I was quite intrigued the first time I heard of Nguvu Health. An app that provides therapy remotely? Quite an innovation, I thought, and decided that I must see it for myself. So, I headed off to Google Play and downloaded it to my phone. I wanted to be able to share my experiences with the app here on Mobility Nigeria.
The premise of this phone app is that everyone deserves strong mental health, and that this can be made available remotely. In other words, you do not have to book physical appointments with a therapist any more. Tele-therapy uses video calling technology to allow you to book and hold remote therapy sessions using your mobile phone.
Why not? We are already holding all other forms of meeting virtually; why not therapy sessions? It made sense to me, so I dived into the app. The first thing I tried was to address my concerns about confidentiality. I expect that therapists on the Nguvu Health app will conform to the standard confidentiality ethics of therapy everywhere.
I also wondered about taking a screenshot on the app, but was delighted to find that it does not allow screenshots to be taken. “This app does not allow taking screenshots” is the brief response I got. Good one.
Next, you have tpo sign in to use the app. You can create an account manually, or use Google to log in. I chose the latter. I am tired of trying to remember multiple passwords across multiple apps. Right after signing in for the first time, you are asked to create a 4-digit PIN to further secure the app.
Once done, I found out that the apps has the following features:
Rant Room: a safe space for you to get as much off your chest as you want without being judged or interrupted. Interesting. You are expected to carry out an assessment, after which you pick a therapist, and then go on to have a video or text consulting session.
Don’t get scared about the assessment; it is made up of basic questions that anyone will find easy to answer. Questions include basic biodata information. It only took a few moments. Once you have submitted your responses for review, the next stage is to pick a therapist. In my case, I was given three options to select from. Tap on the name of the three therapists, a more detailed profile is presented to you for your convenience. That way, you can find out more about them before making a choice.
When it was time to book a session, a pop-up notified me that I had no active chat plan and that I needed to book one to proceed.
Nguvu Health Mobile App Prices and Tariffs
The app itself is free, but you need to subscribe to get access to a therapist. How much are we looking at? ₦3,000 for a Weekly (7-day) plan. ₦10,000 for 4 weeks, ₦27,000 for 3 months, and ₦100,000 for one year, for text chat therapy sessions
If you opt for video sessions, tariffs include ₦7,500 for a 45-miute live session. The tariffs seem pocket-friendly enough, considering what you would pay for a physical therapy session. A 4-sessio n plan costs ₦27,000. I think the tariffs are fair and pocket-friendly enough, considering what a traditional mental health session in person would cost.
Payments are via a wallet or debit/credit card. If you opt for a wallet, you have to fund it before initiating the payment. If you opt for a card payment, you know how that goes too: just type in your card details and complete the order. Once you have a subscription, you can fix an appointment.
There Is A Rant Room
Nguvu Health provides a Rant Room where you can go to get things off your chest. The Rant Room is free to use, though, so you can use it without the need for a payment. You are able to read what others have posted there, as well as post your own rants. You can post with your full identity on display, if you want, or toggle an anonymous option, so your identity is not revealed in your posts.
Download Nguvu Health
Nguvu health mobile app is available for Android OS phones and tablets, as well as for iPhone and iPad devices.
If you are serious and international about your mental health, you should give the Nguvu Health phone app a try.
- Like our Facebook page: @mobilitynigeria
- Follow @MobilityNigeria on Twitter to stay up-to-date when we publish new articles.
- Follow @MobilityNigeria on Instagram for fun stuff.