Lusaea - Therapy Companion

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Inspiration

The "between-session gap" is universal in mental health treatment, but it's especially critical for people with intellectual disabilities.

While adapted CBT is the gold standard intervention for comorbid depression and anxiety in the ID population, working memory limitations and difficulty with abstraction make it extremely hard to transfer skills learned in therapy to real-world situations.

We built Lusaea to bridge this gap: helping therapy insights stick between sessions through a system of consistent reinforcement, structural guidance, and accessible design.

Research highlights a significant drop-off in skill retention after therapy sessions. For people with ID, this gap is even wider. Lusaea bridges that gap by making CBT skills concrete, repeatable, and accessible in daily life through automated reinforcement.

What it does

Lusaea is a therapy skill reinforcement system designed to help individuals with intellectual disabilities practice CBT skills between sessions.

The platform addresses three core learning challenges through integrated logic:

ENCODING: Structural Learning Support After each therapy session, the Lusaea system produces a simplified summary formatted at a 6th-grade reading level. This highlights exactly what skill was learned, why it matters for the user's specific challenge, and how to recognize when to use it.

ABSTRACTION: Pattern Recognition Using high-capacity historical processing, the system identifies patterns across multiple sessions and flags similar situations where learned skills can be applied. For example, if a user learns "self-advocacy" for medical settings, the framework recognizes the pattern and prompts them to use this skill in vocational or social situations as well.

RETRIEVAL & APPLICATION: Automated Skill Reminders The system sends daily, context-aware prompts: "Do you remember the skill we practiced?" followed by concrete action steps. This transforms abstract therapy concepts into predictable daily habits.

Accessibility Features:

6th-grade reading level for all system text
Visual progress tracking (Timeline of Wins)
Audio support (Voice recording and playback)
Simple, predictable interface
Positive reinforcement through progress celebrations
Integrated coping tools (Breathing exercises, calm reminders)

How we built it

Frontend

React Native with custom Swift UI components for iOS
Concrete visual design (removal of abstract metaphors)
High-visibility navigation and predictable user flows
Figma for accessible design prototyping

Backend

Firebase (Firestore for data, Cloud Functions for processing)
Google Cloud Run for scalable system logic
Secure, HIPAA-compliant architecture

Core Technology (The Lusaea Processing Engine)

Encoding Framework:

Transcribes therapy sessions with integrated speaker identification
Produces summaries at a 6th-grade reading level
Isolates concrete, actionable skills from session data
Maps out the "what, why, when" for every skill learned

Pattern Recognition Logic:

High-capacity processing analyzes data patterns across all past sessions
Cross-references current user situations with previously learned skills
Triggers logic-based prompts: "Remember when you learned X? This situation is similar because..."

Retrieval & Application System:

Automated prompts timed based on user interaction patterns
Concrete action steps: "Today, practice saying 'I need help with...' when you feel stuck"
System-driven reinforcement: "You've used this skill 5 times this week"

Tech Stack: React Native, Swift, Firebase, Google Cloud Run, Cloud Functions, Figma, Expo, TypeScript

Challenges we ran into

Content Adaptation Therapy language is often abstract and complex. We built a content-processing framework that adapts summaries and prompts to a 6th-grade level while preserving the clinical meaning.

Working Memory Accommodations Multi-step instructions are ineffective for users with limited working memory. We redesigned the system logic to deliver prompts as single, concrete actions: "Say this phrase" instead of "Think about communication strategies."

Balancing Repetition vs. Engagement Repetition is critical for encoding, but it can impact user retention. We integrated a progress-tracking framework (streak tracking, celebration animations) to keep the core experience simple yet motivating.

Translating the Abstract CBT concepts like "cognitive restructuring" are inherently abstract. We configured the system to translate these into concrete, observable behaviors: "When you think 'I'm bad at this,' replace it with 'I'm learning this.'"

Accomplishments that we're proud of

Published to the iOS App Store in under a month
100+ active users practicing therapy skills between sessions
Accessible design with 6th-grade reading level and visual supports
Integrated skill-transfer system that identifies when and where to apply learned skills
Positive user feedback from beta testers on clarity and helpfulness
Competed in Hult Prize at University of Miami (SDG 3: Good Health and Well-Being)

What we learned

Accessibility is Design, Not a Feature Building for cognitive accessibility taught us that simplicity benefits everyone. Our simplified content framework makes the app easier for all users, not just those with ID.

Technology Must Be Invisible The user experience should focus on the outcome, not the underlying tech. We designed the platform to operate transparently in the background, delivering simple prompts without over-complicating the interface.

Repetition Creates Mastery In traditional app design, repetition is often avoided. For skill reinforcement, we learned to embrace it as a core functional requirement.

Concrete Beats Clever Early versions had creative metaphors and clever language. We learned that for this population, literal, concrete instructions are the most effective. "Tap here" always performs better than "Explore your journey."

What's next for Lusaea

Short-term (Next 30 days)

Add Spanish language support (critical for the Miami community)
Enhance the reinforcement framework (visual progress badges, celebration animations)
Build a therapist dashboard for session oversight

Medium-term (3-6 months)