Why I Built Athers: A Solution for Mental Health Support

In April 2025, I created Athers, an AI-powered voice therapist aimed at providing real-time, empathetic mental health support. The inspiration came from conversations I had with people I met online, many of whom were facing issues like home problems, relationship struggles, finances, and more. I realized that there was a need for a platform that could offer real-time emotional support, and that's how Athers came to life.

My Role

• AI Voice Therapist: Built with Next.js and TypeScript, Athers enables users to have natural, empathetic voice conversations with an AI therapist, offering real-time support.
• Vapi Integration: Integrated Vapi to allow for seamless two-way voice interaction with barge-in functionality, making the conversation feel more natural.
• Google Gemini Model: Leveraged Google's Gemini to generate warm, Gen Z-styled therapeutic responses that connect emotionally and offer support in a relatable way.
• UI/UX Design: Designed the interface using Figma and implemented it with Shadcn UI components, ensuring a smooth, accessible, and user-friendly experience.
• User Authentication: Implemented Clerk for secure user authentication, allowing for personalized therapy sessions and user tracking.

Tech Stack

• Next.js & TypeScript – For building a fast, scalable web app
• Vapi – Real-time voice interaction and barge-in functionality
• Google Gemini – AI-driven responses for empathetic conversations
• Clerk – User authentication for personalized sessions
• Shadcn UI – Responsive and sleek UI components for a smooth experience

Key Outcomes

• Athers allows users to have real-time, personalized therapeutic conversations, providing support for emotional well-being.
• The AI therapist generates warm, Gen Z-styled responses, offering an empathetic and understanding approach to mental health.
• Secure and personalized sessions that ensure privacy, with continuous support tailored to each user's needs.

Closing Thoughts

I built Athers after speaking with people online who shared their personal struggles. It became clear that there was a need for an AI tool that could offer real-time support, empathy, and understanding. Athers is a response to that need—a tool that blends AI with compassion to help those who may not have easy access to traditional mental health support.

Explore Athers →