Therapy for All

Therapy for all isn’t simply a slogan. It isn’t just a philosophy. Therapy for all is an imperative. Mental illness is a global health problem and, in the United States specifically, 1 in 5 adults suffers from mental illness in a given year. Look around you: I’d hazard a guess that one person in your direct vicinity has dealt with a mental health challenge in the past year.

In fact, a recent study by psychology researchers Aaron Reuben and Jonathan Schaefer has shown that we are more likely to experience a bout of mental illness than we are to develop diabetes, heart disease, or any kind of cancer. And yet it’s far more common (and, yes, culturally acceptable) to fear eating too much sugar and fat than it is to consider the possibility of seeking out mental health care.

This disparity is not without consequences. According to the World Health Organization, depression is the leading cause of disability across the globe. Consider also that 1 in 25 Americans, 9.8 million people, develop a mental health issue severe enough to interfere with or limit their daily lives. In more extreme cases, the National Alliance on Mental Illness predicts that untreated mental illness can be attributed to the majority of deaths by suicide, a phenomenon that is far more common than we might think.

To be sure, the inconvenience and cost of mental health care is not to be discounted. Despite how universal mental health challenges are, the majority of people can’t afford to pay $200 dollars for a 45-minute therapy appointment each week. Add to the mix the inconvenience of having to schedule and commute to a weekly appointment, plus fearing the stigma of having to tell your boss and colleagues why you’re leaving the office. This is our current culture, and these statistics will only persist (and possibly grow worse) if we do not work, together, to change it.

Talkspace can be part of the solution. To date, close to a million individuals have tried Talkspace, 70% of whom have never been in therapy. In alignment with our mission — Therapy for All — we’ve been able to broaden access for people who have otherwise not been exposed to or had access to mental health care.

Today, all you need to receive quality mental health care is a computer with internet connection, or the Talkspace mobile app. Users can message their therapists from anywhere, anytime — using text, audio, video and/or picture messages. Talkspace is therapy for how we live today, providing the flexibility your life demands.

Most importantly, we are enabling people to improve their mental health even if they’ve had trouble making time for it in the past. No extra commutes, no leaving the office, and no judgments. Our platform has more than 2,000 licensed therapists, many of whom are trained in multiple areas of expertise. We have helped people with the following issues (and many more):

• Anxiety
• Addiction
• Depression
• Eating Disorders
• Personality Disorders
• PSTD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder)
• Relationships (Family or Friends)

In seeking to provide Therapy for All, we are also aiming at something larger: it’s time to dismantle the stigma of mental illness that has plagued our communities for far too long. In doing so, we strive, not only to underscore the importance of treating mental illness with the urgency it deserves, but also to show how anyone can benefit from therapy.

Remember: therapy doesn’t just have to be about venting your innermost thoughts or digging into childhood memories. It’s also about practical, everyday strategies for managing stress, meeting goals, and living a happier life. Therapy is not just for the powerful or wealthy — therapy is not just for CEOs. Having a therapist simply provides a designated person for you to talk to, who is trained to listen and help you make positive changes.

Our goal is to provide a platform that can help more people benefit from therapy and overcome their day-to-day challenges in a stigma-free environment. While mental health and wellness aren’t the same, we could all stand to take our mental health into account with more intention and care. With Talkspace, we’ve tried to make that process a bit easier — providing an affordable, confidential, and convenient platform.

Whether you’re dealing with mental illness, inevitable ups and downs in your relationships, or career decisions (or indecisions), Talkspace is for you. Therapy is for you. And now, we’re trying to provide therapy for all.