CBT without a Therapist: Helpy vs GiGi

CBT without a Therapist: Helpy is a self-help platform centered on cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), with materials drawing on DBT and ACT. Its thought journal helps users distinguish facts from assumptions, identify cognitive distortions, and assess how well thoughts fit reality. Helpy’s AI assistant asks clarifying questions and may suggest a thought record, grounding, or breathing practice. The service offers audio and written exercises, along with screening questionnaires for anxiety, mood, sleep, and burnout; results are not diagnoses. An anxiety program is available, with its first module free, while other programs are described as forthcoming. Helpy runs on Android, iOS, and the web. The free plan includes unlimited journal use, limited AI chat replies, the full exercise library with audio, and the first module of every course. Full Access costs $29.00 USD as a one-time payment and includes unlimited conversations and journal entry analysis. Optional end-to-end encryption is off by default. When users request an entry review, its text is decrypted on their side and sent to the AI. Helpy is not medical care, therapy, or a substitute for professional care.

GiGi, also called HeyGiGi, is a web-based mental health education membership focused on practical skills for emotions, relationships, parenting and everyday challenges. Its material includes games, brain science, stories, films, tools, an AI coach and live community experiences. Each day brings a rotating game, a Daily Spark and selected articles, videos or activities. GiGi can converse, recommend content and support structured lessons and role-play; those last two modes are Premium features. Free access includes a game each day, up to three games a week, the first Learning Journey milestone, free articles and videos, and ten GiGi messages a day with an account. Premium adds a full archive, custom Toolkit lists, premium modes, a larger daily message allowance and gems each billing period. The listed plans are Free at free, Premium monthly at $9.99 a month, and Premium annual at $99.99 a year. Conversations are for adults and are not therapy, clinical care, diagnosis or crisis support. Signed-in conversations are stored until deleted and sent to an AI provider contractually barred from training on them.