Our Founder, Devin Kennamore, got the pleasure of sitting down with the creator of a new website for Houstonians to match them with a mental health professional best suited for them.
The goal of the site is to help those in need of a mental health professional find someone who suits their needs.
Our founder took the time to navigate through the site and found it to be quite remarkable. It tells you right on the site how to navigate it. We talked with Ryan Schwartz, founder and creator of Mental Health Match, about how this site resembles your typical dating site and how much that actually improves the search process.
The first link explains how the site works. After clicking on the “Get Matched” button, you give information about yourself like who you are, what you are looking for, what kind of therapy you want and where you live. Next, you think through your goals and click on all that apply to your situation. You have the chance to think about the different types of approaches you like. If you are interested in massage therapy or acupuncture, meditation or hypnosis. These are all options you can tell the site in your questionnaire to get a better fit for you therapy process. You can select skills you would like to learn or improve, and include perspective, and lifestyles that might impact your therapy. Last but not least, you answer questions regarding whether or not you have insurance and what your budget is.
Getting matched on the site is pretty easy. The therapist profiles contain a great deal of information. It covers pretty much all you might want to know about the therapist you’ve been matched with. Have you ever used your EAP or insurance providers to search for a therapist? They send you a list of therapists, their names, and contact information. Not a whole lot else. It would be nice to know if that doctor is currently taking new patients or is open on Saturdays. www.mentalhealthmatch.com gives you that information.
There is a location map and the pictures at the end when you see your matches. The photo of your therapist should provide you with a little familiarity before arriving. Wouldn’t it put your mind at ease to know the face of the person opening the door for you? Seeing a map detailing the locations of your matches helps tremendously because now you can choose the professional closest and most convenient for you. If you recall, one of the professionals from this year’s conference provided tips on how to find a therapist. One of the things she mentioned was the importance of location and convenience.
She also talked about at 15 minute phone consultation before you book your first session. While being matched via a website and speaking to the person directly are two very different approaches, just like in dating. I think being able to answer questions and give specifics before hand about what you are looking for is a good substitute if you are unable to get the phone consultation.
We were extremely honored to be able to sit down and speak with Ryan about the website, and hear a little bit of his story. It was a humbling experience to know that he followed our blog and to hear the positive feedback he provided about what we do here at PAUSE;. Ryan’s brainchild, birthed in a coffee shop out of necessity, is an amazing tool for Houstonians seeking professional mental health support. I appreciate him taking the time to share with us and have one of what will be many conversations. Thank you Ryan of www.mentalhealthmatch.com for what you are doing for this community and continuing to move the conversation forward.
