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A hybrid therapeutic solution that uses digital content, face to face to therapy sessions and data science to help individuals discover what works for their mental wellbeing
About
When you visit a physician, you will be diagnosed and prescribed treatment. The prescription process is well known. However, for depression and anxiety this process is not straightforward. 33% do not respond to traditional gold standard therapies i.e. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) or medication. Another 33% will relapse following successful treatment (NHS, 2012). By no means should someone disregard CBT or medication. Both can be extremely beneficial. But as anxiety and depression are influenced by biological, social and psychological factors, there is no one-size-fits-all treatment. The challenges are individuals often lack information and/or access to wider therapeutic choices that they deserve, are handicapped by NHS waiting lists, or are unable to afford non-NHS prescribed therapies. Additionally, individuals often face social stigma and lack the ability to integrate wider therapeutic choices with data and insights to better understand what works best for them. MindHug is a UCL incubated mental wellbeing startup. We want to illuminate the path to wellbeing and happiness for all. We understand the challenges and thats what makes us unique. Our focus is on a range of proven experiential and expressive therapies. These include Music Therapy, Art Therapy, Animal Assisted Therapy, Sound Therapy; and Yoga and Mindfulness. Our therapeutic solutions will be more personalised, more accessible and more affordable than ever before. With MindHug Concierge we help corporates, universities, and institutions build, plan, and implement a mental wellbeing strategy. This includes exciting bespoke group therapies, workshops, and events. MindHug Digital is an innovation in the pipeline. It’ll connect individuals with therapists all around the country. As a Hybrid solution, it will be supported by digital therapeutic content and media. In addition, we use data and analytics to help individuals discover what works best for them. In addition to the challenges that impact individuals and thus the demand side, there are also frictions that the supply side (therapists) face. This includes a lack of marketing tools, an inability to reach a wider customer base, as well as pain points related to purchasing insurance, and handling booking and payments. We aim to systematically solve these challenges so therapists can do what they do best - help people.
Key Benefits
For individuals, the benefits include a model that integrated increased therapeutic choice, improved affordability, and data and insights to navigate their mental wellbeing. We are also unique in digitising evidence based expressive and experiential therapies such as Art Therapy and Music Therapy. In doing so, we are also catering to a wider range of psycho-social profiles. For employers, MindHug services can contribute to increased staff commitment and productivity, better staff retention, reduced sick leave and absenteeism, and, our services can enhance their reputation as an ethical employer.
Applications
75% of mental health issues start before the age of 24. Therefore, our Beach-head customer segments are university students and young professionals in London, given their disproportionate suffering. However, we would eventually expand into other cities, countries and segments.