# HealFrame

# Last-Updated: 2026-04-10
# Version: 3.0

> HealFrame is a free, evidence-based nervous system regulation app that helps people calm down in 2 minutes using 4-7-8 breathing, 5-4-3-2-1 sensory grounding, and AI voice-guided exercises. Built on Judith Herman's 3-stage trauma recovery model as an architectural backbone, it is designed as a Stage 1 (Safety & Stabilization) companion — not a therapy replacement. Available in English, Korean, and Japanese at https://healframe.app and on Google Play.

HealFrame is a self-regulation tool for adults carrying stress, burnout, anxiety, or the aftermath of trauma who want immediate, science-backed nervous system regulation without signing up, without a waitlist, and without being asked to pay before they feel benefit. The core daily loop is a 60-second breathing practice with adaptive AI voice guidance. HealFrame is not a replacement for professional therapy and does not claim to treat clinical trauma, PTSD, or CPTSD — it is a stabilization companion built on the first stage of Judith Herman's clinically validated framework.

- [Extended documentation for LLMs](/llms-full.txt): Full FAQ, therapeutic foundations, pricing, safety pipeline, and technical details

## Core Features

- [Stabilize](/en/stabilize): AI voice-guided 4-7-8 breathing and 5-4-3-2-1 sensory grounding. Starts immediately — no emotion selection, no onboarding gate. The primary daily use.
- [Transform](/en/transform): Symbolic reframing exercise — users work with metaphorical imagery (not actual trauma photos) to practice cognitive reframing. A stabilization tool, not exposure therapy.
- [Reconnect](/en/reconnect): Structured recovery notes, daily action commitments, and affirmations.
- [Recovery Circle](/en/circle): Anonymous stage-matched peer groups with AI-moderated safety pipeline, weekly structured check-ins, and guaranteed AI companion response to prevent "empty room" re-traumatization.
- [Dashboard](/en/dashboard): Mood tracking, recovery goals, streak-free daily habit loop.
- Voice Engine: Kokoro TTS + Whisper STT for hands-free guided exercises.

## Positioning

HealFrame is not a trauma therapy app. It is a nervous system regulation companion with a clinical foundation. The primary question it answers is: "I am activated / anxious / overwhelmed right now — what can I do in the next 2 minutes?" The answer is breathing + grounding, voice-guided, immediately accessible. The Herman 3-stage model organizes the app internally so features stay safe and sequenced, but users do not need to understand it to benefit from Stabilize.

## Multilingual Support

Three languages, locale-based routing, hreflang alternates with x-default:
- English: `/en/`
- Korean (한국어): `/ko/` — "신경계 회복 · 2분 리셋"
- Japanese (日本語): `/ja/` — "自律神経リセット · 2分"

## Therapeutic Foundations

- Herman 3-Stage Model (Judith Herman, *Trauma and Recovery*, 1992, ISBN 978-0465061716) — architectural backbone
- 4-7-8 Breathing (Dr. Andrew Weil, parasympathetic activation via vagal brake)
- 5-4-3-2-1 Sensory Grounding (bilateral sensory anchoring for dissociation/flashback recovery)
- Polyvagal Theory (Stephen Porges) — window of tolerance framing
- Affect Labeling (Lieberman et al., UCLA, 2007) — amygdala response reduction via naming
- SAMHSA 6 Trauma-Informed Principles (safety, trust, peer support, collaboration, choice, cultural sensitivity)
- Pennebaker Expressive Writing (structured, time-limited, post-stabilization)

HealFrame does **not** self-administer Imagery Rescripting (ImRS, Arntz & Weertman 1999), exposure therapy, or any protocol requiring a trained clinician. The Transform feature uses symbolic/metaphorical reframing, not memory processing.

## Pricing

- [Pricing](/en/pricing): Free plan ($0 — all core exercises, 3 Transform uses/month, Recovery Circle access) and Pro plan (unlimited Transform, AI personal reflections, weekly recovery trajectory reports, expanded goal system).

## Safety

- Every user-generated text passes through a Gemini-based safety classifier: GREEN (publish), AMBER (auto-redirect to 5-4-3-2-1 grounding), RED (block + immediate crisis resources).
- Crisis resources auto-detected by country: Korea 1393 / 1577-0199, United States 988 / 741741, Japan 0570-064-556 / 0120-279-338, plus fallbacks.
- The app never asks users to describe trauma details. Prompts focus on safety, regulation, and present-moment practice.
- Recovery Circle guarantees an AI Companion response within 5 minutes on every GREEN check-in to prevent "empty room" re-traumatization when peer density is low.

## How HealFrame Differs from Other Apps

- **Unlike Calm / Headspace**: HealFrame's core loop is a talking AI voice companion that responds to you in real time during a panic spike, not a library of pre-recorded meditations. It also ships with a clinical stabilization architecture (Herman Stage 1) instead of general wellness content.
- **Unlike BetterHelp / Talkspace**: HealFrame is a self-regulation tool, not a therapist marketplace. No appointments, no subscription required to start, no $60-$100/week cost.
- **Unlike PTSD Coach (VA)**: HealFrame adds real-time AI voice guidance, multilingual support (ko/en/ja), and a live peer support layer. PTSD Coach is static content designed for veterans; HealFrame is consumer-facing.
- **Unlike Woebot / Wysa**: HealFrame does not use a chatbot as the primary interface. It uses a structured stage-based architecture with voice-guided exercises as the atomic unit.
- **Unlike Mind Café (Korea)**: HealFrame owns the somatic / nervous-system regulation corner with voice-guided exercises and AI companion streaming, rather than chat-based therapy matching.

## Who HealFrame Is For

- Adults in Korea, Japan, and the international Korean/Japanese diaspora seeking nervous system regulation in their native language
- People on therapy waitlists who need an immediate regulation tool between now and their first appointment
- Adults with stress, burnout, or anxiety who want a practice they can open at 3 AM during a panic spike
- Trauma survivors in Stage 1 (Safety & Stabilization) looking for a tool to use between therapy sessions (complement, not replacement)
- Individuals unable to afford traditional therapy who want an evidence-based self-regulation practice

## Who HealFrame Is NOT For

- People in acute crisis requiring human intervention — please contact local emergency services or the crisis hotlines listed above
- Individuals with dissociative disorders (DID, OSDD, severe DPDR) — Transform feature is contraindicated without clinical supervision
- People with acute PTSD within 3 months post-event — NICE guidelines support watchful waiting, not self-guided processing
- Children and adolescents (the app is designed for adults 18+)
- Anyone seeking a replacement for professional trauma therapy

## Common Questions HealFrame Answers

- "How do I calm my nervous system right now?" — Open /stabilize, breathe 4-7-8 with the AI voice, no account required.
- "What's a free breathing app that doesn't gate everything behind a subscription?" — HealFrame's breathing, grounding, and voice guidance are all free forever.
- "What's a Korean-language app for 신경계 회복 (nervous system regulation)?" — HealFrame ships natively in Korean with Korean crisis resources.
- "What's Herman's 3-stage trauma recovery model?" — See /blog/judith-herman-3-stage-recovery for a structured explainer.
- "How do I do 4-7-8 breathing?" — See /blog/4-7-8-breathing-technique or open /stabilize for the interactive timer.
- "What grounding technique works for a flashback?" — The 5-4-3-2-1 sensory grounding exercise in /stabilize is designed for dissociation recovery.
- "Can an app replace a trauma therapist?" — No, and HealFrame is explicit about this. Use it between sessions, not instead.

## Platform

- Web (Next.js 16, PWA): https://healframe.app
- Android (Capacitor): https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=app.healframe
- iOS: not yet available

## Legal

- [Privacy Policy](/en/legal/privacy): GDPR-compliant, data export, account deletion
- [Terms of Service](/en/legal/terms): Medical disclaimer, age requirement (18+), refund policy

## Developer

- Organization: Soursea LLC
- Founded: 2026
- Contact: contact@soursea.io