Investing in Inclusive Mental Health Benefits with Therify

Supporting our global employees’ mental health and overall well-being is one of our top priorities at Thumbtack. As we looked at our mental health resources this year, we recognized an opportunity to provide culturally responsive wellness resources for our employees who belong to historically underrepresented groups — particularly amidst the global events we’ve witnessed that highlight systemic inequities for marginalized communities.

Enter Therify — an inclusive mental health benefit for our global employees. Through our new partnership, Therify connects Thumbtackers with culturally responsive therapists, live community sessions and on-demand digital content to support our employees’ overall emotional wellbeing. These resources are available to all, however, Therify keeps marginalized employees’ cultural nuances at the forefront, in order to ensure that their resources are inclusive, personalized and designed to work for their personal needs.

As we move into another year of partnership, we sat down with co-founder and CEO James Edward Murray to learn a little more about his organization and how — together — we can continue to provide meaningful support to our employees.

Dionna: First off, tell us a little bit about your background and professional journey that led you to founding Therify.

James: I’m a proud Howard University alum and worked in tech for most of my career before founding Therify. I previously worked at Facebook and led the company’s partnerships with digital news organizations in the US.

My decision to start Therify was driven by my past experience with anxiety and depression. As a Black man, I experienced how difficult it can be, especially for people from marginalized backgrounds, to find therapists who understand our experiences. I felt compelled to make it easier for people like me to access quality care.

Dionna: What differentiates Therify from other employee assistance providers or similar resources to find mental health services and/or therapists?

James: Therify is building a future where emotional healthcare will work for everyone. Since day one, our approach has been rooted in equity and inclusion, ensuring that our products reflect the employee communities we serve. This is why we’ve built the most diverse provider network in the industry, with 60% of our providers identifying as people of color and 20% specializing in serving the LGBTQ+ community. Talking to someone with shared experiences leads to better treatment outcomes.

Dionna: While Therify offers resources for employees, there’s an emphasis on providing support to those with marginalized identities. Why is this differentiation so important?

James: Finding a therapist who is available and takes insurance is hard enough. Now imagine experiencing life in the minority due to your race, ethnicity, identity, immigration status, ability status, or other factors. Now you also have to find care that can empathize with the nuances of your identity. This process can become daunting which is counterproductive when you’re already experiencing challenges emotionally.

I’ve had so many friends who needed help but got frustrated trying to find the right fit, so they gave up and never received the support they needed. This really bothered me. We shouldn’t have to fight for the opportunity to protect our emotional well-being.

Dionna: The past couple of years have been mentally and emotionally taxing on a variety of people, including Thumbtack employees — and especially those who belong to marginalized identities or historically underrepresented groups. What have been your biggest learnings that organizations should take away when considering how to support these employees’ well-being in the immediate future and in the long-term?

James: I still remember how I felt after the killings of Philando Castille, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, Ahmaud Arberry, and so many others gone too soon. It was a feeling of numbness that prevented me from being engaged or productive in all aspects of my life, including my work life.

What’s become clear is that the global pandemic and repeated acts of racial violence have shed light on the unique emotional health concerns of people in the Black, Latinx, Asian, and LGBTQ+ communities, as well as many other marginalized communities around the world.

Recognizing this, the most forward-thinking companies are acknowledging that emotional health and DEI are deeply interconnected. This is important because employees, particularly Millennials and Gen Z, are increasingly expecting their companies to be part of the solution.

Furthermore, the most forward-thinking companies are giving DEI leaders a seat at the table when making benefits decisions. DEI can be the voice in the room ensuring that the company’s benefits strategy meets the needs of all employees, while delivering culturally-responsive support to those who need it most.

Dionna: What are your biggest pieces of advice for managers and colleagues to continue to support their employees’ and peers’ mental health and emotional well-being — especially those employees and peers with marginalized identities?

James: I believe that the most important thing we can do is to help people feel psychologically safe at work. This starts with people managers. It’s not always easy, but I try to be vulnerable with my team about emotional challenges that I experience, and I find that it makes them feel safe to do the same without fear of repercussions. It can be as simple as acknowledging that I’m feeling anxious or stressed. Pretending to be OK exacerbates emotional health symptoms rather than healing them. We are all human after all. We shouldn’t have to act like we’re not.

Dionna: At Thumbtack and other partner companies, you work directly with the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) teams throughout the partnership. Can you talk a bit more about why working with DEI teams is so critical for Therify?

James: It’s critical because emotional health is a DEI issue. Employees with marginalized identities are more likely to leave their jobs for emotional health reasons, and their emotional well-being is more likely to be negatively impacted by their experience in the workplace.

At Therify, we’re seeing employers making meaningful investments in recruiting diverse employees, however, building infrastructure to support them once they are in the door continues to be a challenge. Partnering with DEI teams allows us to be a strategic partner in helping employers develop this infrastructure so that all employees can thrive and build a better future for themselves and their loved ones.

Dionna: As we continue our partnership between Thumbtack and Therify this year, what are you most excited about?

James: I’m most excited about meeting Thumbtack employees where they are. Emotional health is very personal and we all have different needs. So I’m excited for employees to have access to culturally responsive therapy, but also to a series of group sessions that are led by licensed therapists and allow attendees to join anonymously. Going to therapy takes a lot of courage, so I’m thrilled to be able to support people regardless of where they are in their journey.

Dionna: One of the biggest things I’m looking forward to is partnering with you and Therify on providing additional resources and support to our employee resource groups (ERGs), particularly our ERG leads. How do you envision these resources manifesting, and what’s your advice to ensure that this support continues to be meaningful for these employees?

James: ERG leads deserve all of the flowers! No one forces them to take on a second job but they do it even though it can be stressful. To support them, we’re going to host group sessions, exclusively for ERG leads, focused on reducing stress and burnout. We’re also increasing the number of free therapy sessions provided to them through Therify. We’re looking forward to learning what additional resources could be helpful so that we can ensure that our support of these leaders continues to be meaningful.

Dionna: Last question: as we come to the end of this year, what are you most grateful for this past year? What are you looking forward to in 2022?

James: I’m so grateful for the opportunity to help people, and to merge my purpose with my career. My father passed away when I was 12, but even at a young age, he instilled in me the importance of using my gifts to be of service. When I was going through my personal challenges with anxiety and depression I often asked “Why me?” But now I know the answer. I needed to get proximate to the problem so that I could help solve it for others. I’m so excited to continue this work in 2022 and far, far beyond.

Do you see yourself at Thumbtack? We’re hiring! check out our open roles at https://www.thumbtack.com/careers/