American novelist, Jeffery Eugenides once said…
“Biology gives you a brain. Life turns it into a mind.”
We all are mind’s favourite marionette. The Mind mind’s us by playing a severe game even it is good or bad. We are in an era where we can talk about what once was a taboo by spilling our emotions, mental issues and mental Wellness. Bygone are those days we used to be mum about our psychological problems. Now try to talk about our mental health issues and mental wellness therapies.
Is Mental health and Wellness still a stigma in India?!
India is one of the populations suffering from some serious mental health and wellness issues. Nearly half of the population try not to talk about it till today as they consider it as a ‘social stigma’. Many lurch the idea of not overcoming the mental health and wellness issues by opening up about it.
Strong Indian Women-driven startups on Mental Health and Wellness
These women-driven startups shattering the glass ceilings came their way to alleviate some serious mental health and wellness concerns in India. Their startups help people to go out and tackle their problems without any shame.
These influential Indian women entrepreneurs are dauntlessly working hard to diminish the mental problems by rejuvenating their mind and soul. Empowering our psyches to be active both mentally and physically by playing some sober mind games to improve Indian mental Wellness.
7 Startups that determine to improve mental health and Wellness in India
1. InnerHour- Shefali Batra
InnerHour is mental healthcare startup that leverages the technology to help Indians to alleviate their mental health and improve their Wellness.
It is founded in 2016 at Mumbai by Dr Shefali Batra and Dr Amit Malik. The startup offers therapies and consultations through its app to stop depression, anxiety, stress, and a host of other mental health concerns.
The InnerHour app offers a personalized 28-day plan along with a sample audio guide.
People voice: 4.5 stars
2. Edupysche- Dr Bhavi Mody
Edupsyche is a multidisciplinary institute offering a unique combination of Education, Mental Health Care and IT affordable to all. The startup provides one of the mental health and Wellness in India with Promotive, Preventive, Interventional and Rehabilitative care.
Dr Bhavi Mody along with his husband Dr Dhaval Mody co-founded the institute.
3. ePsyClinic- Shipra Dawar
Shipra Dawar’s ePsyClinic is the reputed mental health and wellness startup in India. The startup is founded in 2015 and based in Gurgaon. Shipra started it with pop-up clinics in malls and corporate offices.
In 2017, the team launched an app called IWill that has more than 45 in-house therapists and counsellors. They have served nearly one lakh offline sessions and 4000 online sessions through its app.
People voice: 4.2
4. Wysa- Jo Aggarwal
Wysa is an AI mental health chatbot founded in 2015 by Jo Aggarwal that designed to reduce mental health issues and improve Wellness. The chatbots are designed by coaches, users, AI experts, and therapists.
Wysa is a 4 am friend when you have no one to talk about your issues. The app is used across 30 countries, over 1.2 million users.
People voice: 4.5
5. Atmantan- Sharmili Agarwal Kapoor
Atmantan is a luxury and integrated wellness getaway established in Mulshi near Pune. The resort helps to solve the mental health and wellness issues with Yoga, Ayurveda and spa treatments. Sharmili aims to improve the mental fitness of people and wants to create a platinum standard for Wellness.
People voice: Atmantan won the Spa Finder Award under Best for Wow Factor and by Asia Spa India for Best Spa Cuisine in 2016 and few more awards and recognition.
6. YourDost- Richa Singh
Richa Singh’s YourDost is a wellness platform to connect people with mental health experts. It offers to counsel in various sections like relationships, self-improvement, career, academics and more.
Founded in 2014, YourDost engages people with anonymous online chat sessions of their choice or video calls.
People voice: 3.9
7. Trijog- Anureet and Arushi Sethi
Trijog was founded in 2014 by a mother-daughter duo Anureet and Arushi Sethi in Mumbai. It is one of the well-noted mental health and wellness platforms, offering a host of solutions for clients, corporates, and institutions.
Anureet has over 30 years of experience as a clinical psychologist who believed in making the stigma less and opens about their mental issues. The company initially was an assignment in Arushi’s final year. The startup is affiliated to the Rehabilitation Council Of India to take care of emotional, behavioural, and learning requirements of adults, adolescents, and adults.
People Voice: 4.5
Minding the mind games
Mental health issues are not a disease that was found in recent years. It is something felt like a social stigma among people and considered not to be given voice to the problems people face.
These startups rooted in India and interestingly run by the women of India to remove smudges created in people’s mind and reduce their burden by dealing with their mental health issues and improve their Wellness. And to the extent, the stigma got cut, and people are trying to open up about their psychological concerns. After all, it is the 21st century, anything is possible!
