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Wysa is used by more than a million people from all walks of life. Research-backed, widely used techniques of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), and meditation are employed to support you with depression, stress, anxiety, sleep and a whole range of other mental health and wellness needs.
Talking to Wysa is empathetic, helpful, and will never judge. Your identity will remain anonymous and your conversations are privacy protected.
Wysa is an emotionally intelligent chatbot that uses AI to react to the emotions you express. Unlock techniques that help you cope with challenges. For extra support, take guidance from qualified mental health professional. Leveraging behavioral techniques, mental health professional help you identify, design and work towards goals that are aligned with your true values.
Here’s a look at what you can use Wysa for :
– Vent and talk through things or just reflect on your day
– Practice CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) and DBT techniques to build resilience in a fun way
– Deal with loss, worries, or conflict, using conversational coaching tools
– Relax, focus and sleep peacefully with the help of mindfulness exercises
– Wysa connects with your Health app for to create activity reports
93% of the people who talk to Wysa find it helpful. So, talk to Wysa!
Wysa has lots of cool tools:
– Build confidence and reduce self-doubt: core mindfulness, visualization, confidence techniques, advanced mindfulness for self-esteem
– Manage anger: mindfulness meditation, exercises for compassion, calming your thoughts, practice breathing
– Manage anxious thoughts and anxiety: deep breathing, techniques for observing thoughts, visualization, and tension relief
– Manage conflict at work, school or in relationships: special mindfulness and visualization techniques like the empty chair exercise, gratitude meditation, exercises to build skills in having difficult conversations
REVIEWS:
BLOOMBERG:
“Powered by artificial intelligence, the app promises to be loyal, supportive and very private.”
– Bloomberg
UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON:
“There are some great apps out there that can provide you with formal or informal therapy, either for free or for a fee that is far less than seeing a typical therapist. Wysa is a cute app that lets you talk with a penguin chatbot about whatever’s on your mind. It’s free, anonymous, and low-pressure.”
-University of Washington, Mental Healthcare on and off campus
BBC:
“New apps and platforms are seen as a way to reach younger people with mental health conditions. Tools such as [Wysa] are helping young people deal with their problems.”
– BBC Click
“With the accessibility of mobile phones, Wysa is confident about serving a market that is very much in need of counselling in the digital age.”
– BBC News
PRICING AND TERMS
Wysa offers two auto-renewing subscription types for access to a coach and/or tools
Wysa Premium Plus – $99.99 per month (Coach + Tools)
Wysa Premium – $99.99 per year (Tools)
This price is for US customers, and may vary in other countries. Actual charges may be converted to your local currency depending on the country of residence.
Your subscription will automatically renew at the end of each term and you will be charged through your iTunes account. You can turn off auto-renew at any time from your iTunes account settings but refunds will not be provided for any unused portion of the term.
• Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period
• Account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period
• Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription to that publication, where applicable
Read more about our terms and conditions here –
http://beta.touchkin.com/wysa-terms.html
Read more about our privacy policy here –
http://beta.touchkin.com/privacy-policy.html
Wysa User Reviews
The Wysa app has a 4.9-star rating from 9,500+ reviews in the Apple App Store , and a 4.8-star rating from 115,000+ reviews in the Google Play Store. While there were a lot of positive reviews of the Wysa app, a few issues were continuously brought up.
Difficulty Engaging With the Chatbot
Many of the negative reviews of Wysa stemmed from how cold and generic the chatbot responses were. Users mentioned that it doesn’t really respond to your written answers and works best when you utilize pre-populated responses.
Even those users who positively reviewed the app mentioned that the chatbot doesn’t seem to really understand what they’re asking or saying. I have to agree with both camps on this issue – I have yet to encounter an AI chatbot that can effectively simulate a real conversation.
Subscription Cost Issues
I noticed that many users were complaining about a paywall that has now been put in place. People mentioned that free content had been removed which was frustrating. This paywall seemed to cause confusion around the difference between the premium version of the app and the therapy/coaching offering.
Reports of Great Customer Service
Despite all the issues users seemed to have with Wysa’s AI chatbot and the subscriptions, people came back to mention how great the customer service was. I honestly cannot agree more with this. Throughout my own process of figuring out the app and learning what it offers, I sent several emails to Wysa and they were nothing but helpful and provided excellent answers to my questions.
How Much Does Wysa Cost?
Wysa’s free version gives you a good feel for what the premium app offers, but only gives you access to one exercise per module. The premium version unlocks all exercises and content, and costs $68.99 per year for Android users and $74.99 per year for Apple users. Coaching sessions cost $29.99 per individual 30-minute session, or you can choose a one or three month subscription for additional savings. Unfortunately, there are no free trials available at this time.
Wysa Well-Being Coaching
Wysa “Well-Being Coaching” consists of 30 minute, live text sessions with a mental health coach, and access to everything in the premium app. You can choose to have individual coaching sessions for $29.99, or sign up for a one or three month subscription which includes one session per week.
For Android users, Wysa Coaching costs:
- $29.99 per individual session
- $99.99 for a one month subscription (4 sessions per month)
- $179.99 for a three month subscription (4 sessions per month & comes with a 7 day free-trial)
For Apple users, Wysa Coaching costs:
- $29.99 per individual session
- $79.99 for a one month subscription (4 sessions per month)
- $144.99 for a three month subscription (4 sessions per month, no free-trial)
If you choose to meet with a coach, you can also send messages to your coach anytime in between sessions. Coaches will usually respond at least once a day to any messages sent outside of the live texting sessions. All of Wysa’s coaches are all mental health professionals with a master’s in clinical or counseling psychology. They are either US-based coaches or therapists who live and practice in India, which is why they can only provide coaching support to those of us in the USA.
Does Wysa Take Insurance?
No, Wysa does not accept insurance at this time.
What If I Want to Cancel Wysa?
You can cancel your account at any time through the app store. Simply go into your settings and select “Manage Subscription”, then cancel your subscription. If you have any questions or concerns, you can email Wysa at: [email protected].
Does the Wysa App Offer Refunds?
Wysa offers refunds on a case-by-case basis and you must email them at: [email protected] to make a request.
Wysa App Discounts
Discount Yes/No Free App
Yes Free Trial
Only for Coaching on Android
Student Discount
No Family Plan
No Military Discount
No Financial Aid
No
How to Get Started With Wysa
You can download the Wysa app from the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store. Currently, there is no option to sign up on their main website.
Step 1
To get started with the free version of Wysa, download the app from the Google Play or Apple App store.
Step 2
You will not have to create an account to use Wysa, all you have to enter is a nickname and build your “space”. You will be given a list of “challenges”, like anxiety, motivation, depression, work stress, self-esteem, and more, and these will be added to your new home screen.
Step 3
Your final step will be to choose whether you want to do the Self-Care plan or if you want to work with a Coach. To get a good feel of the app, I recommend you select the Self-Care option and then exit out of the pay screen. This will allow you to explore the free offerings and get a good feel for how the app is laid out.
Is The Wysa App Safe?
Yes, Wysa is HIPPA compliant and does not ask you to share any of your personally identifiable information with them during the sign-up process.
For more information, please view Wysa’s Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
Wysa Free App: Detailed Review
Wysa’s free app offers one exercise in each learning module (32 modules in total) for you to complete. This will give you a really good sense of how each exercise is guided by the AI bot and the free version will give you a great sense of how the app works.
Feature 1: Home Screen
On the home screen in the Wysa app, you can find the AI chat penguin and begin chatting right away. Once you chat with the AI penguin a couple of times, it will start asking you to do a mood check-in. These are very quick and ask you to adjust a smiley face and choose why you feel that way from a list of factors, like work, school, hunger, etc.
Also found on the home screen is quick access to different educational modules, which Wysa calls “packs”. There are 32 packs in total and each pack features exercises, which are guided learning lessons with the AI penguin. The learning modules are on topics like anxiety, stress, pregnancy, self-esteem, and more. In the Stress pack, for example, you can do the exercise “De-Clutter Your Mind” for free and you can use it as a diary to log your thoughts and examine if it is a negative thought that needs to be reframed.
Feature 2: Journal
The journal function in the Wysa app is not actually a diary or journal but actually functions as a list of everything you have completed in the app. This will show you the date and time of each exercise you completed as well as the option to go back and reread what you wrote. Rereading your previous negative thoughts and seeing how you reframed them can be an impactful way for you to see your growth over time.
Wysa Premium App: Detailed Review
Wysa’s premium subscription unlocks all of the 32 learning modules, which gives you over 200 exercises to complete. These modules cover topics like productivity, beating stress, LGBTQIA+, being mindful, and wellness.
Feature 1: Self-Care Library
All of the modules, called “Packs”, can be found in the “Self-Care Library”. Depending on which learning module you want to try first, there can be as few as five exercises to complete up to 13 exercises to complete. There are even sleep stories and sleep sounds to help you fall asleep at night.
Feature 2: Well-Being Coaching
Wysa has a section called “Therapy” in the app, but you will actually be connecting with a mental health coach, which they call a “Well-Being Coach”. The cost for coaching with Wysa can be billed in three months, one month, or one session increments. A single session is 30 minutes long and costs $29.99, the other subscription costs will depend on if you have Android or Apple.
Coaching with Wysa is done in the app and through text messages only. With the coaching package, you will get one live, 30 minute, texting session per week. In between live sessions, you can message your coach anytime, as many times as you want, and can usually expect an answer at least once every 24 hours. Wysa has US-based coaches or licensed therapists that live in India, which is why they can only provide coaching to those of us in the US.
After you choose to do coaching, you will be automatically matched with a coach. Once matched, you can click on their picture and read about their education, background, and see where they live. The coach I was matched with has a Masters in Clinical Psychology and is certified in CBT techniques. Knowing that I get to work with a coach that has professional training put my mind at ease.
During the live text session I attended, my coach taught me the STOPP technique, which I had not been taught before. The STOPP technique is great for people who have anxious or negative thoughts throughout the day and it basically asks you to pause what you are doing and check your thoughts and see if you can reframe anything at that moment.
An interesting thing about coaching with Wysa is that you remain anonymous. There is never a point where you have to share your real name, email address, or any other personal information. You are also never asked to sign a privacy statement or a HIPAA agreement.
(There are no images for the coaching sessions at this time, the app has a security function that disables the phone from taking screenshots.)
How are Wysa Coaches Vetted/Credentialed?
Wysa coaches are all mental health professionals with a master’s in clinical or counseling psychology. All of their coaches are members of professional organizations like the American Psychological Association or with the British Psychological Society. Many of Wysa’s coaches are therapists, but since they live and practice in India, they can only provide coaching support to those of us in the USA. Their US-based team are coaches, but not licensed therapists.
How Does Matching With a Coach Work?
Wysa will automatically place you with a coach after you choose a date and time for your first session. You will also share any challenges you are dealing with and may want to focus on during your coaching session.
You can change coaches, but you must write to Wysa asking for this change. You can contact them at: [email protected] or [email protected].
How Has Wysa Changed?
Wysa was founded in 2016 by Jo Aggarwal. She was inspired to create Wysa out of her own experience with depression. The goal of the app, and the company, is to make mental health care accessible and available to all and to reduce the stigma around seeking help and support.
In talking to the team at Wysa, I asked them what makes Wysa a unique app and what they want customers to know. Mariam Mushtaq told me, “We understand that mental health is personal to everyone and to cater to that Wysa provides mental health support with a unique blend of AI-guided listening and professional expert support that is anonymous, available 24×7, and clinically approved.” (M. Mushtaq. Personal communication, March 23, 2022)
In a follow-up email with Wysa, they also shared that they are currently working on creating a global team of mental health coaches.
Wysa vs Woebot
Wysa and Woebot both prominently feature AI chatbots to lead you through various exercises and activities in their apps. Both apps are based on CBT techniques and also promote the notion of self-care with the AI chatbots working like mini-life coaches. Both apps are a great fit for people who really like chatbots and need a little bit of guidance while they complete CBT activities.
Woebot is completely free and does not have any premium features, nor do they offer mental health coaching with a live person. Wysa, on the other hand, has a premium version, starting at $68.99, and live coaching starting at $29.99 per 30-minute session. Woebot would be a good fit for someone who is looking for a good, free CBT AI chatbot, and Wysa is a better fit for those who want to pay for a little extra support.
Visit Woebot
Final Verdict on Wysa
Wysa is a pretty good tool to help learn and maintain CBT skills and techniques. However, the AI chatbot can feel restricting at times and doesn’t always respond correctly in a conversation. While it is nice to have a guide for some of the activities in the app, it can become tiresome to deal with the AI bot every single time you want to journal.
The option to have a mental health coach is a great feature and would be even better if there was a face-to-face option available. All of the coaches for Wysa are professionals in the mental health field and receive CBT training, which makes trusting their advice easier. Despite being able to text with a live person, Wysa is missing a human element in the app. While this app is a pretty good CBT app, it could be a really amazing app if you got to have face-to-face coaching sessions.
Visit Wysa
