I’m a therapist who has tried Headspace. Was it worth recommending?

As a therapist, I’m often asked by my clients what meditation apps I recommend, but the truth is, there are so many options it can be overwhelming.

There’s no doubt that apps offering mindfulness, meditation and self-guided resources can be helpful for people who struggle with focus and sleep, or who just need help calming down when stressed. For example, during the 2020 pandemic, I tried Headspace, an app that offers research-based self-guided tools to improve mental health, covering topics ranging from “meditation for beginners” to “how to sleep better” and “how to build habits.” And it helped me deal with the stress that came with the shift to working from home and being on-site for clients during a series of unprecedented events.

But honestly, it’s been quite a while since I last tried the app, and I was curious to see if it was still as useful to me as it was back then. So I signed up again to try it for another three weeks, and found that the wide range of meditation options is still as effective for me as it was before. Here’s what my trial period looked like:

How I signed up for Headspace

The sign-up process took less than five minutes, which is standard for app sign-ups. On the home page, I clicked “Sign up for free” and entered my name, email address, and password. To make the sign-up even quicker, I was given the option to sign up with Apple, Facebook, or Gmail, so I chose my Gmail address and had an account within minutes. The app was available on both the Apple App Store and Google Play, and I downloaded it to my phone.

Next, I decided which plan to sign up for.

I chose the monthly plan.

My Experience with Headspace

Once I signed up, I immediately had unlimited access to guided videos and visual meditations. I could access Headspace through my web browser or through the app I downloaded onto my phone or tablet.

Exercises were available in four main categories: meditation, sleep, stress, and mindfulness. There was also a symptom tracker, which I completed as soon as I logged into the app, giving me basic information about my current stress and anxiety levels. The app indicated that I would be prompted to reassess my anxiety levels in two weeks, and then again in four weeks. (At the two-week mark, I was prompted to do it again, and found that my anxiety had decreased slightly.)

The app recommends a “suggested meditation” each day, and while it does recommend some similar to meditations I’ve chosen in the past, I like that I can choose the meditation I want to use at any time, rather than being forced or prescribed a specific exercise. If you don’t like what’s recommended, you can use the search function to filter the entire library by topic. It’s unclear how many meditations are available on the app, but from my search, there are hundreds, and there doesn’t appear to be a limit to the number of exercises you can complete per day. However, Headspace does recommend meditating at least twice a day.

Meditation options include guided (a recorded audio guides you through the exercises) and unguided (music and images are used to calm the mind and allow it to flow naturally), calming (reducing physiological arousal to create a sense of peace), insight (bringing self-awareness) and even meditations aimed at building specific coping or mindfulness skills.

The exercises I tried varied in length, with the shortest being around 4 minutes and the longest being 30. Some of the exercises prompted you to breathe or stretch in a certain way, but overall they didn’t require much beyond listening.

While some meditation scripts are entirely auditory, the app displays a pulsating circle that prompts you to breathe slowly while you listen. Some include beautiful imagery, such as landscapes of national parks. The meditations vary in length, but most are under 10 minutes, which fits perfectly into my schedule. While it may be difficult to make time for 30 minutes of meditation, you can take five minutes multiple times a day to breathe deeply and relax.

Some meditations focused on slowing me down or getting in tune with what was going on in my body, while others included guided sleep meditations to help me relax as I went to bed. The variety of options meant I never ran out of content or had to repeat meditations, which helped keep the app interesting over time.

In addition, I liked the meditations that allowed me to check in with my body and remind myself where the tension is and what needs are not being met at that moment. When I use the app, I notice that my muscles are less tense than before I started.

My personal favorite was a series of visual meditations featuring national parks around the United States. You don’t have to think or concentrate, just enjoy the calming music and beautiful scenery. The instructions said that the meditations would help instill a sense of calm and relaxation. I wasn’t particularly excited before the session, but afterwards I noticed that my body felt more relaxed. Overall, I think that taking the time for these exercises was beneficial in the long run.

There wasn’t an exercise I didn’t like at all, but my own attention span made it hard for me to stay focused on meditations longer than 10 minutes – it’s a matter of personal preference, and I think Headspace made the longer meditations because some people like them.

Pros and Cons

Overall, I feel I have benefited greatly from Headspace’s range of evidence-based meditations. Here are some of my pros and cons:

Final thoughts

The variety, affordability, and supporting evidence of Headspace’s meditations make it a great resource for people who don’t need ongoing therapy. While it’s not a substitute for treatment, it can be useful for people who don’t have access to therapy services or who want to supplement their treatment with mindfulness training.

While trying out the app, I felt it met my expectations based on what I already knew and how the company was promoting the platform. I appreciated the availability of long and short meditations, which seemed to provide an experience that would suit most people’s needs and preferences. I also liked that while the app offered suggestions to make exercise selections easier, it didn’t force me to follow a specific program and let me curate my own experience.

The meditation library is extensive, offering a variety of meditations to suit different time slots and preferences. I would recommend Headspace to anyone who finds mindfulness a beneficial supplement to therapy services, or to anyone who wants to address their mental health through mindfulness without traditional therapy.