Just a Thought

What Just a Thought does

Just a Thought is a New Zealand-registered non-profit, operated by Wise Trust (Wise Group) and headquartered in Hamilton, that delivers free, self-paced online Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) courses to New Zealanders experiencing mild-to-moderate mental health challenges. Launched in September 2019, the platform currently offers 19 courses across five categories: anxiety (Generalised Anxiety, Social Anxiety, Health Anxiety, Overcoming Panic, Overcoming Panic – Next Steps), depression (Depression, Mixed Depression and Anxiety), wellbeing (Staying on Track, Intro to Mindfulness, Coping with Stress, Managing Insomnia), pregnancy and postnatal wellbeing, and alcohol and drug support. Two courses are also available in New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) via partnership with Deafradio. The technology stack is a standard web-based learning platform (course.justathought.co.nz) with interactive lessons, illustrated stories featuring relatable characters, downloadable worksheets, progress tracking, K10 score monitoring, and a separate clinical dashboard allowing healthcare workers to prescribe courses to patients via prescription codes while monitoring completion and outcomes.

The platform's business model is freemium in mechanics but non-commercial in practice: all courses, registration, NZSL versions, and resources are provided at no cost to users. Funding flows from government partnerships (Te Whatu Ora / Health New Zealand, Ministry of Social Development) and parent Wise Trust rather than user fees, subscriptions, or per-course charges. Distribution occurs across four channels: (1) direct-to-consumer self-serve enrolment via the website; (2) clinician-mediated prescription by GPs, psychologists, nurses, social workers, and peer-support specialists; (3) corporate partnerships, with Air New Zealand as the flagship employer-wellbeing relationship promoting the platform to thousands of employees and training Peer Supporters to use its CBT resources; and (4) the dedicated NZSL channel for the Deaf community. The service explicitly excludes Australia (which is redirected to This Way Up) but serves Pacific Island jurisdictions alongside NZ.

Customer outcomes are documented qualitatively and, in a few cases, quantitatively: 100% of Managing Insomnia completers reported the course was helpful or extremely helpful and said they would recommend it; nearly 2,000 users enrolled in that course within its first month; sign-ups rose ~200% during COVID-19 lockdowns; over 92,000 total course enrolments have been recorded since launch, with user counts growing from 50,000 sign-ups by end of 2022 to over 60,000 unique users by December 2023. Customer testimonials consistently cite accessibility (no cost, no waitlist, anonymity) and clinical relevance as the primary reasons for engagement, with healthcare workers and corporate partners serving as the primary referral mechanism for users who would not otherwise self-identify a need.

Name

Just a Thought

Legal name

Wise Trust

Website

https://justathought.co.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Just a Thought is a New Zealand non-profit, operated by Wise Trust, that provides free, self-paced online Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) courses covering anxiety, depression, insomnia, OCD, panic, perinatal wellbeing, and substance harm to New Zealanders, with select courses also delivered in NZ Sign Language.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Digital Mental Health / Online CBT Therapy

NAICS

Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers (621420), Offices of Mental Health Practitioners (except Physicians) (621330)

SIC

Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090), Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)

akta.pro primary industry

Behavioral Health & Neurocognitive Therapeutics (Digital) (HLACANAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Mindfulness-Based Coaching & Training (MBSR/MBCT-style) (HSADAJAB), Mindfulness, Meditation & Stress Management Education (EDAAAHAD)

Keywords

• Online cognitive behavioral therapy
• Digital mental health platform
• Self-paced therapy courses
• Free mental health support
• Web-based CBT courses

Headquarters

HQ city

Hamilton

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Free Public Service (Government Funded): Just a Thought operates as a free service for all New Zealanders. Revenue is not generated from course fees. The organisation is operated by Wise Trust and partnerships with government agencies like Te Whatu Ora and Ministry of Social Development provide funding to develop and deliver courses.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Just a Thought provides free, self-paced online Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) courses covering anxiety, depression, OCD, panic, insomnia, perinatal wellbeing, alcohol and drug harm, and mindfulness. The courses are delivered through a web platform where users can self-enrol or be prescribed by registered healthcare workers, with progress monitored via a clinical dashboard and K10 scoring.

Product overview

Just a Thought is a free, self-paced online mental health platform offering 19 evidence-based CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) courses. The core platform provides interactive, clinically-developed courses that users can complete independently or through healthcare worker prescription. The course portfolio spans five categories: anxiety (Generalised Anxiety, Social Anxiety, Health Anxiety, Overcoming Panic, Overcoming Panic – Next Steps), depression (Depression, Mixed Depression and Anxiety), wellbeing (Staying on Track, Just a Pause – Intro to Mindfulness, Coping with Stress, Managing Insomnia), pregnancy and postnatal (Pregnancy Wellbeing, Postnatal Wellbeing), and alcohol and drug support (Thinking About Change, Taking Action, Getting Back on Track). Two courses (Mixed Depression & Anxiety and Staying on Track) are additionally offered in New Zealand Sign Language for the Deaf and hard-of-hearing community. All courses feature illustrated stories, interactive lessons, downloadable resources, and progress tracking. The platform is governed by a clinical dashboard for healthcare workers who prescribe courses to patients.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Just a Thought Online CBT Platform Web-based platform delivering free, self-paced online Cognitive Behavioural Therapy courses to New Zealanders, with self-enrolment and optional healthcare-worker prescription via clinical dashboard.
• Mixed Depression and Anxiety Course Six-part online CBT course helping people experiencing both anxiety and depression develop skills for managing sadness, worry, hopelessness, and low self-worth.
• Generalised Anxiety Course Online CBT course helping individuals manage excessive worry, nervousness, and tension associated with generalised anxiety disorder.
• Social Anxiety Course Online CBT course helping people overcome nervousness, tension, and self-consciousness in social situations.
• Health Anxiety Course Online CBT course helping individuals manage and reduce excessive worry about their health.
• Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) Course Aotearoa's first free online OCD treatment course using CBT and Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) strategies across six parts.
• Overcoming Panic Course Online CBT course helping people manage and overcome panic attacks and the fear associated with them.
• Overcoming Panic – Next Steps Course Follow-on CBT course for individuals who have completed the Overcoming Panic course and want to advance their panic-management skills.
• Depression Course Online CBT course helping people experiencing low mood or persistent sadness develop coping skills and strategies.
• Managing Insomnia Course Free online CBT course teaching practical skills (sleep diaries, consistent wake times, behavioural strategies) to help people struggling with sleep problems.
• Staying on Track Course Short single-part wellbeing course (around one hour) providing practical strategies to support mental health during times of stress and uncertainty.
• Coping with Stress Course Four-lesson online CBT course teaching practical skills for managing and reducing chronic stress, including calming techniques, problem-solving, effective communication, and resilience-building.
• Just a Pause – Intro to Mindfulness Course Introductory mindfulness course teaching techniques to help individuals feel more present and connected using mindfulness-based CBT approaches.
• Pregnancy Wellbeing Course Free CBT-based online course supporting pregnant women experiencing low mood or excessive worry.
• Postnatal Wellbeing Course Free CBT-based online course supporting new mothers experiencing low mood or persistent worry after childbirth.
• Thinking About Change Course Alcohol and drug support course for individuals concerned about substance use but unsure whether they want or need to make changes.
• Taking Action Course Alcohol and drug support course for individuals ready to change their substance use or maintain changes they have already made.
• Getting Back on Track Course Alcohol and drug support course for people who previously made changes to their substance use but are struggling to maintain them.
• Mixed Depression & Anxiety (NZ Sign Language) Course Version of the Mixed Depression and Anxiety course delivered entirely in New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) for the Deaf and hard-of-hearing community.
• Staying on Track (NZ Sign Language) Course Version of the Staying on Track wellbeing course delivered entirely in New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) for the Deaf and hard-of-hearing community.
• Healthcare Worker Clinical Dashboard & Prescription Service Purpose-built web portal allowing registered clinicians (GPs, psychologists, nurses, social workers) to prescribe courses to patients using prescription codes and monitor progress, including K10 scores and completion status.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% of Managing Insomnia course completers found it helpful or extremely helpful
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• Te Whatu Ora (Health New Zealand)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to launch Aotearoa's first free, fully-online treatment courses for alcohol and drug harm. Three courses developed to provide immediate access to support for New Zealanders experiencing substance harm, addressing increasing wait-times and mounting pressure on specialist services.
• DeafradiocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeaf creative agency that assisted in production of NZSL courses as cultural advisor and translator. Partnership to provide free online therapy courses to New Zealand's Deaf and hard-of-hearing community in New Zealand Sign Language.
• Air New ZealandflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerAir New Zealand has been promoting Just a Thought to thousands of employees since launch. Training Peer Supporters to use CBT resources. Potential inclusion in airline's inflight wellbeing offering. Partnership featured in Kia Ora magazine.
• Wise Trust (Wise Group)coreOthersParent organisation (Wise Trust, also called Wise Group). Just a Thought is operated by Wise Trust. All intellectual property (website, tool, brand) belongs to Wise Trust. General Manager Charlie David and Clinical Lead Anna Elders represent Just a Thought within the Wise Group.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• BetterHelp: Largest online counseling platform connecting users to licensed therapists via messaging, chat, phone, and video. Competes with Just a Thought for the same mild-to-moderate anxiety/depression population but delivers live human therapy rather than self-paced CBT.
• Calm: Global consumer app focused on meditation, sleep, and mindfulness. Comparable to Just a Thought's mindfulness and insomnia offerings (Just a Pause, Managing Insomnia) but operates as a subscription consumer product rather than a clinician-prescribed CBT platform.
• Headspace (the app): Large-scale consumer mental health and meditation app offering guided content, sleep tools, and therapy. Comparable to Just a Thought as a digital destination for self-paced mental wellbeing, though it operates commercially with a subscription model and is not clinician-prescribed.

Direct peers

• SilverCloud Health: Global digital mental health platform offering evidence-based CBT, IPT, and behavioral activation programs for anxiety, depression, OCD, and insomnia. Comparable to Just a Thought in product model (interactive online CBT modules with clinician monitoring), though operates commercially rather than as a free public service.
• This Way Up: Australia's leading free clinician-prescribed online CBT platform, operated by St Vincent's Hospital and UNSW. It is the most direct comparable to Just a Thought—both deliver evidence-based digital CBT courses for anxiety, depression, insomnia, and OCD, integrated with GP prescription workflows, and This Way Up is explicitly the Australian destination that Just a Thought redirects users to.
• MoodGYM: Free, evidence-based online CBT and interpersonal therapy training program originally developed at the Australian National University. Compares directly to Just a Thought as a free, self-paced digital therapeutic for depression and anxiety with interactive lessons and worksheets.

Emerging players

• Woebot Health: AI-driven conversational mental health platform delivering CBT-informed interventions via chat. Comparable to Just a Thought as a scalable digital behavioral health therapeutic, though uses AI chatbot delivery rather than curated self-paced course content.
• Meru Health: Digital mental health program combining clinician-led video sessions with app-based CBT content for anxiety, depression, and burnout. Comparable to Just a Thought as a hybrid digital therapeutic, though targets employer/payer contracts in the US/Europe rather than a free public service.

Others

• EAP providers (e.g., EAPworks, Raise): Employee Assistance Program providers that supply counseling and wellbeing resources to NZ employers. Comparable to Just a Thought via the workplace wellbeing channel that Air New Zealand uses; EAPs typically bundle human counseling with self-help content like Just a Thought courses.
• Healthify (formerly Health Navigator NZ): NZ-based non-profit health information platform providing trusted clinical content and service directories. Functions as an adjacent enabling channel for Just a Thought, often referring users to its CBT courses for anxiety, depression, and insomnia self-management.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/justathoughtnz
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCqR6XJHLy-j2G9lSIFwJqLg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/justathoughtnz

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Just a Thought