Why a cybersecurity engineer built Out Session?

My initial frustration

I remember sitting at my desk after my fourth NHS CBT session. I felt that familiar mix of hope and frustration. Hope because the session had given me valuable insights. Frustration because I knew that by tomorrow, much of that clarity would begin to fade.

Unless, I worked on it.

The therapist had recommended several resources - a thought record template, an article on cognitive distortions, a mindfulness exercise. All valuable. But it felt like I was having to connect the dots of these materials. I hope that doesn’t sound too lazy but I guess I want to call these resources static - when dynamic and smart would be much more engaging.

So there I was, trying to improve my mental wellbeing with scattered PDFs, email searches, and paper worksheets that never seemed to be available when I actually needed them or tailored to the challenges I wanted to work on.

The gap nobody was talking about

I saw an opportunity to bridge a gap that had to be affecting other people:

  • Clients struggling to maintain momentum between sessions
  • Therapists spending valuable session time hunting for resources
  • The ‘moments’ in day to day life where you needed something akin to a circuit breaker
  • Privacy concerns limiting digital mental health solutions from both therapists and their clients

The existing solutions fell into two categories: traditional (inefficient paper worksheets) or invasive (apps that collected excessive personal data). Neither was good enough.

Out Session’s purpose

I believe everyone deserves access to their therapeutic tools exactly when they need them, without compromising their privacy - and tailored to them as much as possible.

I didn't set out to build a platform. I set out to solve a problem that mattered to me and, as it turns out, to many others:

How might we extend the impact of therapy beyond the session without adding friction or compromising privacy?

The answer became Out Session - not just a tool, but a bridge between the structured guidance of therapy and the messy reality of daily life.

My first requirements

  • To take out my phone - input something I was ruminating on as quick as writing a post on X - and then be supported to see a different perspective or reframing of that thought.
  • I also wanted to store what worked for me (all the youtube links, materials and resources).
  • I wanted references for my next session with my therapist that prompted me to discuss certain events - such as relationship arguments or work stresses.
  • I didn’t want anyone to hold back from using it because they thought data was being collected on them.

Engineering Trust

As a security engineer, I understand that trust is earned through actions, not words. That's why I built Out Session with privacy as its foundation:

  • No user accounts for clients
  • Client control over what's shared back to their therapist

These aren't just features. They're expressions of a core belief: that mental health support should never come at the cost of privacy.

The Moment That Makes It All Worthwhile

Recently, a user shared how they used Out Session during a moment of intense anxiety before a presentation. Instead of spiraling, they generated a personalised thought record, worked through it in four minutes, and walked into the meeting with renewed confidence.

That's the moment I built this for the critical gap between recognising an unhelpful thought pattern and having the tools to address it.

The Future We're Building

Great innovations don't just solve problems; they create new possibilities. Out Session isn't just about making therapy more efficient - it's about extending its reach into the moments when it matters most.

I believe we're just scratching the surface of how thoughtful technology can support the therapeutic journey. Not by replacing the irreplaceable human connection at the heart of therapy, but by extending its impact beyond the session.

Because ultimately, the measure of effective therapy isn't just what happens in the room it's what happens outside it.

Thanks for reading,

Dan