Flourish — iOS’s First AI Therapy App (Jan 2023)

Overview

Flourish was the first AI Therapy app on the app store launched in January 2023.

Built to address the access crisis in mental health—where therapy is cost‑prohibitive for large segments of the population—Flourish pairs a friendly, guided chat experience with a suite of evidence‑informed wellness tools. Under the hood, the assistant used GPT‑3 to deliver supportive, context‑aware conversations, with clear guardrails and a UX designed for calm, clarity, and continuity of care sessions.

Mission: reduce barriers to mental health support by offering an approachable, always‑available companion with practical tools users can reach for anytime.

How the Interface Works

Home hub: A simple menu routes to Chat, Breathing, Tools (meditation, journaling, assessments), and Sessions.
AI chat interface ("Fleur"): Bubble‑based chat with typing indicators and conversation memory. Previous sessions can be revisited from a sessions list. Prominent guidance and tone reinforce supportive boundaries and next‑step suggestions.
Breathing & white noise: Animated breathing timer with haptics and optional ambient audio to pace exercises. Designed for quick relief and repeatability.
Assessments & journaling: Lightweight, structured prompts to reflect on mood, stress, and goals; entries persist locally with cloud sync when available.
Paywall & onboarding: Freemium access with transparent upgrade via RevenueCat; onboarding clarifies capabilities, privacy, and when to seek professional help.

Key Features

AI‑powered support (GPT‑3): Context‑aware conversation flow with session memory for continuity.
Wellness toolkit: Breathing exercises, guided meditation, stress assessments, daily journaling, and goal planning.
Subscription & access: Freemium model with seamless upgrades; designed to broaden access while sustaining ongoing development.
Delightful UX: Haptic feedback, smooth animations, and a calming visual system for low‑friction, repeatable use.
Offline‑first touches: Core tools (like breathing and journaling) remain usable without connectivity; data syncs when back online.

Architecture & Stack

Frontend: React Native + Expo; React Navigation; Tailwind‑style utilities (twrnc); Moti for animations; Gesture Handler for touch interactions.
AI: GPT‑3‑powered assistant with conversation context and safety scaffolding.
Backend & services: Firebase Authentication, Realtime Database, and Analytics for session and usage telemetry.
Monetization: RevenueCat for subscriptions, entitlements, and promo codes.

Impact

First‑to‑market on iOS for AI‑driven therapy (Jan 2023), establishing early UX and compliance patterns for the category.
Accessibility focus: On‑demand support and practical tools help reduce cost and availability barriers to mental health resources.

Notes