New location of the startup: Mental Health Match, a startup helping people find the right therapist, has moved from Houston to Portland, Ore.
The platform: Mental Health Match uses an online matching tool to guide users through choosing a therapist. More information on potential supervisors will be provided when they are identified as a match.
The idea: The founder and CEO Ryan Schwartz came up with the idea when he was looking for a therapist for the first time after the death of his mother. Sitting across from a friend who was swiping through a dating app, he thought, “What if we could compete with a therapist like a romantic partner?”
Increase in distress: As the COVID-19 pandemic and social isolation affect people’s mental health, various startups and healthcare providers are introducing tools and services to address issues related to anxiety, depression, and more.
Monetization and Traction: As of 2019, Mental Health Match has matched more than 60,000 people with a therapist and has therapists in all 50 states. They currently have 2,000 therapists on the platform with a total of 119 paying customers (30% conversion rate for studies). Therapists pay a monthly subscription to be part of the service.
Financing: With three employees plus contractors / consultants, the startup has raised $ 1 million in start-up capital.
Last word: “We all struggle to make sense of our fast-changing world, and a good therapist is one of the most helpful resources available,” Schwartz told KOIN’s “Am Extra” in Portland. “As more people realize it is time to speak to a trained professional, our matching tool enables Oregonians to find the provider they trust and connect with from the first moment.”