Most exercises in the library come in three difficulty variants. They cover the same underlying skill but differ in how much scaffolding you get.
Beginner
- 5-10 minutes
- Heavy scaffolding — explicit step-by-step prompts, examples for every input, plain-language framings
- Lower self-reflection demand — answers can be short and concrete
- Good for: first time trying this modality, or revisiting a familiar exercise on a low-energy day
Intermediate
- 10-15 minutes
- Less scaffolding — assumes you've seen the core concept once
- Asks you to make connections (e.g. "how does this thought connect to your earlier values?")
- Good for: when you're comfortable with the basic structure but want a fuller engagement
Advanced
- 15-25 minutes
- Minimal scaffolding — assumes you know the protocol
- Often asks for synthesis across multiple recent entries (e.g. "looking at your last 5 thought records, what pattern do you notice?")
- Good for: when the basic version has stopped feeling productive, or when you want to integrate multiple sessions
How to know which level to pick
The recommendation engine generally surfaces a difficulty level matched to your activity profile:
- New to this modality → beginner
- 3+ completions in this modality → intermediate gets surfaced
- 10+ completions → advanced gets surfaced
You can always override — every exercise has a "Try a different difficulty" link at the top.
Skipping levels
Fine. Difficulty is a comfort dial, not a gate. Some users prefer Advanced from the start because they have a therapy background; some users stay on Beginner indefinitely because the scaffolding works for them. Both are valid.
Why some exercises don't have all three levels
A few exercises (e.g., simple breathing techniques, the 5-4-3-2-1 grounding) are inherently single-level — there's no meaningful "advanced" version. Those just appear once in the catalog.
Related
- How long should I spend on an exercise?
Last reviewed: 2026-05-04