Mirror is a mental health platform designed to help new or stuck people in therapy get unstuck and make more progress through AI conversation and sharing outside of sessions, aiming to enhance therapy instead of replacing it.
UI/UX Designer
User Researcher
Prototyper
Project Manager
Richard Wu
Matthew Sharpe (Professor)
Figma
Figjam
Adobe Illustrator
8 Months
"1 in 2 Canadians will have a mental illness by the age of 40”
“Mental illness affects nearly a billion people in the world, and 14% of the world’s adolescent population”
"Mental illness costs Canada $51 billion per year, and currently mental illness the single greatest cause of disability in Canada, preventing nearly 500,000 employed people from attending work each week”
WHO, World mental health report: Transforming mental health for all, 2022.
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. “The Crisis Is Real.” CAMH, www.camh.ca/en/driving-change/the-crisis-is-real.
“More than 8 in 10 (84%) psychologists who treat anxiety disorders said they have seen an increase in demand for anxiety treatment since the start of the pandemic, compared with 74% a year ago.”
“72% of psychologists who treat depressive disorders saying they have seen an increase, compared with 60% in 2020.”
“The number of psychologists who reported receiving more referrals this year almost doubled from last year (from 37% in 2020 to 62% this year)”
“more than 4 in 10 (41%) reported being unable to meet the demand for treatment (up from 30% last year), and 46% said they felt burned out (up from 41% last year). ”
American Psychological Association. “Demand for Mental Health Treatment Continues to Increase, Say Psychologists.” American Psychological Association, 19 Oct. 2021, www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2021/10/mental-health-treatment-demand.
Mirror helps clients more easily reflect on their thoughts and feelings, as well as to practice being vulnerable and maintain momentum outside of therapy sessions through natural conversation, which is often easier and more comfortable then just being faced with a blank page for note-taking.
Users reported that it is easier to trust AI initially and to be vulnerable with AI due to them being neutral, non-judgemental and not human. AI can act as a bridge to help clients practice reflecting as a half step to support in person therapy.
Clients can highlight and share important passages to share with their therapist, usually to be read and reviewed before sessions to act as a jumping off point for more meaningful sessions
This project is still being built. Come back at a later time for updates!
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