A few years ago, I had a co-worker who would ask to huddle with me in order to vent on Slack. Often times, she didn’t need any advice but she wanted to talk to someone who understood the stress that she had to deal with at work. It was originally called Huddleable after Slack’s huddle feature but the name didn’t roll off the tongue well. The listeners were called Angels and I was going to have them start off as cherubs but it gave a religious connotation and I wanted to be more inclusive.

If no one was available to talk to you, I created an AI bot called Hey Friend. After seeing that people would go into psychosis from talking to AI bots, I wanted to sunset that feature in order to focus on real connections instead.

The room called Good Grief is dedicated to my friend Vijay who died on 9/11. I’ve never gotten over his death. I often talk to him and I felt guilty about bothering him by talking to him when he’s in heaven or whatever your beliefs are. I allow you to grieve at your own pace as you never get over grieving, you can only move forward with it.

For the room called We Care, this was inspired by my husband. A few years ago, I noticed changes in him. His quick wit and charm was his super power. He started to have issues speaking and communicating as well as remembering things. I’ve had to watch this beautiful person deteriorate right in front of my eyes. It’s been struggle to get our insurance to approve neurological exams or brain scans even though we pay for the highest plan at my work. I never let him see me cry but I cry at night after he has gone to bed. I begged God and to my husband’s ancestors to please help him. I stayed at a job that allowed me to work remotely so that I could take care of him.

I hope this app helps people feel better by talking or chatting with someone or by participating in the thematic rooms. The Premier plan includes a feature where you can practice gratitude journaling. The It’s Okay App is not a substitute for medical help. If you feel like you are experiencing a medical condition or a medical crisis, please see medical help or call 911.

Remember that you are the author of your life.