The best mental health chatbots in 2024

You'll also have a place to journal and your dashboard will keep a record of all the goals you crush. Marlee even sends motivational videos and articles to help you on your coaching journey.

Marlee's expertise can support individuals, and can also be scaled out for teams and organizations.

While Marlee is an advanced chatbot, it can't replace an actual therapist or mental health professional. Since the coaching approach focuses on behavioral change, it can help you identify your needs and give you the tools and support you need to improve your mental health.

One F4S user reported, "I forgot that it was AI. I honestly felt like I was talking to somebody. It's very soulful."

In chatting with Coach Marlee you'll go on a journey of self-discovery and personal growth.

Woebot Health

Woebot is a chatbot that uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) techniques to help people manage their mental health. It's designed for daily therapy sessions and specifically targets symptoms of depression and anxiety, including postpartum depression.

Woebot is based on the premise that talking to somebody about how you're feeling - even if that somebody isn't human. It can help you understand and manage your emotions better. Each day Woebot starts by asking how you're feeling, and then it will give you activities or challenges to do. These are mostly cognitive behavior therapy exercises around specific topics like anxiety, depression, relationships, or sleep.

You can also ask Woebot questions about anything that's troubling you. It'll reply with helpful information and advice.

Woebot is best for people who want to learn more about cognitive behavior therapy techniques to manage mental health issues. Studies have shown promising results so far for users (although these studies were funded by Woebot's creators)³.

If you're looking for an AI bot that can provide immediate help or support in a mental illness crisis, like most chatbots, Woebot is not really the right fit. But if you want a chatbot that will teach you how to manage your emotions better over time, Woebot might help.

Wysa

Wysa is another mental health chatbot that uses cognitive behavioral therapy techniques to help users manage their mental health.

They offer self-help tools so you can reframe your issues and see them in a different light. It's designed to be a non-judgemental mental health space where you can share your concerns. Wysa is outspoken about its privacy and security. They reassure users that their conversation history is 100% private and won't be seen by anyone other than the bot.

Wysa membership also provides access to a library of educational self-care material. Topics include relationships, trauma, and loneliness, among others. It helps you go deeper into the topics that matter to you so you can apply the knowledge to your own situation. With the premium subscription, you can interact with qualified professional therapists too. You can exchange messages and have regular live text chats. They also offer business solutions for employers, with some extra features for teams. It will look for signs of crisis or people who require extra support. Then it redirects them to resources like EAP, behavioral health providers, or even a crisis helpline.

Wysa's positive app store ratings mean it's been well-received by businesses and individuals.

Youper

Youper is a mental health chatbot app that uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Positive Psychology techniques to help users manage their mental health. Youper is one of the market leaders in 'digital therapeutics'. It helps users deal with anxiety and depression through smart AI and research-backed interventions.

Youper provides three main services. First, it offers a conversational bot that listens to and responds to users. Then it uses 'just-in-time interventions' to help manage emotional challenges whenever and wherever it's needed. Lastly, they have a learning system that personalizes recommendations based on individual needs.

Youper proudly advertises its clinical effectiveness, having been founded by doctors and therapists working alongside AI researchers.

It's another app that combines self-assessments and chatbots with a platform for talking to licensed professionals. It also measures results and success over time, so it rewards those who stick with it and are invested in their results within the program.

Human therapists as alternatives to therapy chatbots

Some of the apps we've mentioned combine AI chatbots with the option to talk to mental health care professionals or therapists. This is a nice option to have and can potentially provide a more in-depth experience. Although it will have additional costs.

Some apps focus solely on the 'live chat with a therapist' experience. While they can be expensive, many are included in insurance plans. Some are offered at work as part of an employee benefits program.

Some of the human-based therapeutic mental health apps you might be interested in are:

Talkspace

Talkspace is a super popular online therapy provider. It connects users with a network of licensed therapy providers, each with a different specialty. It also has services for couples or teens. Talkspace claims that 59% of users experience 'clinically significant change' within 3 months of starting their program.

Ginger

Ginger offers text- and video-based psychiatry sessions with evening and weekend availability. It focuses on behavioral health coaching, therapy, and psychiatry, and also has a content library of self-help material. Ginger is available for organizations, individual members, and healthcare providers.

7 Cups of Tea

This one's a bit different. 7 Cups of Tea is a mental health app that lets members connect with over 300,000 trained and certified 'listeners' - it's all about being heard. Listeners have specialties including addiction, grief, anger management, depression, anxiety, impulse control, eating disorders, chronic pain, and more. As a free service, it's a great offering for those wanting to talk about their issues to a sympathetic ear and get some really valuable advice. There's also a paid part of the service that connects you to a licensed therapist to explore your concerns further.

Do you need a mental health chatbot or a real therapist?

Now that you know more about therapy bots, and which ones are the best, you might be wondering if they can provide the mental health services you need.

Mental health chatbots can be a great way to get support and advice right when you need it, without having to see a therapist or counselor in person. They can also be a great way to supplement your existing mental health treatment plan.

If you're not sure if a mental health chatbot is right for you, ask yourself the following questions:

• Do I want to learn more about my mental health?
• Do I want to either address mental health conditions or develop my coping strategies and resilience?
• Do I want a way to track my mood and progress over time?
• Do I want to be able to get support and advice when I need it, without having to see a therapist or counselor in person?
• Am I in a relatively stable situation (not undergoing a crisis)?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, then a mental health chatbot could be a great option for you. Commitment is usually fairly minimal, with free trials and low monthly subscription plans as standard. Why not give it a try and see what works best?