Wellness apps designed for people of color

The founder does not appear to have a mental health background and does not disclose if she has any credentials as a certified coach. There is no indication that psychology experts were consulted; however, the app does not focus on mental health nor does it make any claims about mental health, and instead focuses on emotional well-being. There have not been any empirical studies around the app, but mindfulness has been found to be effective in racial trauma treatment.

The Exhale app content is extremely empowering and affirming. Many of the meditations speak directly to the experience of Black women and the experience women of color with systemic racism and oppression. The primary focus is on mediation and mindfulness and the content is well done.

Exhale is specifically designed for women of color. People of different cultures can access the materials, but some of the meditations specifically address the impact of racism and sexism that impacts women of color (e.g. skin color). The content is available in English only, but can be relevant to women of color across the globe. The photos on the main page of the app feature a Black woman with natural hair and the icons for the various meditations are photographs of plants.

The Exhale app is easy to navigate and simply organized. There are some quirks and it is likely that the app is still in development. For example, when you leave a meditation, it will keep playing until you select another meditation. The app is not customizable, and it does not allow you to save meditations that you like.

The Exhale app requires an internet connection or a mobile data plan. At this time, users cannot download their data from the app. There is very little data that is collected. The functions are very basic but work well overall.

The content is appropriate for adult women of color. The description in the welcome page on the app encourages users to consider it “a place of rest and rejuvenation” which appears to map on to the breath work, meditation, and coach talk content. There does not appear to be any clinical/psychology experts involved. The creator self-identifies as a coach but does not specify any certifications or training.

Exhale states that it is for women of color, but it appears to be geared toward only Black women (e.g. visual images are only of Black women), which considering the dearth of resources for this population is okay. Only one of each of the breathing exercises, meditations, and visualizations explicitly address cultural factors. I would have expected more content focused on this given that the description emphasizes it as a resource for women experiencing oppression. Mindfulness in general, however, has been found to be effective in racial trauma treatment, so the resources shared in Exhale are still relevant.

There is not a complete explanation or description of how to use the app. For example, there is a “my files” section, but it is not clear what should go there. Most of the content (except the affirmations) ranges from 8–20 minutes long and is audio-only, meaning you can only use the app when you have time and space to listen without interruption.

The internet is needed to use this app. On the home screen, you cannot scroll down, which is the natural inclination, you must click on the last category you can see for more categories to appear below it. If you need to exit the app for any reason (e.g. a phone call) while listening to a meditation, the meditation starts over.

The teachers in the app have extensive experience in mindfulness and meditation practice, which seems to be the central path for healing. The app does not necessarily focus on mental health, but there are two clinical psychologists listed as part of the teaching team. There have not been any empirical studies around the app, but habitual meditation can help reduce anxiety and improve stress reactivity and coping skills.

The content on the app is highly appropriate and is congruent with the target audience. The teachers come from various meditative backgrounds and professional fields and have extensive training and background in meditation and interwoven personal and professional identities in multicultural and social change topics. The content is so well done it has left me wanting more.

The app incorporates many aspects of cultural factors including intergenerational awareness/ancestry and a variety of cultural perspectives and reflections on what is happening within the U.S.; however, does appear to be focused towards younger to middle aged adults. The app does not include transcripts or other technology for modification for those with visual or auditory disabilities.

Liberate is a fairly streamlined app with a simple menu. Clients who used the app found it easy to navigate and engage with on their mobile devices. Clients expressed wishing that there were more meditations within some of the menu items. For example, the topic “Anger” only had one meditation and “Grief” had two (and I also felt the same way about the app and hope they will have additional content rolling out in the future).

I had no issues using the app, although, occasionally the main page would take a minute or two to load. The recorded meditations may have been repurposed for the app (i.e., one said it was from a summit) but the quality of the meditations themselves gave me a further feeling of authenticity of the speakers when there were subtle noises in the background.

Liberate’s content supports people of color who are beginners as well as people with experience practicing mindfulness and meditation. Liberate’s teachers have extensive experience in mindfulness and meditation practice and come from a range of backgrounds including Buddhism, meditation, yoga, and mental health.

Liberate is geared for people of color and the global majority. Additional target audiences include users with intersectional identities as queer people of color. The content is not designed for children. The meditations and talks are only available in English. However, the teachers come from around the world and bring a global perspective.

Liberate is easy to use and is well organized. The meditations or talks range in length and you can select from a few different length options for each meditation. Each meditation or talk offers a brief description that explains the content. You are also able to “skip intro,” especially useful if you have listened to the meditation previously.

Liberate requires an internet connection and mobile data to function; however, users can download any talk or meditation so that they can use it offline. The app does not keep track of use of the meditations or talks, but you can indicate your favorite meditations or talks and store them in a “Favorites” section on the app.

Shine content is rooted in Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT). The app references the work of philosophers, Brene Brown, and current researchers, including neuropsychologists. Hosts and content creators include mental health professionals (LMSWS, LMHCs, psychologists), yoga/mindfulness instructors, and other creative artists. No formal evaluations on the efficacy of the app were available, however, the Shine at Work product provides its own statistics stating that it has helped 85% of users “better care for their mental health” and 79% of users “better manage stress in their workplace.”

Shine stands out for its outstanding content for communities of color with culturally diverse presenters and excellent resources. Material is presented through video and text, each encouraging contemplation and response on the app. There is no flavor of a textbook to the material, but rather a sincere conversational reassuring tone.

Shine is specifically designed to be culturally inclusive regarding race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, and sexual orientation. Though inclusive in style, there are not materials specifically addressing age and ability levels. The hosts and authors include different racial, ethnic, and gender identities, as well as different educational and experiential backgrounds.

Shine is easy to use. Content and resources are personalized in effective ways. There is a great deal of material without clear sequencing that with regular use, starts to feel more predictable and sequential. One drawback is the absence of an overall search drive or back arrow as sometimes it’s challenging to find content you recently saw.

The app works well on both iPhone/iOS and Android platforms. It is updated regularly and has current resources. Upload speed and responsiveness to online survey material is quick. The online chat options are smooth.

Shine is highly focused on mental health wellness and offers multiple ways to interact with the app. Its AI chat function, like similar apps, is inconsistent in its helpfulness, though it utilizes smart goals and CBT approaches. Shine validates and affirms the feelings and lived experiences for many around Covid-19, events in the U.S., climate change, etc. yet creates a space for themes of liberation, empowerment, and ultimately the tenacity of the human spirit.

Shine is highly culturally responsive with regards to race, ethnicity, gender, experiences, and sexual orientation. That said, there is not as much imagery or content for men, catering more towards femininity than masculinity and to those who may be more career oriented. It seems most appropriate for younger adults to middle age individuals.

I found the Shine app easy to navigate and appreciate the prompts and main screen having options that included the course content I chose as well as options to dig in deeper. Users can bookmark, share, and log entries as well as engage in brief text discussions with emoji options to respond to posts. Clients tended to like the interface and did not report any trouble engaging with the app.

I had no difficulties in using the app during the time of this review. It does need internet to work; however, meditations can be downloaded for use offline. Meditations that I downloaded to play during walks and/or driving to work worked very well.