What is AI therapy, and how does Therapify work?
AI therapy means talking through what is on your mind with a conversational AI that is designed to listen, reflect and ask the kind of questions a counsellor would. It is not a medical treatment and it does not replace a licensed therapist. It is a private, always-available way to put feelings into words, notice patterns and decide what to do next, and for many people it is the first step toward professional help.
Therapify in numbers
- Platform: iPhone, iOS 15.1 or later (App Store id 6477453236)
- Reply time: about 2 to 5 seconds for text, 5 to 8 seconds for a spoken reply
- Memory: a summary of up to 120 words every six messages, three most recent kept
- Languages: English, Turkish, Japanese, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese
- Privacy: no account ID, e-mail, phone number or device identifier is sent to the AI provider; data is not used for model training
- Pricing: first session free, then monthly, 6-month or yearly subscription through the App Store
How is AI therapy different from traditional therapy?
Traditional therapy is a scheduled conversation with a trained human who can diagnose and treat. AI therapy is an on-demand conversation with software: it is available at 3 a.m., costs a fraction of a session, never gets tired of the same topic and lets you talk at your own pace by text. What it cannot do is assess risk the way a clinician can, prescribe anything or take responsibility for your care. Therapify is built for the first kind of support and is explicit about the second.
| Therapify | Traditional therapy | |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | Any time, in seconds | Scheduled appointments |
| Format | Text and voice messages | In person, video or phone |
| Cost | Free first session, then a subscription | Per-session fees or insurance |
| Diagnosis and treatment | No | Yes, by a licensed clinician |
| Crisis support | Points you to emergency resources | Clinical risk assessment |
| Best for | Daily reflection, stress, first steps | Ongoing care, clinical conditions |
What happens in a Therapify session?
A Therapify session is a text or voice conversation with one of several AI therapist personas, started by choosing a mood. Each message is answered in roughly 2 to 5 seconds by an AI model that has your profile answers, the conversation so far and short summaries of previous sessions. Replies follow a consistent style: reflect what you said, offer one practical idea, and end with an open question, usually in two to four sentences. A voice message is transcribed and answered in about 5 to 8 seconds, with the reply spoken back if you want it.
How does the therapist remember me?
Therapify writes a summary of at most 120 words after roughly every six messages, covering themes, goals and agreed next steps, and keeps the three most recent summaries with your account. The next session starts with those notes, so the therapist can ask how something went instead of starting from zero. Deleting a session deletes its summary; deleting the account deletes all of them.
What about safety?
Every message is screened. If the conversation suggests you may be at risk of harming yourself, the therapist responds with care, shares local crisis resources and encourages immediate help. Therapify is not an emergency service.
Is it private?
Conversations are processed by OpenAI to generate replies, but they are anonymous to OpenAI: no account ID, e-mail, phone number or device identifiers are sent, the data is not used to train models, and we do not let OpenAI keep it. You are told all of this and asked for permission before your first session, and you can delete everything from the app at any time.
When should I see a professional instead?
If low mood or anxiety lasts for weeks, affects work, sleep or relationships, or if you have thoughts of harming yourself, please contact a licensed mental health professional or a crisis line. Therapify can help you prepare for that conversation, but it should not delay it.
Published 9 September 2026. Therapify is not a medical service; see the FAQ and the privacy policy.
