'The glue between therapist and patient': can Silicon Valley fix mental health care?

Apps are changing the industry, but experts warn against dispensing with human therapists entirely

The road to therapy is often inscrutable, windy and unsatisfying, with availability, cost and fit frequently preventing people from getting the care they need.

A new wave of Bay Area startups is turning to tech to change that, using algorithms and automation to take the guesswork out of finding the right therapist. At a time when mental health care is rapidly moving from clinics and hospitals on to our phones, they're building software to enhance the human relationship at the heart of successful therapy. But the speed at which this shift has occurred is sparking as much concern as excitement about technology's potential.