via LA Times
Licensed therapist Nina Westbrook’s Nebbi app uses daily check-ins and science-backed resets to help high-functioning adults avoid burnout.
The mental wellness market has no shortage of apps that promise to fix your stress. But what happens if you’re not in crisis? You’re tired, just a little worn down and stretched too thin…
This is the space Nebbi, a new therapist-designed app launching today, is trying to fill, according to a recent press release. Built for what co-founder Nina Westbrook, a licensed marriage and family therapist, calls “the moments before breakdown… for the quiet emotional weight we carry every day.” Unlike therapy replacements or guided meditation apps, Nebbi’s premise is deceptively simple: one 60-second emotional check-in a day, a short science-backed reset, and a nudge toward reflection.
“People want to feel empowered and genuinely supported during everyday life moments,” says co-founder Sharndre Kushor. “We’re creating tools that combine emotional intelligence with data-driven insights to deliver meaningful, practical support every day.”
This human-first approach is increasingly rare as AI-powered mental health tools race to market, often with more engineering than empathy behind them. Kushor says Nebbi is intentionally waiting to introduce AI until it can genuinely enhance connection. “The stakes are too high for shortcuts,” he says.
Before writing any code, the team spent months chatting with people in demanding careers, extreme multitaskers, and those navigating major life transitions. “They didn’t want an app that issued constant instructions or told them what to do every hour,” Kushor says. “They wanted to feel acknowledged without pressure.”
That insight shaped Nebbi’s notification style, which reads more like an invitation than an order, and its restrained feature list:
- Daily Emotional Check-Ins in natural language
- Personalized Resets rooted in CBT, mindfulness, and nervous system regulation
- Feedback loops that track what’s actually helping
- Weekly summaries showing mood trends in plain English
- Gentle reminders designed to encourage, not overwhelm
Nebbi hopes to enhance emotional connection, not replace it. “One of the tasks I received today was to share a heartfelt moment from my day with someone I care about – and then tick it off once I’d done it. It’s such a simple action, but it nudges you to pause, reflect, and connect in a way that might otherwise be lost in the business of life.”
The fear, Kushor says, is that AI and emotional tech could replace human connection, but when used responsibly, Kushor explains, “technology can become a powerful bridge back to the people and experiences that matter most.”
Every feature is tested against a simple question: “Does this make someone’s life richer outside the app?” If the answer’s no, it doesn’t make the cut,” Kushor says. “If we’re not adopting technology, we risk being left behind. The key is intentionality. Designing tech to serve people’s lives, not dominate them.”
Both Nina Westbrook and Kushor aim to merge human understanding with smart tools so people can not only manage their emotions, but actually feel better. Lasting impact, Westbrook shares, comes from keeping the experience light, personal, and adaptable.
“The reality is, if a wellness tool feels like another ‘should’ on your to-do list, you won’t stick with it,” she says. “People stay engaged when the tool adapts to them rather than making them fit into it. Nebbi is designed as a living, breathing companion — it listens, learns, and adjusts without pressure or judgment. Over time, you see the connection between the small actions you take and how you feel, and that’s incredibly motivating.”
