Why we built it for Australians
This is a big country with a lot of distance in it. Someone in Broome, a shearer in western New South Wales and a nurse finishing a late shift in Hobart can all feel the same knot in their stomach at 1am, but they don't all have a clinic around the corner or a mate who is awake. We wanted a first step that is the same for everyone: open your phone and start typing.
Plenty of us were raised on "she'll be right" and keep problems to ourselves until they get heavy. A written chat lowers that bar. You don't have to say anything out loud, nobody sees you walk into a waiting room, and you can stop whenever you like. For many people, getting the words down is what makes the next conversation, with a partner, a GP or a support line, feel possible.
Where we're heading
We see the chat as one piece of a wider picture that already includes GPs, Medicare-subsidised care, community health services and free phone lines. Our job is to make the everyday part easier: the worries that don't feel "big enough" to ring someone about, but still keep you up.
That means being upfront about what an AI can and cannot do, keeping privacy at the centre of every decision, and pointing people towards human help whenever a conversation shows they need more than a chat can give. We keep refining the assistant so its replies stay calm, careful and useful in ordinary Australian life.
What it is, and what it isn't
It is an AI wellbeing assistant: a private, text-based space for emotional support, with practical techniques drawn from cognitive behavioural (CBT) ideas, guided calming exercises and gentle questions that help you sort through what you're feeling.
It isn't a psychologist, a counsellor or any kind of clinician, and it doesn't provide therapy. It can't diagnose a condition, recommend or adjust medication, or respond to an emergency. For ongoing care, start with your GP. If life is in danger, call Triple Zero (000). For crisis support at any hour, call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or text 0477 13 11 14. Young people aged 5 to 25 can reach Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800, men can call MensLine on 1300 78 99 78, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people can talk to 13YARN on 13 92 76.
Common questions from Australian users
Straight answers about how the chat fits alongside Medicare, your GP and the free support lines.
Ask us something elseYes, and that's one of the most useful ways to use it. Jot down how your days have been, practise a calming exercise, and note the questions you want to raise. Keep the appointment, though: the chat sits beside professional care rather than taking its place.
Your conversations are encrypted and we don't sell them or hand them to third parties. The full details are in our Privacy Policy.
If you have an internet connection on your phone, tablet or computer, it works the same in a country town or on a mine site as it does in the CBD, around the clock and on public holidays.
No. Despite the brand name, there is no psychologist or counsellor on the other end: it's an AI that offers emotional support. If you're struggling to stay safe, call 000, or Lifeline on 13 11 14.
How the assistant works
Psychologist AI reads what you type in your own words, slang and all, and responds to the mood behind it as well as the facts. If you write that you're "cooked" after a week of night shifts, it doesn't need a formal description to understand. It adapts its suggestions as the chat goes on, and everything you share stays encrypted.
