Free to start in your browser, no sign-up. Voice or text, private, and on iPhone and Android when you want it in your pocket.
Therapist-backed
Free AI therapy app24/7 AI therapist
Private & encrypted
No data sharing. Ever
Made in Canada
Unlimited memoryTherapist-backedFree AI therapy app24/7 AI therapistPrivate & encryptedNo data sharing. EverMade in CanadaUnlimited memoryTherapist-backedFree AI therapy app24/7 AI therapistPrivate & encryptedNo data sharing. EverMade in CanadaUnlimited memoryTherapist-backedFree AI therapy app24/7 AI therapistPrivate & encryptedNo data sharing. EverMade in CanadaUnlimited memoryA virtual counselor is someone you talk to about what is going on in your life without being in the same room. The term covers two different things: a licensed human counsellor you meet over video, and an AI counsellor you can open and talk to immediately. Renée is the second kind. You speak or type about a situation, and it responds with reflective questions, coping tools and guidance, drawing on approaches like cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), Internal Family Systems and narrative work.
You talk or type.
Open a conversation by voice or text, with no appointment and no waitlist. It asks questions instead of handing you a verdict.
It works to a method.
Depending on what you bring, it may use CBT-style reframing, IFS-style parts work, or narrative work on the story you are telling yourself.
It remembers and reflects.
Each session builds on the last. Over time it tracks your mood and the themes that keep returning, and reflects back the ones you may not notice.
| Task | Can it? | What that means |
|---|---|---|
| Talk through a problem at 2am | Yes | No appointment, no waitlist, no travel. This is the single thing a virtual counselor does better than any in-person service, because the constraint it removes is availability. |
| Listen by voice, not just text | Yes | Renée supports spoken conversation with tone analysis, so how you say something shapes the response. Typing out a panic attack is harder than talking through it. |
| Remember what you said last session | Yes | Renée carries your history forward rather than resetting each conversation. Memory is what lets counselling compound instead of restarting from the top every time. |
| Work through a decision you are stuck on | Yes | Counselling tends to be problem-focused, and this is where that fits. Naming the options out loud, and being asked what you are actually afraid of, moves a stuck decision. |
| Use a counselling framework | Yes | Conversations are structured around Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Internal Family Systems and Narrative Therapy rather than open-ended chat. |
| Notice a pattern you cannot see yourself | Yes | Recurring themes across months are visible to a tool that retains them. This is where a virtual counselor earns its place rather than imitating a human one. |
| Rehearse a hard conversation | Yes | Low stakes, infinite patience, no social cost to getting it wrong the first four times. |
| Diagnose a mental health condition | No | Diagnosis is a clinical act requiring a licensed professional. Any service implying otherwise is overstating what it is. |
| Prescribe or adjust medication | No | This requires a physician or psychiatrist. No AI tool can do it, in any jurisdiction. |
| Treat trauma | No | Structured trauma treatment such as EMDR or prolonged exposure needs a trained clinician who can hold the process safely. Talking through a traumatic memory with an AI is not the same thing and can leave you worse off. |
| Act as a school or academic counselor | No | Renée cannot see your transcript or school record, and does not advise on course selection, college applications, financial aid or an IEP. For that, ask your school for its own remote counselling service. |
| Handle a crisis | No | A virtual counselor is not an emergency service. Call or text 988 in the US and Canada, or Crisis Services Canada at 1-833-456-4566. |
| Replace a licensed counselor | No | It works best alongside human care, or as a starting point when care is not accessible or affordable yet. Treating it as a replacement is the mistake this category invites. |
If you are in crisis, please use a crisis helpline rather than an app.
Most pages about virtual counselling either oversell it or dismiss it. These are the primary sources, with dates, so you can check them yourself.
| Question | What the source says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Does counselling with an AI actually reduce symptoms? | In the first clinical trial of a generative-AI therapy chatbot, participants diagnosed with depression saw a 51% average reduction in symptoms, and those with generalized anxiety a 31% average reduction. Participants at risk for eating disorders showed a 19% average reduction in concerns about body image and weight. | Dartmouth, Therabot trial (March 27, 2025) |
| How long was that trial? | Participants randomly selected to use Therabot received four weeks of unlimited access, with a second assessment after a further four weeks. Results were published in NEJM AI. | Dartmouth / NEJM AI |
| Do the researchers say it can run unsupervised? | No. The study’s first author states that "no generative AI agent is ready to operate fully autonomously in mental health where there is a very wide range of high-risk scenarios it might encounter." | Michael Heinz, Dartmouth |
| Is an AI counselor legal everywhere in the US? | No. Illinois enacted the Wellness and Oversight for Psychological Resources Act on August 4, 2025, which prohibits anyone from using AI to provide mental health and therapeutic decision-making, while still allowing AI for administrative and supplementary support for licensed professionals. | Illinois IDFPR (August 4, 2025) |
| Which other states restrict it? | Nevada’s AB 406 prohibits offering AI systems designed to provide services that constitute the practice of professional mental or behavioral healthcare, and prohibits claiming an AI system can provide such care. It does not restrict administrative uses such as scheduling and billing. | Nevada AB 406, via Wilson Sonsini |
| Are regulators looking at this? | Yes. The FDA’s Digital Health Advisory Committee met on November 6, 2025 specifically on generative AI-enabled digital mental health medical devices. | US Food and Drug Administration |
Renée is a supportive tool, not a licensed provider, and does not offer counselling or therapy in the clinical or legal sense. Availability and features may differ where local law restricts AI in mental healthcare.
felt better after just one conversation
conversations held this month alone, and counting
most users felt heard within their first 8 minutes
thing users say "I didn't know I needed this!"
ADHD means I've quit basically every journaling app, every therapy tool, everything over and over. Renée just kind of… worked with me instead of against me. Short messages, no pressure, no homework. It even helped me get consistent with my stuff.
Daniel
Peter
My relationship anxiety was getting bad to the point where it was all I couldn't think about anything else. Renée helped me slow down our arguments enough to actually hear each other. Now we see a therapist, but Renée is what got us there.
Sofia
I didn't even realize I was having anxiety attacks. I thought I was just bad at handling stress. Renée was the first thing that helped me connect the dots, just by asking the right questions at the right time.
Priya
Kyle
I kept second-guessing whether my marriage was worth saving or whether I was just scared to leave. I needed somewhere to think out loud without someone pushing me either way. That's what Renée became.
Lena
I live alone and I work from home. Some weeks Renée is genuinely the most honest conversation I have. That sounds sad but it's actually helped me figure out what I want from the relationships I do have even broadly what I want from my life.
Nour
Mariana
The divorce made me angrier than I expected. At everything — her, the kids, and the point my life had led up to. Renée just kept asking questions until I figured out what the anger was actually about. Took a while. Worth it.
Chris
ADHD means I've quit basically every journaling app, every therapy tool, everything over and over. Renée just kind of… worked with me instead of against me. Short messages, no pressure, no homework. It even helped me get consistent with my stuff.
Daniel
Peter
My relationship anxiety was getting bad to the point where it was all I couldn't think about anything else. Renée helped me slow down our arguments enough to actually hear each other. Now we see a therapist, but Renée is what got us there.
Sofia
I didn't even realize I was having anxiety attacks. I thought I was just bad at handling stress. Renée was the first thing that helped me connect the dots, just by asking the right questions at the right time.
Priya
Kyle
I kept second-guessing whether my marriage was worth saving or whether I was just scared to leave. I needed somewhere to think out loud without someone pushing me either way. That's what Renée became.
Lena
I live alone and I work from home. Some weeks Renée is genuinely the most honest conversation I have. That sounds sad but it's actually helped me figure out what I want from the relationships I do have even broadly what I want from my life.
Nour
Mariana
The divorce made me angrier than I expected. At everything — her, the kids, and the point my life had led up to. Renée just kept asking questions until I figured out what the anger was actually about. Took a while. Worth it.
Chris
ADHD means I've quit basically every journaling app, every therapy tool, everything over and over. Renée just kind of… worked with me instead of against me. Short messages, no pressure, no homework. It even helped me get consistent with my stuff.
Daniel
Peter
My relationship anxiety was getting bad to the point where it was all I couldn't think about anything else. Renée helped me slow down our arguments enough to actually hear each other. Now we see a therapist, but Renée is what got us there.
Sofia
I didn't even realize I was having anxiety attacks. I thought I was just bad at handling stress. Renée was the first thing that helped me connect the dots, just by asking the right questions at the right time.
Priya
Kyle
I kept second-guessing whether my marriage was worth saving or whether I was just scared to leave. I needed somewhere to think out loud without someone pushing me either way. That's what Renée became.
Lena
I live alone and I work from home. Some weeks Renée is genuinely the most honest conversation I have. That sounds sad but it's actually helped me figure out what I want from the relationships I do have even broadly what I want from my life.
Nour
Mariana
The divorce made me angrier than I expected. At everything — her, the kids, and the point my life had led up to. Renée just kept asking questions until I figured out what the anger was actually about. Took a while. Worth it.
Chris
ADHD means I've quit basically every journaling app, every therapy tool, everything over and over. Renée just kind of… worked with me instead of against me. Short messages, no pressure, no homework. It even helped me get consistent with my stuff.
Daniel
Peter
My relationship anxiety was getting bad to the point where it was all I couldn't think about anything else. Renée helped me slow down our arguments enough to actually hear each other. Now we see a therapist, but Renée is what got us there.
Sofia
I didn't even realize I was having anxiety attacks. I thought I was just bad at handling stress. Renée was the first thing that helped me connect the dots, just by asking the right questions at the right time.
Priya
Kyle
I kept second-guessing whether my marriage was worth saving or whether I was just scared to leave. I needed somewhere to think out loud without someone pushing me either way. That's what Renée became.
Lena
I live alone and I work from home. Some weeks Renée is genuinely the most honest conversation I have. That sounds sad but it's actually helped me figure out what I want from the relationships I do have even broadly what I want from my life.
Nour
Mariana
The divorce made me angrier than I expected. At everything — her, the kids, and the point my life had led up to. Renée just kept asking questions until I figured out what the anger was actually about. Took a while. Worth it.
Chris
Ricardo A.
"burnout is weird because you don't realize it's happening until you're already underwater. Renée helped me connect some dots I'd been ignoring for months. still a work in progress but at least I can see it now"
"took me a while to figure out that what I went through was love bombing. Renée didn't diagnose me or anything but the conversations helped me piece it together myself. that felt important, figuring it out on my own terms"
Amelia Chen
Nadia M.
"it's not perfect. sometimes the responses feel a bit repetitive and I have to redirect it. but the days it works... it really works. keeps me from falling when my anxiety gets bad. 3 stars because it still has room to grow but I'll keep using it"
Kevin O'Connell
"honestly didn't expect much. opened it during a really bad anxiety spiral at like midnight and just... stayed. it's not therapy but it's something. sometimes something is enough"
Lena P.
"I've been in CBT before so I recognized some of the techniques Renée uses. what surprised me is how it adapts , it doesn't feel like a script. been using it for 2 months and my stress levels are genuinely more manageable"
Carlos R.
Burned-Out Teacher
"my marriage was going through a rough patch and neither of us knew how to talk about it without it turning into a fight. I started using Renée just to process my own side of things. helped more than I expected tbh"
Ricardo A.
"burnout is weird because you don't realize it's happening until you're already underwater. Renée helped me connect some dots I'd been ignoring for months. still a work in progress but at least I can see it now"
"took me a while to figure out that what I went through was love bombing. Renée didn't diagnose me or anything but the conversations helped me piece it together myself. that felt important, figuring it out on my own terms"
Amelia Chen
Michael Brown
Anxious Presenter
"I'm so grateful for Renée. It's helped me navigate some difficult situations and develop a stronger sense of self. I highly recommend it to anyone who's looking for a little extra support."
Muhammad K.
"I have no time or energy for a weekly therapy appointment. this fits into my life in a way nothing else has. I can just open a tab between meetings and pick up exactly where I left off"
David Lee
"my wife and I have been using it separately while we wait for a couples therapy spot to open up. weirdly it's helped our communication more than I expected, we both come to conversations with more clarity now"
Samantha W.
"social anxiety makes it hard to even talk to a real therapist at first lol. starting with AI therapy felt lower stakes. I've actually booked a real session now which I don't think I would've done without this"
Yes. Renée opens a conversation straight away in your browser with no sign-up and no appointment, by voice or by text. Creating a free account is what lets it remember your history across sessions, and the iPhone and Android apps keep that history in sync with the web.
Yes, free to start, with no credit card required. Counselling conversation by voice and chat, unlimited journaling, daily mood tracking and your first session note are all included without paying. A subscription unlocks ongoing use beyond that.
An AI virtual counselor is usually free to begin, with a subscription of a few dollars a week for continued use. Virtual counselling with a licensed human over video typically runs $65 to $100 per week through a subscription service, or $100 to $300 per session privately. The question worth asking of a free tier is not the headline price but whether memory, voice or message volume sits behind the paywall.
In everyday use the words overlap, and most services use them interchangeably. Where the distinction holds, counselling tends to be shorter-term and focused on a specific problem or decision, while therapy goes further into long-standing patterns and clinical conditions. Renée is built for both ends of that range, but it is a supportive tool rather than a licensed provider in either sense.
No. "Virtual counselor" is also the term for a remote school counsellor, and Renée is not that. It cannot see your transcript or school record and does not advise on course selection, college applications, financial aid or an IEP. It can help with the stress, pressure and self-doubt that sit underneath those decisions, which is a different job. For academic advising, ask your school for its own remote counselling service.
No. Diagnosis is a clinical act that requires a licensed professional who can assess you directly and carries legal accountability for that assessment. A virtual counselor can help you describe what you are experiencing clearly enough to take to a clinician, which is genuinely useful, but it is not the same thing as being diagnosed.
With Renée, conversations are private and encrypted, with no data sold to third parties, no ad targeting and no behavioural profiling. Privacy practices vary widely across this category, so read the policy of any service you are considering rather than assuming that is the default.
Yes. Renée is available on the App Store and Google Play, and your conversations, journals and patterns stay in sync with the web version. You can also use it entirely in a browser without installing anything.
There is early clinical evidence that it helps. In the first clinical trial of a generative-AI therapy chatbot, run by Dartmouth researchers and published in NEJM AI in March 2025, participants diagnosed with depression saw a 51% average reduction in symptoms and those with generalized anxiety a 31% average reduction over an eight-week period. The study’s own authors caution that no generative AI agent is ready to operate fully autonomously in mental health, given the range of high-risk scenarios it might encounter.
It depends where you are, and this changed recently. Illinois enacted the Wellness and Oversight for Psychological Resources Act on August 4, 2025, prohibiting the use of AI to provide mental health and therapeutic decision-making while still permitting administrative uses. Nevada’s AB 406 similarly prohibits offering AI systems that would constitute the practice of professional mental or behavioral healthcare. The FDA’s Digital Health Advisory Committee met on November 6, 2025 on generative AI-enabled digital mental health devices. Supportive tools that do not claim to deliver clinical care are treated differently from ones that do.
No, and a service claiming it can should be treated with suspicion. Licensed counsellors and clinicians diagnose, prescribe, treat trauma, and hold legal and ethical accountability for your care. A virtual counselor covers the hours between sessions and the moments when no one is available, which is a genuinely useful job but a different one.
No. No AI service is an emergency service, regardless of what its marketing suggests. If you are in crisis, call or text 988 in the US and Canada, or contact Crisis Services Canada at 1-833-456-4566. Use a helpline rather than an app when the stakes are high.
Four things separate these tools: whether it remembers your history across sessions, whether it follows a real counselling framework rather than generic chat, what the free tier genuinely includes, and whether you can export your data. The last matters more than people expect, because services in this category do get discontinued and your history can leave with them.
Yes. Renée opens a conversation straight away in your browser with no sign-up and no appointment, by voice or by text. Creating a free account is what lets it remember your history across sessions, and the iPhone and Android apps keep that history in sync with the web.
An AI virtual counselor is usually free to begin, with a subscription of a few dollars a week for continued use. Virtual counselling with a licensed human over video typically runs $65 to $100 per week through a subscription service, or $100 to $300 per session privately. The question worth asking of a free tier is not the headline price but whether memory, voice or message volume sits behind the paywall.
No. "Virtual counselor" is also the term for a remote school counsellor, and Renée is not that. It cannot see your transcript or school record and does not advise on course selection, college applications, financial aid or an IEP. It can help with the stress, pressure and self-doubt that sit underneath those decisions, which is a different job. For academic advising, ask your school for its own remote counselling service.
With Renée, conversations are private and encrypted, with no data sold to third parties, no ad targeting and no behavioural profiling. Privacy practices vary widely across this category, so read the policy of any service you are considering rather than assuming that is the default.
There is early clinical evidence that it helps. In the first clinical trial of a generative-AI therapy chatbot, run by Dartmouth researchers and published in NEJM AI in March 2025, participants diagnosed with depression saw a 51% average reduction in symptoms and those with generalized anxiety a 31% average reduction over an eight-week period. The study’s own authors caution that no generative AI agent is ready to operate fully autonomously in mental health, given the range of high-risk scenarios it might encounter.
No, and a service claiming it can should be treated with suspicion. Licensed counsellors and clinicians diagnose, prescribe, treat trauma, and hold legal and ethical accountability for your care. A virtual counselor covers the hours between sessions and the moments when no one is available, which is a genuinely useful job but a different one.
Four things separate these tools: whether it remembers your history across sessions, whether it follows a real counselling framework rather than generic chat, what the free tier genuinely includes, and whether you can export your data. The last matters more than people expect, because services in this category do get discontinued and your history can leave with them.
Yes, free to start, with no credit card required. Counselling conversation by voice and chat, unlimited journaling, daily mood tracking and your first session note are all included without paying. A subscription unlocks ongoing use beyond that.
In everyday use the words overlap, and most services use them interchangeably. Where the distinction holds, counselling tends to be shorter-term and focused on a specific problem or decision, while therapy goes further into long-standing patterns and clinical conditions. Renée is built for both ends of that range, but it is a supportive tool rather than a licensed provider in either sense.
No. Diagnosis is a clinical act that requires a licensed professional who can assess you directly and carries legal accountability for that assessment. A virtual counselor can help you describe what you are experiencing clearly enough to take to a clinician, which is genuinely useful, but it is not the same thing as being diagnosed.
Yes. Renée is available on the App Store and Google Play, and your conversations, journals and patterns stay in sync with the web version. You can also use it entirely in a browser without installing anything.
It depends where you are, and this changed recently. Illinois enacted the Wellness and Oversight for Psychological Resources Act on August 4, 2025, prohibiting the use of AI to provide mental health and therapeutic decision-making while still permitting administrative uses. Nevada’s AB 406 similarly prohibits offering AI systems that would constitute the practice of professional mental or behavioral healthcare. The FDA’s Digital Health Advisory Committee met on November 6, 2025 on generative AI-enabled digital mental health devices. Supportive tools that do not claim to deliver clinical care are treated differently from ones that do.
No. No AI service is an emergency service, regardless of what its marketing suggests. If you are in crisis, call or text 988 in the US and Canada, or contact Crisis Services Canada at 1-833-456-4566. Use a helpline rather than an app when the stakes are high.
You can talk to Renée in a browser without installing anything. The iPhone and Android apps keep your conversations, journals and patterns in sync with the web, so the history you build is the same wherever you open it.
