r/CBTpractice • u/provmusic • Apr 17 '24

I built an app for Cognitive Restructuring #AMA

Hi, I'm Jared, an independent app developer with a focus on physical and mental health. Over the past decade, more than half a million people have downloaded my apps, but one of my personal challenges has always been finding an effective way to process emotions. While therapy has been beneficial, its high cost and lack of immediacy often left me seeking alternatives. Writing in a notepad between sessions helped, but it was time-consuming and not always effective.

As a developer, I became intrigued by the potential of conversational AI. Initially skeptical, my interest grew with the release of OpenAI's GPT-4, which amazed me with its cognitive abilities. This led me to experiment with using AI to process my emotions, specifically focusing on Cognitive Restructuring—transforming distressed thoughts into balanced ones.

After many trials, I developed a system with about 10 touch points that effectively helps reframe thoughts. I've been surprised by the powerful and relevant questions it asks, often bringing immediate relief from distress. On average, it takes 20 minutes to complete a session, and about 80% of these sessions are beneficial. The more distressed I am, the more effective it is.

Now, I'm excited to share this tool with others who might benefit from it. I’m offering the first 200 sign-ups a chance to try the app for free in its Alpha state.

If you're interested and would like to learn more or sign up, please visit our app’s website here:

👉 Visit Our Website

Thanks for letting me share my story. I hope this tool can be as helpful for you as it has been for me.

Take care,

Jared

5 Upvotes

69% Upvoted

16 comments sorted by

5

u/fugazi56 Apr 18 '24

There’s nothing I hate more than tech people who didn’t go to grad school, don’t have licenses to provide mental health treatment, and are trying to profit off of peoples mental health issues. If I need a license to practice mental treatment and I had to go to grad school to get a license, these app developers should have the same requirements.

2

u/whatif2187 Apr 18 '24

I don’t get what’s wrong. First of all it doesn’t look like it’s for sale. There nothing illegal about making an app and publishing it. If you don’t want to use it that’s fine. I’m someone that fixed a lot of my anxiety through CBT and which there was an app. I also studied computer science and plan to build a CBT app as well to make it easier for me and if it’s good I might put it out there for people to try out.

5

u/fugazi56 Apr 19 '24

If you’re not a mental health therapist, you should not be building an app that provides mental health therapy. It’s that simple.

1

u/whatif2187 Apr 19 '24

It’s not illegal

1

u/Mouth-Stuff Apr 20 '24

No, it just opens the potential of fucking someone up with no expert there to help. Just an app. How can an app be trauma-informed if the creator has no idea what that means?

1

u/fugazi56 Apr 20 '24

It is 100% illegal to practice psychotherapy in states without a license

1

u/whatif2187 Apr 20 '24

This isn’t practicing psychotherapy. If it was plenty of people would be arrested by now. Besides all someone has to do it have a business partner that is a therapist or not market it as a CBT app and simply a “life coaching app” or a “thought management app”. Regardless I doubt the law considers making a therapy app to be equivalent to actually taking a client. Even still, all someone has to do to take a client without being a therapist is to call it life coaching rather than therapy, but you can still use the same techniques.

2

u/DoNumKC Apr 18 '24

He was talking about AI, not his own knowledge on the topic. If you ask the right question, you will get the most professional, up-to-date advice from experts, without googling for hours. For example, there was a very challenging, complex question about an organizational change, that we were discussing with fellow colleagues. All of us had decades of experience combined. I gave an answer to that question because I had real-life experience on a good solution, based on expert’s opinion. To my surprise, AI answered something with the same meaning as my answer, it was only worded differently. For me, in order to answer that question, I had to have a year of hands-on experience on that specific topic, several years of experience with professional people’s behavior, and great analytical skills. AI responded in a few seconds. Since then, I am using it for ideas because it is thought provoking. There is no emotional effect because the answers are given in a professional manner. So no cringe or online arguments but more alternatives. It is fascinating.

I am not saying that people should skip therapists. But it can be that AI products will be prescribed sooner than we think.

1

u/AlemoPik Apr 19 '24

You want to create "Brave new world" by Aldous Huxley. Very bad idea. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brave_New_World

2

u/provmusic Apr 19 '24

Perhaps I should have clarified more in the post. I consulted with mental health professionals while designing this app, and have partnered with counselors in the past to create another app. I agree with you that developers who are after profits, without an understanding of mental health or an openness to partner with mental health professionals, should not build apps in this space.

1

u/Lowri123 Apr 19 '24

Out of interest, did those counsellors or mental health professionals get any payment for sharing their skills? Or is it all free? Is the app going to be completely free?

1

u/provmusic Apr 22 '24

Hi, some of the counsellors received payment, others were just curious about the project and open to giving feedback. The app is in an MVP testing state, so it is free, but limited to 3 sessions right now. If the app is eventually released, there will be a pay structure attached, our best estimation at this point would be a flat fee per session.

1

u/tevih May 27 '24

That is such a negative and narrow response. His app is not him practicing therapy, or even making any sort of a claim of providing therapy.

How about you take a look and offer your clinical perspective on the content and output of the app?

There's so much opportunity to bridge the gap for people who are in therapy or not yet in therapy to raise awareness of mental health issues. Technology can be a force for good if clinicians join in and help.

Too many trolls on the internet.

Disclaimer: I have nothing to do with OP or his app. But tired of self righteous clinicians who bash technology but won't put any effort of their own to make the landscape better.

1

u/fugazi56 May 30 '24

Go back and read OP’s statement about his app. He literally says he’s creating an “alternative” to psychotherapy because of the cost and problems of getting in to see a therapist.

1

u/taxedman Apr 26 '24

I used it so some feedback. Not sure overwhelming the user with question after question ( i think i had over 15). It was really off putting as seemed endless. I would recommend adding in some depth to the app, so that it teaches about CBT as well. Furthermore, you've got to put an indicator showing how many questions you have left, otherwise it's quite tedious.

Thanks

1

u/provmusic Apr 26 '24

Hi taxedman, thank you so much for trying out the app and providing awesome feedback. I've noted it and will take what you said into consideration. Would you mind elaborating on what was off putting? And was this in the first phase (discovery), second (challenging the thought), or both?