Listen to this articleBelow is our recent interview with Melissa Maisel from Real:
Q: Could you provide our readers with a brief introduction to your company?
A: Real is a mental health care company building a new therapy model. Our mission is to provide mental health tools and resources so everyone can make practicing mental wellness a routine part of their day. Through a suite of on-demand tools, Real helps our members access high-quality care anytime, anyplace, for a more affordable price.
Q: Any highlights on your recent announcement?
A: Very proud to share that Real brought back our ‘Real to the People’ (RTTP) series which kicked off on March 3rd to provide extra support for adversity facing the LGBTQIA+ community following the recent attacks in Texas and Florida. We first introduced this free series in March 2020 as a response to COVID-19. Since then, it has evolved to be a timely, modernized approach to care that is vital to Real’s mission of building a mentally well world and we’ll host sessions whenever a nationwide moment calls for it.
Through this programming, we provide space for members and non-members to safely share fears and anxieties, learn strategies to manage, and more.
Real’s ‘Real to the People’ programming includes:
- Free online workshops: participants can share how they’re feeling in a safe group setting, and can receive direct care from Real’s expert therapists. Upcoming events and RSVP links:
- 3/3 at 7pm EST: “Staying Afloat While Staying Informed”
- 3/7 and 3/9 at 7pm EST: “Feeling Together
- Coming soon: LGBTQIA+ community spaces
- 3/3 at 7pm EST: “Staying Afloat While Staying Informed”
- Quick tips: Real is sharing tips, tools, and ideas from our therapy team, on our IG channel (@joinreal), for staying balanced and coping with the anxiety and stress during this time
- ‘Scroll-breaks’: On IG @joinreal is posting ‘scroll-breaks’ that break up your feed with helpful breathing exercises and tips to ease the tension in our bodies and minds throughout the day
Q: Can you give us more insights into your offering?
A: Real launched as a tools and resources-based mental health care platform, where members pay a monthly subscription to work on some of the most commonly felt struggles through the platform’s series of Pathways. Pathways like “Working With Your Depression Inside and Out,” and “What to Do With All This Anxiety,” are created and led by the brand’s diverse team of therapists through guided audio and video sessions. Turning away from the traditional 1:1 therapy model, Real also fills the gaps in the mental health care space, providing care for underserved communities where culturally-competent providers or financial restraints are of concern. Beyond the free RTTP workshops, Real allows members to have unlimited access to their programming for just $24 per month – well below the average $300 per individual therapy session cost.
Q: What can we expect from your company in the next 6 months? What are your plans?
A: We’re focused on building a clinically effective product that meets our members where they are and helps make mental wellness an essential part of well-being. Over the next six months, we’ll continue building additional Pathways that support our members to continue building stronger, deeper relationships with themselves and those around them.
Q: What is the best thing about your company that people might not know about?
A: At Real, we’re building a new therapy model that speaks to people everywhere. Using our unique and effective service, we can reach people with high-quality mental health care earlier, faster, and more effectively. We’re proud to be building an affordable, accessible mental health care system that scales and can reach the almost 93% of people left out of the current 1:1 therapy system.
A key part of our innovative approach is giving members an interactive way to track and understand their wellness at Real. The Real Pulse contains eleven trackable dimensions to paint a picture of overall mental health giving members an entirely new way to visualize their mental health month over month. It also provides individual views for each dimension so people can notice patterns and track fluctuations across specific areas of life. This type of tracking empowers members to engage more deeply with their mental health.
