Making mental health treatment routine to ease stigma and improve your life
During the last two years, the conversation around mental health has moved from hushed whispers among one’s strictest confidants to a cacophony in the culture at large — even Petco launched a mental health section on its site to help pet owners keep their animal companions in good spirits. Google’s 2021 “Year in Search” film is dedicated exclusively to “How To Heal,” highlighting moments in which people around the world were trying to cope with issues that included grief, pandemic burnout, and performance anxiety. Now, as 2022 gets under way and people are making resolutions and routines to improve themselves, the conversation around everyday mental health hygiene is getting louder.
If a few good things can come from recent times, eliminating the stigma around mental health conditions and treatment would be a top contender. Treating mental health issues with the same care as physical health can only make people stronger and more resilient — and that’s even without taking into account research on the mind-body connection. The goal is to make mental health care as ordinary an occurrence as going to the doctor with a sore throat or sprained ankle. Going to therapy is not just for times of crisis — it’s an exercise in building mental strength.
Practitioners across the country are facing overwhelming demand for services, and potential clients can find the search for a therapist daunting. Known’s new “With a Little Help From” campaign for Talkspace highlights how the service’s matching algorithm creates a lower barrier to entry for therapy. It’s akin to booking a hair appointment. And in the same way the connection with a stylist is key, the relationship between therapist and member has to gel. That’s why members being able to meet with multiple therapists before deciding on a long-term choice can be empowering.
The normalization of therapy is another cornerstone of With A Little Help From. It shows some of the smaller moments where a therapist can help a member in their everyday life, demonstrating that the connection between a therapist and a Talkspace member can bring about transformations big and small.
“What we hear from our market research time and again, is the incredible power of connection that many members felt with their therapists,” said Talkspace CMO Sam Braunstein. “We gained some moving insights about the way in which therapy can be a catalyst for positive transformation.”
That positive transformation is illustrated in the spot below, which is one of four running nationally on more than 20 TV and streaming properties. As 2022 unfolds, brands will need to take into account the effect the pandemic has had on people’s mental health. Even a tiny acknowledgment could spark a beneficial change in someone. After all, if there’s anything we’ve learned from new year’s resolutions past, it’s that incremental steps are the best way to achieve a goal.
