Relationship Counselling
AI in counseling: ChatPal aids couples in communication, offering insights and exercises for better understanding.
READ MORETwo Big Lessons and How ChatPal Came to Be
Hey there, I’m the founder of ChatPal, and I want to share with you the story behind why we started this. It’s a bit of a rollercoaster, so bear with me.
The past six years have taught me two huge lessons. The first was all about growing AssuranceLab, a global tech company. It was a mix of exciting and tough times, working on keeping tech companies honest about data security and privacy. The second lesson hit closer to home – dealing with the ups and downs of marriage, the fun and challenges of raising two lively kids, and then making the hard choice to split up. These big life moments were the starting point for ChatPal.
From Tech to Trust
While building AssuranceLab, I saw how fast tech changes things. It was exciting and a bit scary, seeing the good and bad sides of tech. Our mission was to elevate trust in our world through audits that keep companies accountable. To keep up with the rapid pace of innovation, we were always pushing to do new things. That led us to start using AI technology for audits. This was a big deal and the results were astounding. It made me wonder: could this tech do more good for people? I realised that my professional life and personal challenges were pointing me towards something important. What if we could use AI technology to make counselling better?
Marriage and Self-Discovery
Meanwhile, marriage was hard. Really hard. Getting married, starting a life together, moving (back) to Australia, and then especially having kids. I learned a lot about myself. Through that time we went to lots of different counsellors – more than ten! Some were too chilled out, others were too strong-willed, and others just didn’t get it. But they each played a role and we learned a lot along the way. Counseling helped us see that separating was the right thing to do. It made me think about people who can’t afford this kind of help, or don’t feel comfortable with traditional counselling. Everywhere I looked; there were people divorced, often with kids, and often much less civil than my ex-wife and I. That’s when I started thinking about ChatPal. I knew AI could do amazing things in business. Could it also make counselling better and easier to get? Could that encourage more people to take that deliberate focus on themselves and their relationships?
ChatPal: Tech Meets Heart
Life threw me a curveball when I met someone special. We really hit it off. But we had both been through failed marriages and wanted to make sure we did things right this time. I had started using ChatGPT so we played with it to talk about our relationship differences and past challenges. It was actually fun and super helpful. It made me think – what if we had an AI model specifically for counselling? What if it was empathetic and felt more like interacting with a human? What if it was set up to lead people through their needs like counsellors do but could also adapt to each persons unique needs and preferences?
That spark led to ChatPal. It’s not just about counselling; it’s about bringing together the best of tech with a real understanding of what people need. We’re here to make counselling easy to get for everyone – no big cost, no judging, just help and understanding.
From working in tech to my own life challenges, and then creating ChatPal, it’s been an incredible journey. Every step brought us here, where we can really make a difference in people’s lives. If this story speaks to you, or if you’re just curious about AI and counselling, come and see what ChatPal is all about. We’re here to provide a listening ‘ear’ to understand, and help. This is just the beginning.
