[FEATURE] Add User Onboarding / Guided Tour

[Vedant-Kalbhor]

Prerequisites

• I have searched existing issues to ensure this feature hasn't been requested before
• I have read the project documentation and contribution guidelines

🎯 Problem Statement

TalkHeal offers multiple powerful tools such as AI chat support, mood tracking, journaling, wellness activities, and resources. For first-time users, the number of available features can feel overwhelming, and it’s not immediately clear how to get started or what each section does.

I want new users to quickly understand the core features of TalkHeal and feel confident using the platform from their first session.

Currently, there is no guided introduction or walkthrough explaining the app’s layout and key functionalities. Users must explore everything on their own, which may lead to confusion or missed features.

This can increase cognitive load, reduce engagement, and potentially cause users to abandon the app early without fully benefiting from its features.

💡 Proposed Solution

Feature behavior:

• Display a welcome modal when a user logs in for the first time.

• Provide a step-by-step guided walkthrough highlighting key sections such as:

• AI Chat Support

• Mood Tracker

• Journal

• Wellness Tools

• Resources / Crisis Support

• Allow users to skip, continue, or replay the tour later from settings.

User perspective:
-User logs in for the first time.

• A short welcome message explains what TalkHeal does.

• Tooltips or modal steps guide the user through the interface.

• The onboarding completion status is saved (e.g., in session state or local storage).

Technical approach:

• Use Streamlit modals/tooltips or conditional UI rendering.

• Store onboarding completion using st.session_state or local persistence.

• Keep the implementation lightweight and non-intrusive.

🔄 Alternatives Considered

Static README or documentation page
but Not ideal, as users may skip reading documentation.

📊 Priority Level

Medium - Would improve workflow

🎭 Use Cases

Primary users:

• First-time users exploring TalkHeal

• Non-technical users unfamiliar with mental health apps

Example scenario:

• A new user signs in to TalkHeal.

• They are greeted with a welcome modal.

• The app highlights the AI chat feature and explains how to start a conversation.

• The tour continues to mood tracking and journaling features.

• The user completes or skips the tour and begins using the app confidently.

📎 Additional Context

No response

🤝 Contribution

• I'm willing to submit a pull request for this feature
• I'm available to help with testing
• I can provide additional feedback during development

[github-actions]

Thank you for raising this issue!

We'll review it as soon as possible. We truly appreciate your contributions! ✨

Meanwhile make sure you've visited the README.md, CONTRIBUTING.md, and CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md before creating a PR for this. Also, please do NOT create a PR until this issue has been assigned to you. 😊

[eccentriccoder01]

@Vedant-Kalbhor This issue has already been addressed by another contributor here #625. If you believe you can improve this project meaningfully in unique and even better ways, you are always welcome to open new issues or work on existing ones with no progress!