through and never with anyone's name or words.
- Feeling unwanted by family despite trying to stay close — "Does giving more ever actually bring family closer?"
- Feeling overwhelmed by family problems — "How do I deal with family who keep asking for things, or who turn on me?"
Other situations people have brought to Ember: estranged from a sibling after a family conflict · wanting to reconnect with a sibling · choosing to stop speaking to a sibling · setting boundaries with a parent who gets defensive · feeling guilty for setting boundaries with a parent · estranged from a parent · lonely while surrounded by family · a meddling mother-in-law
From the Ember blog: Feeling unwanted by family, even though you keep trying · Feeling overwhelmed by family problems, and carrying it alone
If it's about your grown children or a parent you're caring for, there's more on talking about your grown children and talking about caring for a parent.
How talking to Ember works
- You talk, privately. Start with the last thing that was said, the call you keep putting off, the group chat you left, or the dinner you're dreading.
- Ember listens with what others lived. Behind the conversation, it draws on what other people went through with their own families, so it can ask what they found themselves asking and tell you how it went for them.
- Stories, only with a yes. When someone who stood where you are has said yes to sharing, Ember may offer you their story to read. You choose.
- People, when you're ready. Later, if you want, Ember can introduce you to someone you'd get along with, or to a small room about something you love. Nothing you said to Ember is shown to them.
Once you've said enough, Ember writes it into one clear page in your own words: your Ember.
What Ember is not
Ember is an AI. It isn't family therapy, counseling, legal advice, or an emergency service, and it won't decide for you. If someone is in immediate danger, call 911. If you're thinking about harming yourself, call or text 988 any time to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
Is it private?
Nothing you tell becomes a public post. No one can read your Ember unless you separately say yes. Read exactly how privacy works on Ember.
Frequently asked questions
Is there somewhere private to talk about my family?
Yes. Ember is an AI you can talk to about your family by voice or text, on the web, in the Ember: Talk It Out app for iOS and Android, by phone call, or by text message. Nothing you tell becomes a public post, and you can start without an account.
Will Ember tell me whether to cut contact?
No. Ember listens and helps you see what matters to you, and what you might be missing. It can tell you how it went for people who stepped back and for people who stayed close, but the decision stays yours.
I'm dreading the holidays with my family. Can Ember help?
You can talk it through before and after: what you're dreading, what you want to say and what you'd rather leave unsaid. Ember can tell you how it went for people who stood somewhere similar. It won't decide for you.
Does it cost anything?
Ember is in beta, and we’re starting to test subscriptions with some new accounts. Most accounts aren’t asked to subscribe. If yours is, you’ll see it up front — $9.99 a month after a free trial, and nothing is charged unless you choose to subscribe.
Is Ember family therapy?
No. Ember is an AI, for one person to talk things through. It isn't therapy, counseling, or an emergency service.
You don't have to have it figured out to start. Say the part that's on your mind.
Talk it out now · Join Ember — one text
In beta · 18+ · Nothing you tell becomes a public post.
Ember is an AI. It isn't therapy or an emergency service. Made by Oriscen Inc. · 18+
Privacy · Terms · Ways to use Ember · contact@oriscen.ai
You can start right now
No account to begin. Say as much or as little as you want.
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