A Recovery Coaches perspective: My Thoughts on Univa

Author: Hannah, Eating Disorder Recovery Coach

As an Eating Disorder Recovery coach, I know firsthand that the real work of recovery doesn’t just happen during sessions or appointments. These meetings can be immensely valuable, but it is the hours in between where recovery is truly lived out. I know from my own lived experience of an eating disorder too that it is within these in-between moments that worries can amplify and unattended thoughts can spiral. That’s why ongoing, accessible support — extending far beyond formal session time — is so vital. When Jenny and Victoria shared their concept of a self-directed app designed to bridge the gaps between treatment, I was immensely excited. I see direct correlation between a highly individualised and consistent recovery approach and sustained robust healing outcome, and this app proposal seemed to offer exactly that.

One feature that stood out to me immediately was Univa’s daily check-in system. The app allows you to choose a time of day that suits you, and subsequently sends a notification to prompt a check-in. At first glance, this might seem like a small thing, but I know from my own recovery that gentle nudges reawaken intentionality. When everything feels overwhelming, it is so tempting to lean towards avoidance over self-reconnection. A simple reminder like the Univa notification feels like someone gently tapping you on the shoulder, inviting you to slow down and come back to yourself. 

What I particularly appreciated when trialling Univa is that the app gives you the freedom to set your own rhythm. In recovery, so many things can feel out of your control, so I welcomed that the app invites you choose what asks what you need in that given moment of opening it. The app feels like it meets you where you are and adapts to you, rather than not the other way round, and I think this is indispensable for any form of recovery support. I so frequently observe that a sense of personal autonomy within one’s recovery is closely correlated to progression, and that’s why I find the intuitive and non-prescriptive self-reflection elements of the app to be genuinely supportive.

Especially when difficult feelings arise, our instinct as humans is to rush to fix them. Even for healthy individuals, closely tuning in and really giving space to emotions isn’t a frequent practice. Avoidance is especially the tendency in instances of acute anxiety and unfamiliarity. Instead of pausing, we attempt to do something, change something, or make the discomfort go away. But in recovery, one of the most powerful lessons is learning that we can’t process what we don’t allow ourselves to feel. We don’t have to force an emotion to pass in order to be safe. I really feel that the check-ins via Univa create space for that acknowledgement and encourage a shift away from unhelpful patterns of evasion. What I appreciated was that these check-ins aren’t asking you to “fix” anything, as such. They’re simply inviting you to notice. And only after that noticing can processing ensue. 

From my trialling, Univa doesn’t try to replace the human connection and co-regulation that comes from working with a therapist, coach, or support network. Rather, I truly believe it can facilitate that process — helping you keep connected to yourself and consistent in your recovery work between sessions. I can see it being a valuable tool not only for those in recovery but also for loved ones, offering reassurance that there’s something reliable holding the process together between sessions. Sometimes, all it takes is a simple notification to remind you: take a moment to tune into yourself, you matter.