Mental Health: Guided Self Help Web Apps

Online PTSD therapy as effective as face-to-face.

Spring is a suite of internet-based, trauma-focused cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) programmes designed to support individuals experiencing mild to moderate post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Developed by the Traumatic Stress Research Group at Cardiff University, the content of the guided self-help treatment was informed by people with lived experience of PTSD and those working alongside them in clinical and support settings. 

The platforms were launched in collaboration with NHS Wales as part of Traumatic Stress Wales, which aims to improve the health and wellbeing of people of all ages at risk of developing, or living with, PTSD and complex PTSD (CPTSD).

Our Role

Celf was commissioned to design and develop the Spring web application, translating clinical expertise and human experience into an intuitive, accessible, and emotionally supportive digital environment.

Our work focused on creating a calm and clear user interface supported by seamless navigation and considered interaction design, ensuring users can focus on the content without distraction. 

Each stage of the programme integrates tailored information, audio narration, and video segments to enhance engagement and relatability throughout the therapeutic journey.

Production and Development

Celf coordinated and delivered full-scale production for the platform’s media components, ensuring quality, authenticity, and accessibility:

• Production planning and coordination – managing all creative and technical elements.
• Casting – sourcing professional actors, meeting the client’s request for authenticity and lived experience in portrayed scenarios.
• Studio filming – directing and producing visual content to reflect the tone and sensitivity of the therapy.
• Audio narration –  casting and recording a relatable, regionally voiced narrator, departing from a neutral tone used in previous apps to improve emotional connection and accessibility.
• Synchronisation – precisely time-stamping audio with on-screen text for clarity and flow.
• Beta testing – delivering the beta version for RAPID clinical trials across UK PTSD support centres, including the National Centre for Mental Health (NCMH) at Cardiff University. Feedback from these trials was implemented prior to launch.

Technical Development

In addition to the core platform design, Celf is leading further development to integrate advanced data collection methods into the Spring programme. 

This enables more detailed and flexible feedback for clinicians through visual illustrations, voice recordings, and written inputs, helping deliver a more complete understanding of user progress and needs.

Outcome

The result is a secure, compassionate, and purpose-built digital therapy experience that mirrors the effectiveness of face-to-face sessions.

By combining clinical research, lived experience, and purposeful digital design, Spring demonstrates how technology can strengthen communication, connection, and care through design.