Michael Phelps is a world champion in swimming. The hero has partnered with Talkspace in its campaign against the stigma associated with mental illness. The online therapy organization had a national TV campaign about mental illness, and it decided to include Phelps in this campaign. The company links its users with approved therapists. The users reach these therapists through their smartphones, tablets, and computers using the Talkspace app.
In the TV campaign, Phelps gives his life experience with anxiety and depression. Phelps hopes that through his story, people suffering from depression and anxiety will get the encouragement to seek help. In addition to this, Phelps aims at addressing the stigma that is connected with mental illness. Phelps acts as the spokesman for the company. Besides, Phelps comes to the company as one of the board advisers to assist in directing the continuous strategy of the company.
Phelps has a lot of information concerning the mental health advocacy world. Moreover, he is very devoted to information-driven improvements in the field of mental health. The organization feels that with the knowledge that Phelps has, he will add more value to the company’s Advisory Board. The board works toward ensuring that the company is the primary factor when it comes to people managing their mental health.
Mental health has become of the significant topics of discussion currently. However, the stigma related to the illness has not received much attention as required. Thus, the message that the company wants to pass across is that depression is manageable and treatable. Depression is not meant for the chosen few, and anyone can suffer from depression. In 2014, Michael Phelps suffered from depression despite being one of the successful athletes of the world. According to Phelps, he lost all the hope and was contemplating committing suicide. He stayed indoors for five days before the idea of seeking help came to him hence, saving his life.
The online therapy company has also partnered with New Directions Behavioral Health which provides online video, voice, and text messaging therapy. With this relationship, few customers of New Directions will have access to the platform of Talkspace through the Employee Assistance Package. According to the New Directions’ CEO, the partnership will allow clients to get therapy with a qualified counselor on their terms. The CEO goes ahead to say that the partnership will be an effective and convenient way for so many people to get help for mental illness.
On the other hand, the CEO of Talkspace said that working together with New Directions highlights the company’s value of trying to fill the main gaps that are present in the benefit plans of the current employee. The CEO also claims that they are excited to work together with New Direction as this will help their clients with a significant digital supplement to its current behavioral health support services. Workers who are facing personal, relationship and work challenges will be able to receive confidential and secure behavioral health care through the Talkspace app on their mobile phones.