The pair launched Frame, a mental health platform that makes it easier for people to go to therapy.
Marketing guru Kendall Bird and licensed psychotherapist Sage Grazer believe in the benefits of therapy. The two have seen how transformative and effective it has been in their own lives and are committed to helping others experience the same.
"Sage and I grew up as childhood neighbors and were both lucky to start therapy as young teens. After college, Sage became a licensed therapist, and I pursued a career in product marketing at Google, YouTube and Snapchat," Bird tells ET.
"Our professional paths reconnected when I was struggling to find a new therapist in Los Angeles. ... I spent over $1,000 meeting with different therapists that I did not connect with. ... I remember thinking to myself, 'If I am trying this hard to find the right fit, there must be so many people who just give up after the first try,'" she recounts.
"I came to Sage looking for recommendations and expressed my frustration about how tedious the entire process was. Sage admitted that things were equally as difficult on the therapist side. She explained how therapists are expected to run their own private practice, but are given no business training or support," Bird continues.
This inspired the pair to launch Frame, a mental health platform that makes it easier for people to go to therapy through intuitive matching, scheduling, messaging, and telehealth along with tools to help therapists including the ability to create online profiles, the option to participate in their free Discussions, HIPAA compliant Zoom, secure messaging, and seamless payment processing.
"A lot of people believe that therapy is only needed or useful when you are in crisis, however it can be such a powerful tool in so many aspects of your life. Therapy has taught me how to communicate better with people and how to understand my emotions. ... Therapy can help you get to the root of why your feelings are hurt, angry or anxious about something specific," Bird says.
If you're anxious about starting therapy, Grazer recommends keeping the below in mind: "You should not feel ashamed about getting help, but also know that it is not uncommon to feel that way. ... There are a lot more people who talk to a therapist than you probably think."
"The thought of having to share your inner feelings with a complete stranger can be scary. Your therapist knows that starting therapy can be an uncomfortable or even stressful experience and that you likely didn’t choose to start therapy because things are going perfectly well in your life," she adds.
Additionally, patients should remember that they can start and stop therapy at any point. "You are in complete control of how many sessions you would like to attend. Some people go to therapy to work on a specific topic, others go more consistently to navigate whatever is going on in their life. ... The more open you are to sharing and working on yourself, the more progress you will see," the therapist notes.
Other than going to therapy, Grazer suggests incorporating movement and nature into your routine as a way to practice self-care.
"Find an activity that engages your mind and body in an enjoyable way, whether that’s dancing in your kitchen alone, walking around the block or going to a workout class. Go outside if you can. Even if you’re not a nature person, just looking at the clouds counts. Mindfully experiencing and really recognizing the natural world can be restorative," she shares.
Frame is available in California with over 200 of the top therapists who are able to cover treatment specialities including CBT, EMDR, hypnotherapy and executive coaching. The company plans to expand to other markets, including New York, Chicago, and Atlanta.
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