Youper - CBT Therapy Chatbot

I am currently diagnosed with PTSD, GAD, Depression with a little OCD. I am currently in one on one counseling with my therapist for my issues. I was originally on a medication that caused adverse effects so I had to quit taking it which devastated me and made everything that much worse as this was a medication that worked for so many other people. One day I was searching for “calming” apps for my insomnia and I happened to come across a page about Youper. I searched for it in the App Store and decided to give it a try. Youper has helped me in so many ways with being able to keep track of my moods, my thoughts, my depression and anxiety. If my PTSD symptoms are bothering me I immediately start the “chat” with messaging to calm myself back down. Youper was such a huge help when my psychiatrist and I were trying to get me stabilized on a new medication. This app is such a big hit with my therapist that we use it during my sessions and she always goes over what all I have done with the app during the week. She has now recommended Youper to many of her patients. I cannot say thank you enough to the developers of Youper. You all literally saved my sanity during my most difficult times, including my “medication induced psychosis” from the adverse effects of my former medication. I have no idea how I could have handled that without having Youper and for that I will always be grateful, so again, thank you...very very much.

This is the first review I’ve ever written, but I just want to thank the developers SO SO MUCH for making this app completely free! I’ve only been using it for a couple of days but already it’s been so helpful to me in calming me down, tracking my moods, organizing my thoughts and it practically works as a diary. I’m also extremely interested in knowing how different kinds of therapy techniques work on the brain, so I love the scientific explanations behind what the app tells me to do. It really keeps me going, because it reminds me that it really will help. I’m currently unemployed and working to get on disability for mental illness, so I can’t afford to pay for monthly subscriptions to mental health apps, something that frustrates and upsets me a lot. So much in fact that I’m working on learning how to make my own apps so that I can provide free mental health apps for people in my situation. When I downloaded this I couldn’t believe it was so helpful, so well designed and totally free. Thank you, thank you, thank you. The only suggestion I have is I think it would be absolutely wonderful if some DBT skills were integrated into it as well, as both CBT and DBT work really well together for a lot of people! Radical acceptance for situations that can’t be changed, distress tolerance, etc. That would make this app truly perfect to me. Regardless, this app is fantastic and I’d recommend it to anyone.

I’m saying this having downloaded aura, headspace, calm, oak, simple habit, affirmation apps, and every type of mindfulness app under the sun. It has meditation, it has affirmations and setting intentions, and the “messaging” format that it has I think is very innovative and makes you feel like you’re talking to someone that actually cares about you, and a lot of the time, feeling like you’re being heard really makes the difference. I like how throughout the conversation, it helps you deconstruct the emotions you’re feeling using all those methods. I downloaded it during a period of time that I felt very anxious about where my life was, and I used it everyday, multiple times a day for about two weeks, before I didn’t feel like I needed to use it every day anymore. The option to look at your past conversations with the app really makes a difference, because you can look back and see just one week ago you were having a mental breakdown, but now everything in the world is great, lol. I also really like the feature that messages you everyday “How are you?” as if you’re receiving a text because sometimes you don’t realize you want to talk until you see that message. And on top of all that, every feature is completely free, so what more could you ask for in an app?

I am currently in graduate school studying cognitive-behavioral therapy methods and techniques, so I downloaded this app to see how it fits with what I am currently learning. I thought the app was very user-friendly and did a lot of great things that align with what I have been taught. For example, in my conversations with Youper, he really challenged my thoughts to help me get down to the root of my current problem/mood. In addition, Youper also pointed out the Thinking Traps that I was falling into which greatly resembled the problematic thinking patterns that I often identify with my clients. Lastly, I also really appreciated the meditation and mindfulness activities that Youper provided. However, in addition to the great strengths that I identified, I did have a constructive comment. First, although the app gave the disclaimer that only a doctor can provide a diagnosis, I think the developers should reconsider talking about diagnoses at all. After I completed my mental health wellness check it reported that “I did or did not experience symptoms of depression, anxiety, panic disorder, PTSD…” Although I’m sure the app developers had good intentions with including this check and talking about specific diagnoses, I think that this can be misinterpreted and possibly be problematic for certain individuals who do not have an actual mental health professional to consult with.

I have been using Youper since last October. For the first two months I used it everyday, multiple times a day, tracking everything I thought and felt. At the time I was going through a break up, hated work, couldn’t find motivation to better myself, and was overall tired of the people around me and myself. A little background I’m in the Navy and had been underway for almost three months straight. The last thing I wanted to do was talk to my chain of command about the problems I had been having for fear of being medically discharged. Luckily for me the app made a huge turnaround in my life. It allowed to open up with myself and be honest about how I was feeling and what was making me feel these ways which helped me to understand myself so much better. I really like that it has mental health monitoring and personality typing built into it. Another great feature is the guided meditations. They really come in handy when I’m trying to unwind at the end of a rough day but I’m having trouble sleeping. Although I wish there was a stand alone button on screen to access these guided meditations immediately instead of having to go through the whole process of talking with Youper. If anything could be added to the app I would vote for that. Everything else is perfect though. Keep it up!