Mytherapist is a one-stop shop for people looking to improve their mental health. The business does this by providing a service that lets you access various therapists, tools, and resources you need to develop and live a mentally healthier life.
Because Afolayan believes that access to mental health care should be more accessible, users can use its mobile app, which is available on the App Store and Play Store, to schedule appointments with therapists familiar with their realities.
The entire process begins with you signing up on the app. Once you have done so, you can browse its list of therapists, where you will find professionals with various qualifications, pricing, and hours of availability .
After that, choose a therapist who meets your needs and budget, and confirm that their expertise corresponds with the problem you want to address.
When you book your session, the therapist is notified, and they accept your booking request and will be available to communicate via voice, text, or video chat during the scheduled time.
“We have therapists for whom you can schedule a free trial consultation session, and we also have therapists for whom you must make payments upfront to schedule a session.”
While the company is considering charging individuals for weekly or monthly therapy sessions, it only allows them to pay per session. Aside from free trials, therapy costs between ₦3,000 and ₦12,000. The startup receives a commission for each therapy session completed through the app.
MyTherapist` also provides corporate wellness services to businesses, where companies and organisations can sign up to participate in their employees’ mental healthcare.
Moreover, the business has a digital resource where you can find information, enlightening you on several mental health-related issues. Afolayan says it is essential because de-stigmatising mental health through education is one way to reduce the stigma.
The mobile app and website-based resource tool also provide tips and how-to guides to assist users in coping with mental health issues.
For instance, users can securely enter their thoughts in the mobile app’s diary. Its breathing exercise tool is helpful for people who have trouble managing their anxiety and worry. Users receive daily affirmations by 7 a.m. WAT to help them get through the day. The app also has a mood tracker that tracks people’s moods and monitors how they fare.
The company has a comfort store where users can shop for mental health items, including stress balls, anxiety toys, and self-help books, to help them maintain their mental health. It also sells tote bags with several inscriptions to de-stigmatise mental health issues and encourage mental health conversations.
On how the startup vets its therapists before onboarding them onto its platform, Afolayan says potential therapists go through four stages. First, applicants submit their applications with supporting documents like a résumé.
The company then requests that chosen candidates send an email attaching their academic and professional credentials to verify the validity of the supporting documents. The third stage requires an interview with the head of therapy, Ajayi.
Finally, selected candidates participate in a mock session simulating different situations they might encounter in an actual therapy session. This evaluation focuses on the candidates’ capacity to handle the scenario and how they relate to the user.
“So far, only three out of every ten therapists have been hired, with a 32% acceptance rate. Once we onboard them, we monitor and evaluate their performance and client feedback.
“Mytherapistng values ongoing quality assurance to ensure our users receive effective and ethical therapy. It may appear unfair to some therapists, but we only want to introduce the best to our users.”
Interestingly, Afolayan sees these companies as co-innovators instead of competitors because “much work needs to be done to improve the mental health of Nigerians and Africans in general.”
However, he claims that the company’s service is user-centred, distinguishing it from other players in the field.
“We prioritise the user in everything we do. We also take pride in our free services. We understand that catering to people of all income levels is one of our top priorities. So, whether you are a low-wage earner or someone in the high-wage range, there is something for you.”
MyTherapistng has been self-funded up to this point. Although obtaining funding has been difficult, the startup is raising funds for a pre-seed round to help scale the company.
“The year 2023 has been recorded as one of the most difficult years to raise funds, and as a bootstrapped startup, we have a lot of limited capacity in which we can function due to limited capital. And I think that is why we are seeking excellent investors to help us spread the vision of MyTherapist across Nigeria and Africa.”
Standing strong in the face of adversity
Since its launch, MyTherapistng has encountered technical and professional challenges. For instance, it had to wait a month to have its app reinstated after being removed abruptly from the Google Play Store shortly after its January 2023 launch.
Additionally, the team was confused about how the product would function at the early stage of development. However, they conducted user interviews to determine the best action.
After spending 2021 working on the platform, MyTherapistng released its beta app in October 2022, with free features available. It only started making money in January 2023, when it allowed therapy appointments on its platform.
In the first three months after launching its therapy service, it made its first $1,000. And Afolayan says the figure has been growing at an impressive rate.
In May 2022, MyTherapist hired its first five employees and began actively developing the mobile app. Since then, the team has grown to nine members. It also surpassed 1,000 downloads in April 2023 and expects to reach 5,000 by December.
Afolayan is aware of the stress that Nigerian workers experience at work and in their careers, and MyTherapistng plans to address this by adding more features to cater to businesses and their staff. Even though it currently serves a few employees, it hopes that more corporations and startups will use the service.
Besides, the company is actively developing several features to improve user experience and help its users take better care of their mental health.
Afolayan concludes that several users outside Nigeria use its app, and it plans to make its services available locally and to other parts of Africa and the globe.
SOURCE: techpoint.africa