Ask
Ask Professor Puddles
Chat with Professor Puddles, the site’s helper. Also called Ask a question in your own words
What it does: you type what’s going on, the way you’d tell a friend. What you get: kind next steps, words you could use and the right pages, made only from this site. About 2 minutes
Meet Professor Puddles, a cheerful raindrop professor who knows this whole site. Tell him what’s going on in your own words for kind next steps, words you could use and the right page.
- Free
- Runs on your device
- Nothing you type leaves it
- Not a person, not AI, not a therapist
Answers come only from this site’s checked pages. No made-up answers. How he answers
Or press Esc twice.
How Professor Puddles answers
He doesn’t make things up. Professor Puddles isn’t a generative AI that writes new text. He is a small scripted helper that runs right here in your browser.
- Every answer comes from what’s already written on this site: its pages, cards and library. He picks the best match rather than inventing a new answer, and links to where you can read more. When an answer comes from his background notes rather than a page, he says so.
- Research he mentions is named honestly, and every source is listed, with what it found in plain words, on The research behind this site.
- He can still pick the wrong topic. If he misses, tell him “that’s not it” or say it another way.
- He isn’t a therapist and can’t diagnose. For anything about safety, he points you to real help.
What he can do
Ten things to try. You don’t need the right words: type it the way you’d say it to a friend.
Your situation, your words
Couples, friends, family, co-parents, housemates, work. Describe what’s happening and get a few kind next steps.
Finds the right tool or page
Every tool, workpaper, chapter and game: what it’s for, how to use it and what your results mean.
Words you could use
Short sentences you could say out loud or send, for raising something hard, saying no or saying sorry.
Just chat
Want to just chat? Say hi, ask for a joke, or tell me about your day. He’ll share his puddle news, play a quick game, and ask about you.
Talk deep
Big questions, like what love is or whether honesty is always kind, through philosophy, psychology and an autistic lens.
Makes infographics
A small poster about a topic, drawn on your device, that you can save as an image, share or print.
Safety first
If something sounds like fear or control, not a communication problem, he says so gently and points to real help.
Explains ideas plainly
The mental load, fair vs equal, “flooded”, the double empathy problem: what they mean, with an everyday example.
Jokes on request
Very bad puddle puns, riddles and tiny stories, only when you ask. Never in the middle of something hard.
Un poco de español
Ask in Spanish and he’ll answer the basics in Spanish, with the site’s Spanish page.
Try asking…
Tap any question and the Professor will answer it in the chat above. Or type your own.
Everyday situations
Find a tool
Words to say
Just chat
Want to just chat? Say hi, ask for a joke, or tell me about your day.
Talk deep
These switch on deep talk first. Say “keep it light” any time to come back.
Infographics
After any answer you can also say “summarise this as an infographic”.
Learn something
Good to know
Private by design
Everything happens in your browser. Nothing you type or choose is sent anywhere. This tab remembers the conversation until you close it, and then it’s gone. Pictures you save stay on your device too.
What he can’t do
He can’t diagnose, and he isn’t therapy or professional advice. He can be wrong or pick the wrong topic: tell him “that’s not it”, or say it another way. You know your situation best.
What he’s made for
Everyday disagreements between people who feel safe with each other. If anyone feels afraid or controlled, that isn’t a communication problem, and private help is here. The Leave quickly button, or Esc twice, takes you off this site fast.
Starting over
Tap Start over at the top of the chat for a fresh conversation. Closing the tab clears it too. In deep talk, say “keep it light” to come back to lighter chat.
Prefer to browse? The Contents and its site directory list every page, and Start here is a gentle first step.