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Frequently Asked Questions

Understanding What This Is

What is Holding Space AI?

Holding Space AI is for people waiting to start therapy. It’s a space to help you think things through, spot patterns, and get ready. So that when your first session finally comes, you’re not starting completely from scratch. You’re starting with clearer intentions.

Who does this help?

This helps if you’re:
- Waiting for therapy and need somewhere that holds your context over time
- Tired of re-explaining yourself to AI tools that jump to advice
- Looking for therapy prep that connects the dots, not just isolated reflections
- Ready to show up to your first session with patterns identified, so you can go deeper faster

How Is This Different From...

...ChatGPT/Claude?

ChatGPT and Claude are built for tasks, so it jumps to solutions. Even with good prompts, you're constantly steering it back: "No, don't give me long-winded answers and advice, just ask me questions."

Holding Space AI is built specifically to help you understand what you're feeling before your therapy session. It asks follow-up questions based on what you share, not generic prompts, but questions that respond to your specific situation. So when you walk into therapy, you're not starting from "I don't know where to begin."

You're not fighting the tool. It already knows its job is to help you walk through your moment, not solve.

...journaling?

Journaling is great for getting thoughts out. But it's one-way. It doesn't ask you back things like: "What underlying fears or beliefs might be holding you back from…" or notice patterns and suggest "Based on what you're sharing, I think process mode might be most helpful. Would you like to switch?"

Holding Space AI does. It asks follow-up questions based on what you just said, helping you go from “I’m stuck in this dilemma” to “I’m running around in circles because I’m afraid to…”

That's what makes it useful for therapy prep because you're not just logging events, you're understanding what’s underneath the surface level. So when you walk into your session, you have a better idea of what you want to dive deeper, not just a list.

...taking notes?

Notes capture what happened. Holding Space AI helps you understand what’s underneath.

If you write “Had a frustrating conversation with my partner,” that’s all you get, the surface-level moment. Notes won’t ask follow-up questions or help you understand why it stuck with you.

Holding Space AI gives you the context you’d normally lose. It asks in-the-moment questions like: “What about that conversation left you feeling frustrated?” or
“What do you think would help you…?”

So instead of a scattered list of moments, you end up with a clearer, therapy-ready understanding of what’s actually going on.

Privacy & Safety

How secure is this? Can anyone else see my conversations?

No one can see your conversations, not us, not your therapist, not anyone. Your words are completely private.

Here's how we protect them:

- Zero AI training. We use enterprise models contractually prohibited from learning from your data.

- Bank-grade encryption. Your messages are encrypted before they reach our servers. Even if someone accessed our database, they'd only see scrambled data.

- Full deletion control. Permanently erase your history anytime, truly deleted, not just hidden.

- Session security. We use the same HttpOnly cookie protection that banks use to prevent session hijacking.

Is this safe to use if I'm really struggling?

This tool is not designed for crisis intervention. If you’re in immediate danger or facing a mental health emergency, please reach out right away:

Call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, U.S., 24/7)
Text HOME to 741741 (Crisis Text Line)
Call 911 or your nearest emergency room

If you’re in crisis, you shouldn’t be using this app. You need real-time support from someone trained to keep you safe. Please reach out immediately.

If you're struggling but not in immediate crisis, you can still use this tool to process what you're going through. BUT when things start to feel overwhelming or unsafe, real human support is what you need. These services have trained professionals who can help in the moment. This app can't do that.

Understanding What This Is Not

How is this different from therapy?

Therapy gives you something AI never can: a real human who can hold space for you, understand nuance, and help you feel seen, heard, and supported. That relationship is the work.

Holding Space AI isn’t a replacement for that. It’s for the waiting period. It helps you sort through what’s been weighing on you so you don’t spend the first 20 minutes of therapy trying to remember what happened or why it bothered you. You show up clearer, more grounded, and ready to use your session for the deeper stuff only a therapist can do.

Is this replacing my therapist?

No. Your therapist offers something AI never can: human connection, clinical expertise, and the capacity to hold space for you in ways that help you truly feel seen and heard.

Holding Space AI is for the waiting period and the time between sessions. It helps you start processing what's been weighing on you so that when you finally sit down with your therapist, you already have some clarity about what you want to work on.

It doesn’t replace therapy; it simply helps you arrive more prepared so you can make the most of your sessions when they begin.

Will it fix me, diagnose me, validate me, or give me advice?

No. It won't diagnose you (it's not qualified), fix you (that's not how growth works), or tell you what to do.

What it does do is ask contextual follow-up questions that help you understand your own patterns, like noticing “Damn, I didn’t realize that I'm that judgemental of myself” or “I didn’t realize that I get that anxious in social situations.” It helps you see what's happening more clearly, so you can decide what to do about it.

Getting Started

Do I need to be in therapy to use this?

No. You can use it while waiting to start therapy, searching for a therapist, or simply wanting to understand themselves better. You can certainly use it for better journaling, organizing confusing thoughts, and noticing personal patterns.

That said, it's designed with therapy prep in mind, so if you're planning to start therapy eventually, you'll get the most value from it. The insights you gather become especially useful when you have a therapist to explore them with.

Should I wait to start this until my therapist says it's okay?

No, this is a personal reflection tool, like journaling with pointed, contextual questions. You don't need permission to organize your thoughts.

It's designed for people waiting to start therapy so that you can bring what you've discovered into your next appointment. If you want to check with your therapist first, that's fine too. Either way, you'll appreciate showing up prepared when you only have an hour a week.

Account & Growth

What happens to my account after early access closes?

When the beta closes, you'll have two options:

1. Migrate your account: Transfer your conversations and insights to the full version of the app
2. Start fresh: Begin with a clean slate on the new platform

You'll have 1 month after beta closes to decide and migrate. During that month, the beta will remain accessible in read-only mode so you can review your history, but you won't be able to capture new moments.

If you miss the migration window: Email us within 3 months and we can retrieve your data. After that, your beta data will be permanently deleted for privacy protection.

I have more questions. Who do I ask?

Feel free to email me at jan[at]holdingspaceai.com! I’ll get back to you as soon as possible!

Love to hear from you,Get in touch