The AI therapist you can see right now

In-person therapy typically runs $100–$300 per session in the U.S., with most sessions averaging $150–$200 even with insurance. Without coverage, a full course of treatment can run several thousand dollars. Renée offers evidence-based AI therapy, including CBT tools, mood support, voice calls, and longitudinal memory, for less than a cup of coffee a week. No insurance required, no per-session fees, no credit card to start.

Therapist waitlists in most U.S. cities run 3–6 months, and often longer for specialists. A 2023 APA survey found that 6 in 10 psychologists had no openings for new patients. Renée is available the moment you open the app, no waitlist, no scheduling, no intake forms. Many people start with Renée while they're on a waitlist for a therapist near them, using the time to understand their own patterns before their first appointment.

Licensed therapists handle the full range of mental health concerns: anxiety, depression, trauma, relationship conflict, grief, OCD, ADHD, eating disorders, and clinical diagnoses that require prescription access. Renée covers the overlapping space, including anxiety, relationship stress, self-doubt, low mood, overthinking, burnout, and loneliness, for everything that doesn't require clinical diagnosis or prescription. For complex trauma, medication management, or formal diagnosis, a licensed therapist near you remains the right tool.

No, and we're honest about that. Renée works best as a complement to professional care, or as the starting point for people who can't currently access a therapist. For clinical diagnosis, trauma processing, medication management, and deep long-term work, a licensed human therapist is irreplaceable. Where Renée fills the gap: the daily anxiety, recurring relationship patterns, late-night overthinking, and everything in between therapy appointments.

The honest comparison: most therapists near you are available 45–50 minutes once a week, during business hours, with at least a few days' notice. Renée is available 24/7, in real-time, by text or voice, with zero scheduling friction. Most mental health moments, including the anxiety spike, the post-argument spiral, and the 2 a.m. overthinking loop, don't happen during business hours. Renée is built for exactly those moments.

Therapist shortages are severe across North America and most of Europe. The APA reported in 2023 that demand for mental health services increased by 25% post-pandemic while the supply of licensed clinicians stayed nearly flat. Many therapists have full caseloads, don't accept insurance, or specialize in conditions that don't match what you're dealing with. If you're hitting dead ends, Renée is a meaningful bridge while you keep looking.

Cost is one of the biggest structural barriers to mental health care. Sessions typically run $100–$300, and even 'affordable' subscription platforms charge $60–$100 per week. Renée removes that barrier: the free tier is genuinely usable, not a teaser, and the paid plan costs a fraction of a single therapy session per month. No insurance, no per-session fees, no surprise charges.

Absolutely, this is actually one of the most common ways people start with Renée. Many users come while on a therapist waitlist, using the time to understand their own emotional patterns and process day-to-day stress. Therapists consistently report that clients who've done some prior reflection, even with AI, show up to their first session with a clearer sense of what they want to work on and make faster progress. See how Renée helps while you wait.

Yes, 24/7, with no appointment and no calendar. Research consistently shows that mental health struggles peak outside business hours: late nights, early mornings, weekends. The gap between when you need support and when your therapist is available is where a lot of people fall through. Renée closes that gap. Text or voice, 2 a.m. or Sunday afternoon, it's there when the moment hits, not when the calendar clears.

Therapists come in several licensed forms: psychologists (Ph.D./Psy.D.) who can diagnose and in some states prescribe; licensed counselors (LPC/LMHC) focused on talk therapy; social workers (LCSW) who offer therapy and broader support services; and marriage and family therapists (LMFT) who specialize in relational work. The right type depends on your needs: formal diagnosis and medication require a psychiatrist or psychologist; most talk therapy for anxiety, relationships, and mood can be handled by any licensed clinician. Renée covers the conversational, pattern-based, emotional processing work that spans most of these modalities.

Yes, the same clinical foundation, differently delivered. Renée is built on the evidence-based modalities that licensed therapists use: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Internal Family Systems (IFS), and Narrative Therapy. The difference is delivery: Renée is conversational AI rather than a licensed human, and it's available 24/7 rather than once a week. It also builds longitudinal memory of your history across sessions, something most in-person therapy has to reconstruct from notes.

Yes, and in some ways more so than seeing a therapist near you. Renée never shares your data with insurance companies, employers, healthcare providers, or any third party. Conversations are encrypted and stay within Renée. There's no billing system that creates a paper trail, no office staff who can see your intake form, and no session notes that could be requested in legal proceedings. What you tell Renée stays with Renée. That's a firm policy, not fine print.