KINDsynce

Stronger relationships, backed by science

The Challenge

Half of all mental health clients seek counselling for relationship issues, yet accessible, personalised, and evidence-based support remains scarce. Existing options can be costly, inconvenient, and fail to meet couples' unique needs. Meanwhile, therapists receive minimal training in couple therapy, and the field lacks cohesive assessments, reducing treatment effectiveness and sometimes leading to harmful outcomes.

The Solution

A platform consisting of an assessment tool has been developed from a decade of investigation into the research literature regarding what factors create and maintain couple relationship well-being. Based on the findings of more than 25,000 research studies that formed part of Dr Gold’s PhD research, which has not been done previously in the field.

The online assessment tool was launched in early 2025 but the next steps for KINDsynce (pronounced Kind-Science) are already in the planning stages, including:

• AI-facilitated therapist matching- using AI to match patients with therapists based on their assessment results (similar to the TOP match tool developed by David Kraus)
• Webinars – live and pre-produced: Jennifer to lead live and pre-produced online webinars focused on the various factors involved in creating and maintaining healthy and fulfilling couple relationships.
• In-Person Group Courses and Retreats: In-person group courses, presentations, and retreats are tailored to couples looking to enhance relationship well-being, in addition to weekend or weeklong retreats for couples led by Jennifer.
• Couples support groups: Facilitating connections to in-person therapists who have demonstrated training and effectiveness in the realm of couple relationships, further enhancing the support available to users.
• Training for couple therapist- Participate in group training sessions led by Jennifer, designed to equip therapists with the knowledge and skills necessary to effectively enhance couple relationship well-being. Based on extensive research in relationship science, this training program is essential for those seeking to be recommended by L2L as therapists or coaches in the field of couple relationships.
• Video Group Courses- L2L to provide an organisation with videos, manuals, and advertising materials for in-house facilitators to take a group through the material on their own time and in their own space.

Our Contribution

The development and early-stage commercialisation of this science-backed relationship assessment tool has been supported by funding from AUT Ventures and KiwiNet.

From assessing the commercial viability to advising on intellectual property, coordinating industry connections, and executing contracts, AUT Ventures supported the team to use their research for real-world impact.

For more details, please contact AUT Ventures.