Skill-Based Apps for Developing Emotional Awareness
Technology can help those with alexithymia improve their emotional awareness.
Posted March 11, 2025 | Reviewed by Margaret Foley
I sometimes work with individuals who can’t put words to their feelings or can't understand the emotional responses of others. It’s not that they don’t want to— it’s more that they don’t know how.
The clinical term for this experience is alexithymia , which is defined as the inability to recognize emotions and their subtleties. The word "alexithymia" is of Greek origin, meaning “no words for emotions.” It's important to note that alexithymia is not a clinical disorder or a mental illness. It's a set of experiences that impair emotional awareness.
While there are plenty of studies that tout old-school interventions like reading novels, keeping a diary, and engaging in art therapy or other expressive arts to reduce alexithymia, this post will explore newer interventions—specifically, research on how skill-based apps can improve emotion recognition skills in alexithymic individuals.
Smartphones, computers, tablets, and even smart TVs can access apps like Alexilearn , Animi , and Daniel Tiger's Grr-ific Feelings , and a digital journal, Clearful , to deepen emotional intelligence . These software programs are game-like in design and make skill-building a fun, interactive, and empowering experience.
Of these digital offerings, these three are geared toward children, adolescents, and adults:
For children, here is one standout app for social-emotional learning:
When More Than Technology Is Needed
Using these kinds of skill-building apps may help improve emotional awareness in others as well as yourself. As mentioned, they are entertaining and use a game-like structure to reach and teach. If, however, you feel that such interventions aren't enough to reduce alexithymia or that you or someone you love is struggling to cope day to day with social experiences, reaching out to a mental health therapist can provide greater intervention.
Alexithymia is a trait that makes it hard to find words for feelings and detect emotions in others. When identified, alexithymia can be addressed with the goal of making feelings and their textures easier to navigate.
To find a therapist, please visit the Psychology Today Therapy Directory.
Note: Deborah Serani, Psy.D., declares no support, financial or otherwise, for highlighting these digital applications and software.
Demir, V. (2022). The effect of art therapy and mindfulness based cognitive therapy program on the levels of alexithymia of individuals. Asya Studies , 6 (22), 237-248.
Lukas, C. A., Fuentes, H. T., & Berking, M. (2019). Smartphone-based emotion recognition skills training for alexithymia—A randomized controlled pilot study. Internet interventions , 17 , 100250.
Preece, D. A., & Gross, J. J. (2023). Conceptualizing alexithymia. Personality and Individual Differences , 215 , 112375.
Renzi, A., Mariani, R., Di Trani, M., & Tambelli, R. (2020). Giving words to emotions: The use of linguistic analysis to explore the role of alexithymia in an expressive writing intervention. Research in Psychotherapy: Psychopathology, Process, and Outcome , 23 (2), 452.
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Deborah Serani, Psy.D. , is a psychologist and psychoanalyst who lives with depression and specializes in its diagnosis and treatment.
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This article is part of the Bringwise Psychology Journal — daily insights on human behavior, mental health, and personal growth.