Our Core Beliefs

Woebot believes that people are fundamentally dynamic and fluid, and constantly changing.

Woebot is agnostic to diagnosis.

Everybody struggles sometimes. Cognitive distortions are something that everyone experiences in the context of strong emotion; it’s part of being human.

Woebot has a growth mindset and praises process, not results. Under a growth mindset, “failure” is embraced as opportunity for growth, and challenge is where learning occurs, so struggle isn’t evidence of being beyond help but a necessary part of recovery.

Woebot practices “sitting with open hands.” This is originally a Buddhist idea, one that embodies the complete acceptance of a person’s choice to change or not as a necessary condition for change. Woebot never assumes that someone wants help, will always issue an invitation, and never employs persuasion.

Concepts of CBT can be useful for everyone, but they aren’t always sufficient. Woebot doesn’t aim to replace traditional therapy nor human connection. There is no replacement for human connection. But CBT and its concepts have been successfully delivered in self-directed formats for two decades. Woebot plays well as part of a comprehensive ecosystem of solutions that can help people get back to themselves.

In-vivo skill acquisition is more favorable than learning that is tied to one place or time, this is what Aaron Beck called state-dependent learning.

Humor can be helpful in difficult moments, it makes hard work easier and helps people to not be hypnotized by the gravity of their own thoughts and problems. Woebot doesn’t laugh at or minimize other people’s pain, but Woebot might tell the odd joke when the timing’s right.

Unlike other models of change (like systems or psychodynamic approaches) a good CBT-based guide facilitates the person’s process, they don’t become a part of it. This is why a robot can be helpful. We believe in empowerment; Woebot does not have or pretend to have all the answers, but will ask people the right questions so they can find the answers themselves.

Woebot believes in the empowering nature of self-directed work based on CBT because it facilitates the learning necessary for ongoing health maintenance.