ePsyclinic offers online mental health counselling in India, reducing stigma

Shipra Dawar started ePsyclinic because she understood that there was no easily accessible medium for Indians to help them deal with stress and pressure of their day-to-day experiences. She realized that, in India, there is a social stigma attached to the idea of seeking help for mental well-being.

To gradually eliminate the stigma associated with seeking professional help, Gurgaon-based ePsyclinic launched its online portal in April, becoming India’s first online emotional health and mental wellness clinic. The website provides access to a number of doctors from across India, the US and the UK.

“The fast-paced and demanding lifestyle makes everyone battle emotional and mental tension,” Dawar tells Tech in Asia. “Depending on counselling makes them feel unwell, which keeps them from taking help from a professional.”

Dawar believes awareness and education can change the way people think and that a platform like ePsyclinic can make it easier for people to deal with their personal problems in a more well-rounded and healthy manner. Making professional counselling easily accessible will promote the idea of seeking help, a common practice and this will contribute towards reducing the social stigma. “We are promoting quality of life by helping people understand the progression of their issues and dealing with it promptly,” she adds.

Integrating tech with counselling

The portal allows communication through audio, video or chat. “The client can use our service from the location of their choice and in the comforts of the same,” says Dawar.

The team at ePsyclinic developed its own training mechanism to improve the quality of interaction between the psychologist and the client. Once the client registers, a number of doctors’ profiles are available to them with the details of their experience along with the consultation fees. Based on the first session, the doctor or psychologist draws up a plan in agreement with the client. The counselling then begins and can include online shareable planners, therapy sessions and thought diaries.

ePsyclinic is currently bootstrapped and is not looking for investments from financial investors. “We are currently self-sufficient and we want strategic investors who will add value to our service without diluting the core values of our brand,” says Dawar.

“A financial investor would want us to get to the bottom line of our business faster, but we are focused on implementing the cause of our business and making sure that our clients are receiving the help they require,” she added. According to Dawar, a strategic investor who is familiar with the service and understands the sentiments of the business would be ideal.

ePsyclinic.com has 15-20 customers signing up every day. The website also has free resources in the form of articles and podcasts. “The number of visitors to the website runs into several thousands and for a month-old website, I believe that is a good number,” says Dawar. The company is now a team of 25 and growing.

“The pricing is very similar to traditional counselling, although we do provide free services based on the needs of the client and their socio-economic background,” says Dawar. The website indicates the per minute fees of the counsellor or psychologist and it varies for each professional based on their experience and education. “Our panel has been very in-sync with the spirit of our service,” she said.