Pioneering Psychiatrist and Best-selling Author Dr. David Burns Launches Feeling Great App, Raises $8M in Seed Funding

The AI-powered app is the culmination of over 40 years of clinical practice and mental health research, with proven techniques that equip users with skills to live a more fulfilling life 

SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Dr. David D. Burns, world-renowned psychiatrist and best-selling author of multiple landmark self-help books including Ten Days to Self-Esteem, Feeling Good, and its highly acclaimed follow-up Feeling Great, announced today a groundbreaking new tool in the fight against depression and anxiety: the Feeling Great app, which bears the same name as its literary predecessor. The company, which includes co-founders Matt Pierce and Jeremy Karmel, also announced $8 million in seed funding co-led by Learn Capital and TitleTownTech, with additional participation from Lux Ventures, WaveMaker Three-Sixty Health, Pacific Health Ventures, and Treble Capital. The funding will support the ongoing development of the app to ensure the highest-quality experience for its users.

“The Feeling Great app represents the pinnacle of my life’s work in psychiatry and cognitive behavioral therapy, putting decades of research and proven techniques directly into people’s hands,” said Dr. Burns. “Our goal is to empower individuals to transform their lives, making effective mental health care more accessible than ever before and helping millions of people not just feel better, but feel great.”

However, the Feeling Great app is not just another mental health application. It is the culmination of Dr. Burns’ extensive work, encompassing over 40,000 hours of therapy with severely depressed and anxious individuals, and 40 years of rigorous research into the mechanisms of human psychological change.

“In an era when mental health disorders affect one in every five adults annually, and the cost of therapy in the U.S. has put it out of reach for many people, Feeling Great’s mission has greater resonance than ever,” said Rob Hutter, Founder and Managing Partner of Learn Capital. “Dr. Burns is a legend in the field of psychiatry, and together with Matt and Jeremy, who have extensive experience in bringing innovative consumer products to market, they make a formidable team that we’re proud to be able to support.” 

The app leverages a novel AI framework to guide users based on the proprietary T.E.A.M. (Testing, Empathy, Assessment of Resistance and Methods) therapeutic approach developed by Dr. Burns. This system is both flexible and adaptive, leading to dynamic natural language conversations, empathetic responses, and actionable solutions for users.

In fact, an independent review of the app by a research team at Stanford, published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research, provided third-party validation of the app’s power. In that study, users reported 55-60 percent reduction in “the seven deadly feelings,” which include depression, anxiety, guilt/shame, inadequacy, loneliness, hopelessness, and anger.

“Feeling Great sits right at the intersection of two of the most important societal shifts of our time: the emergence of AI and the mental health crisis in the US,” said TitleTownTech Managing Partner Jill Enos. “The demand for convenient, cost-effective and results-oriented mental health tools has never been greater, and Feeling Great meets that need in a powerful way. TitleTownTech is thrilled to be part of their journey.”

Feeling Great is available now on both iOS and Android.

About Feeling Great

Feeling Great is a new mobile app inspired by the groundbreaking work of world-renowned Dr. David Burns. Using the power of our advanced AI chatbot and interactive courses the app guides the user through a transformative journey toward enhanced self-esteem and emotional well-being. The interactive courses are a series of lessons and exercises to teach the basics of Dr. David Burns’ proprietary techniques that have proven to have lasting impacts on peoples’ joy and outlook on life.

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SOURCE Feeling Great