Ayana Launches Mental Health Platform for People of Color
Healthcare doesn’t have to be in the confines of a hospital facility or a clinic. Thanks to software developers, it’s now possible to get a checkup from your doctor. You can get a skin rash checked, or check with your doctor if the meds you’re taking are effective.
Enter mental health. This is a particularly sensitive issue people would avoid talking about in public. And if the person is afflicted with depression or any other mental illness, it’s more difficult to seek professional help. There’s a stigma attached to getting mental health assistance. In some cultures, mental health is not acknowledged. But Ayana changes that.
Mental Health Platform Geared Toward People Of Color
Ayana Therapy claims that there is a lack of a strong connection between mental health care and cultural minorities. The founder of the company and the app Eric Coly has first-hand experienced depression and how it’s not addressed due to cultural differences.
Cultural background is not the only reason for the lack of awareness for mental health care. Culture is woven into other things. Location, finances, language barriers, religious restrictions, and a lot more. The Ayana app helps people by matching their profile to registered and professional counselors and therapists.
So how does this work? Ayana Therapy enables its users to log in anonymously to the app. After the login page, a questionnaire greets the users. Ayana Therapy’s questionnaire is culturally sensitive for people who may be offended by regular questionnaires. After users answer the form, they will be matched with a professional therapist that matches their profile.
Ayana Therapy also works for counselors and psychologists. The company even lists states which allow therapists to work with patients in other states. They have a referral program for therapists which will be useful. Most cultural minorities will likely want to be working with someone from their own race or group.
Founder, Editor-In-Chief // A native Angeleno. John studied engineering at UCLA; founded Schmoozd, an offline social tech networking event in LA with 30,000 subs; ran a startup accelerator (StartEngine). Worked for several major brands like Toyota, DIRECTV, Hitachi, ICANN, and Raytheon. A mentor at Loyola Marymount University (LMU) Entrepreneur School, Dr. David Choi. And advises a dozen local LA startups building amazing tech in various industries; and invested in some. // Let's Connect: john@lastartups.com
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