GLENBROOK, Nev., July 8, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Aphobic, the world’s first AI-powered phobia relief app from Rockridge AI, Inc., launches today to help millions of users manage their fears and phobias through interactive conversations grounded in proven therapeutic methods.
A Mission Born from Personal Experience
Founded by Dr. Robin Donaldson, a serial AI entrepreneur, and Christopher Paul Jones, a leading phobia expert, Aphobic aims to start a digital revolution in mental healthcare by offering round-the-clock access to phobia relief tools.
Robin developed Aphobic after conquering his own fear of flying in 2015. “After several sessions with Chris, I recovered. But not everyone has access to an expert like him, and that’s the problem I’m solving with Aphobic.”
Scaling Mental Health Support
Chris has spent over two decades helping clients overcome often-debilitating fears and phobias. He is a renowned expert in the field and has frequently appeared in the media, including the BBC.
He developed a unique therapeutic process called the Integrated Change System after working with thousands of clients. “Helping people is incredibly rewarding,” Chris says, “but I’ve long been frustrated by how many people need help. I can only help one client at a time.“
Determined to reach more people, Chris knew that technology was the answer. After Robin recovered from his phobia, he and Chris teamed up to turn Chris’s clinical method into a scalable digital solution.
Not Just Another AI Chatbot
Unlike generic AI chatbots, the Aphobic app offers structured, interactive conversations based on Chris’s 7-stage process. The app is designed to help users explore their fear and apply self-guided techniques, such as guided eye movements or tapping, aimed at reducing its impact.
The application models Chris’s therapeutic process using a new AI approach called subgoal-directed LLMs with committee. The idea is to model Chris’s process as a choice of subgoals, each guiding the AI’s next response. Each subgoal choice contributes to the ultimate goal of helping the user with their fear or phobia.
The app uses facial tracking to ensure users follow each technique accurately, while a committee of AI agents monitor for signs of distress, disengagement, or emotional discomfort.
Strategic Vision
Aphobic’s third founder and a seasoned healthcare strategist and investor, Geoffrey Doyle, emphasizes that Aphobic is not meant to replace therapy but to bridge a critical gap.
“Millions suffer from fears and phobias, but the demand for mental health services has far outpaced supply,” Geoffrey says. “Technology has to fill the gap. By automating targeted phobia support, we free therapists to focus on more complex mental health challenges.”
SOURCE Rockridge AI, Inc.
