Alyssa Petersel, Founder and CEO of My Wellbeing
Caz VanDevere
Alyssa Petersel is the founder and CEO of My Wellbeing, a platform that matches therapy-seekers with therapist recommendations in New York City.
While working in outpatient mental health clinics as a social worker, Petersel saw that individuals seeking a therapist were overwhelmed by the process of finding a therapist–from all the options listed in online directories, lack of clarity around how therapists differ, and lack of information about what different psychotherapy jargon really means.
Petersel’s mission with My Wellbeing is to alleviate the stress and burden of connecting with a compatible therapist. She envisions a world where going to therapy is just as normal, just as encouraged, just as enjoyable, and just as accessible as going to the gym.
From starting My Wellbeing in 2017 at New York University’s Summer Launchpad accelerator, to partnering with brands like Birchbox, Yext, and The Muse to bring stronger mental health resources to corporations, and connecting over 1,500 clients with therapist matches, Petersel is just getting started with innovating mental health services.
Petersel shared with me how she’s doing things differently in the mental health space, how she navigates something called “Mentor Whiplash,” and what’s been fundamental to her and My Wellbeing’s growth so far.
Below is a condensed version of our conversation.
Gilbert: At its core what is the benefit of therapy?
Petersel: Therapy at its best is a rare opportunity to gain a better understanding of who you are, and to work toward who you want to be.
Some people prefer a kind of therapy that involves receiving very concrete goals and action-items and working closely with the therapist as an accountability buddy to move forward. Other people prefer a more open, free-flowing safe space to unpack anything and everything on your mind. For others still, it’s a bit of both.
The power of therapy is in uncovering patterns we didn’t wholly realize were there before and providing space for thoughts and feelings we might otherwise mask or sweep under the rug. For many, having a therapist as a guide to help uncover those patterns is really helpful.
Gilbert: How is My Wellbeing innovating in the mental health space?
Petersel: Introducing match-making to finding the right therapist is a completely new approach to increasing access to therapy services.
We know through research and the matches we’ve successfully made so far that chemistry and rapport between therapist and client is the most important factor in a fruitful therapy relationship.
While we of course cannot guarantee that chemistry on the first match, we’ve created an experience for therapy-seekers that saves them time, gives them more clarity and support in their search, and helps them find that therapist with whom they are more likely to have chemistry with, sooner rather than later.
We’re focusing on easing the search for therapy.
