The Y Combinator-backed startup founded by a Black female is inviting 1,000 wellness professionals to host groups on the platform and launching with a community-wide support group session on relationships.

Meet Tamar Blue, founder and CEO of MentalHappy, Inc., a safe, affordable, online community that provides positive peer support groups led by health and wellness professionals, along with science-backed toolkits and other premium features. Her company is inviting 1,000 health and wellness professionals nationwide to join the MentalHappy movement. Experienced leaders and coaches can host their groups on a secure, wellness-focused platform where they can connect directly with their members, own their data, feature their products, and earn revenue — with zero initiation or membership fees for a limited time. Interested ones can apply to host a group, join a group or participate in the free community-wide groups.

“We know that 100% of us experience difficult life events that take a toll on our emotional wellness – whether it’s loss, injury, a breakup or financial hardship. But not everyone has access to mental health care — and the recent isolation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has magnified individuals’ emotional health struggles. MentalHappy offers individuals—irrespective of race, gender or socioeconomic status — a positive place to turn in tough times,” states Blue. As a woman of color, Blue understands the unique challenges that Black and Brown communities face when it comes to emotional wellness and finding the right provider and so she has created a platform that is culturally sensitive — a place where individuals can safely talk about the challenges they face in their daily lives, and receive support from others who understand what they’re experiencing.

According to the Mental Illness Policy Organization, untreated mental illness costs the U.S. Healthcare system around $300 billion annually — and that’s during “normal” times. As a result of COVID-19, financial strains have created an even greater gulf in access, and have forced mental health professionals worldwide to find creative ways to hold on to current clients, as well as accommodate more clients as a result of increased demand.

MentalHappy is helping health and wellness providers to meet the increased demand for mental health services with professionally-led peer groups. Studies show that peer-to-peer support has been proven to be more effective than traditional therapies in regards to outcomes such as empowerment, mental health confidence, and loneliness and peer-to-peer support also “lowers the overall cost of mental health services,” according to Mental Health American.

Alicia Sanchez, who leads the MentalHappy group, Volunteering for Happiness, shares that she chose to launch a group because of the platform’s wellness focus and because she knows the power of groups. “Navigating life’s challenges can feel lonely. However, on MentalHappy you discover you are not alone. The people within these groups are here to listen, support, help, and give back,” Sanchez shares.

Backed by Y Combinator, the startup accelerator that brought the world such household names as AirBnB, Dropbox, DoorDash and Stripe, MentalHappy is positioning itself at the forefront of the wellness market by providing a solution to a $300 Billion dollar crisis in the United States alone. MentalHappy is accepting health and wellness professionals in any of the following professions: Psychology, Psychiatry, Naturopathy, General Practitioner (MD), Acupuncture (Eastern Medicine), Certified Wellness/Life Coach, Fitness, Certified Peer Group Specialist and Experienced Educator (Teacher).

Benefits of Becoming a MentalHappy Peer Support Group Leader include:

• Safe, secure platform designed for the services providers offer.

• Access to one’s member data (as opposed to social media platforms that do not share simple data with page owners — such as email addresses).

• The ability to Easily Attract New Members/Clients. MentalHappy users can effortlessly join new groups. This helps leaders attract new members with ease.

• Potential for additional revenue by making one’s products and services available to MentalHappy resource hubs for increased reach to all MentalHappy users.

• Locked-in pricing. The first 250 health and wellness professionals to apply will have their prices “locked-in” indefinitely with zero initiation and membership fees.

To learn more or to apply to host a peer support group on the MentalHappy platform, visit MentalHappy.com/leader

About MentalHappy
MentalHappy is a Y Combinator-backed digital healthcare platform on a mission to make mental health care an accessible and stigma-free reality for everyone. Accessible, affordable and culturally sensitive, MentalHappy, founded by Tamar Blue (a Forbes: The Next 1,000 2021 recipient), is designed to provide people of all races, genders, and economic statuses a safe and secure platform to talk about emotional health, the challenges they face in their daily lives and receive support from others who understand what they’re experiencing. With free mental health resources and professionally-led support groups for as little as $7 a month, MentalHappy is making it possible for everyone to get the emotional help they deserve without financial or physical limitations. To learn more or to learn how to join, host a peer group or become a MentalHappy shareholder, visit MentalHappy.com

(This article first appeared in Black News)