Talkspace Expands Provider AI Toolkit with Talkcast, a New Personalized Podcast

• Therapists can now produce audio episodes based on clients’ unique needs to support them between sessions
• 90% of clients in the initial rollout say podcast is helpful
• Talkcast is secure, maintains clinician-client confidentiality, and adheres to HIPAA regulations and Talkspace’s responsible AI principles

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today, Talkspace (NASDAQ: TALK), a leading online behavioral healthcare company, announced the launch of Talkcast, a new AI-powered feature that allows therapists to generate personalized podcast episodes for their clients. Talkcast, available to 18+ members, extends the benefits of therapy by reinforcing key insights from their therapy sessions.

“Talkcast is an exciting new tool for our providers to encourage and better engage their clients, all with the vital goal of improving clinical outcomes,” said Nikole Benders-Hadi, M.D., Chief Medical Officer at Talkspace. “Just as therapists might traditionally recommend a worksheet or reading assignment between sessions, they can now offer clients an immersive, personalized way to support their mental health and practice the techniques they learn in therapy. In a limited rollout, providers indicated they like how Talkcast references the concepts they’ve introduced and addresses their clients’ specific concerns.”

Talkcast episodes are therapist-curated, 3-5 minute-long audio experiences available within the secure Talkspace app. Episodes stay confidential between a member and their therapist. Therapists identify topics and themes covered in their clients’ session and can click on the feature to produce an episode featuring AI-voice-generated “podcast hosts” that include affirmations, guidance, and strategies to reinforce their clients’ therapeutic progress.

Research shows that therapeutic exercises lead to better outcomes, helping clients apply their therapy learnings to everyday life and encouraging them to practice the skills they acquire during treatment. Clients are also more likely to engage in therapy when their therapists design, plan, and review between-session exercises in accordance with their goals and takeaways from their sessions.

Commitment to Privacy and Responsible AI

“In keeping with Talkspace’s dedication to Responsible AI, our AI tools are designed to enhance — not replace — the therapist-client relationship by providing personalized support throughout the course of care,” said Michael Rodio, General Manager of AI at Talkspace.

Talkcast was developed in close collaboration with Talkspace’s Chief Medical Officer, compliance team, and licensed providers, with oversight from Talkspace’s AI Governance Committee. The feature, which lives within the Talkspace platform, adheres to HIPAA regulations and Talkspace’s responsible AI principles, with built-in safeguards to protect client confidentiality.

The Talkspace therapist first determines whether a Talkcast episode would be clinically appropriate for a particular member, and if so, generates and reviews the episode before sending it to the client. Members must also opt-in to receive Talkcast episodes. These measures ensure that the tool remains clinically-sound, personalized to each individual’s treatment plan, and is a value-add for the member.

Positive Reception

Talkcast was initially rolled out to a subset of providers to gather feedback from clients before going live to Talkspace’s network of 6,000+ licensed therapists. Initial feedback is positive from both providers and clients, 90% of whom cited the podcast as helpful. Clients stated:

• They appreciated the review of topics discussed with their therapist in a familiar podcast format, similar to podcasts they already listen to.
• They enjoyed the focus on small, incremental changes they can work on between sessions without feeling overwhelmed.

Talkscast episodes will be available to members ages 18+ who opt-in. Read more about Talkspace’s AI Innovation Group here.

About Talkspace

Talkspace (NASDAQ: TALK) is a leading virtual behavioral healthcare provider committed to helping people lead healthier, happier lives through access to high-quality mental healthcare. At Talkspace, we believe that mental healthcare is core to overall health and should be available to everyone.

Talkspace pioneered the ability to text with a licensed therapist from anywhere and now offers a comprehensive suite of mental health services, including therapy for individuals and couples, as well as psychiatric treatment and medication management (18+). With Talkspace’s core therapy offerings, members are matched with one of thousands of licensed therapists within days and can engage in live video, audio, or chat sessions, and/or unlimited asynchronous text messaging sessions.

All care offered at Talkspace is delivered through an easy-to-use, fully-encrypted web and mobile platform that meets HIPAA, federal, and state regulatory requirements. More than 179 million Americans have access to Talkspace through their health insurance plans, employee assistance programs, our partnerships with leading healthcare companies, or as a free benefit through their employer, school, or government agency.

For more information, visit www.talkspace.com.