Breaking Barriers to Mental Health Support

Mental health challenges surged during the COVID-19 pandemic, yet seeking help remained a struggle due to stigma, lack of accessibility, and the impersonal nature of digital platforms. The Mind Interest needed a platform that felt safe, human, and easy to use, reducing barriers for individuals hesitant to seek therapy.

Beyond user reluctance, therapists also needed a structured yet flexible system to manage bookings, conduct sessions, and track progress efficiently. Designing for both groups required a balance of empathy, accessibility, and technical feasibility.

Understanding the Users

To create an experience that truly met user needs, I dove deep into research. Beyond surveys, I analyzed Twitter discussions around mental health stigma and engaged in one-on-one conversations with eight individuals who had sought therapy. This approach revealed key insights:

• Users needed reassurance before committing – Many hesitated due to past negative experiences or concerns about therapist compatibility.

• Trust and privacy were paramount – Users wanted a space that felt confidential and free from judgment.

• Therapists needed clarity and control – Managing sessions, understanding user concerns in advance, and reducing administrative burden were major pain points.

With these insights, we structured the platform to foster trust and make seeking help as seamless as possible.

The Solution: A Thoughtfully Designed Mental Health Platform

We focused on two core pillars:

1. User-centric onboarding – Designed to acknowledge users’ varied emotions, ensuring they felt supported from the start. This process guided users through therapy options, reassured them about confidentiality, and personalized their experience.

2. A structured yet flexible therapist dashboard – Simplified session management, allowing therapists to focus on care rather than logistics.
   
   

My Role & Collaboration

I worked closely with the product manager to define solution directions and features, using personas and prototype feedback to ensure alignment with user needs. Collaboration with engineers ensured that design decisions were feasible and scalable. My key contributions included:

• Strategic onboarding design – Anticipating diverse user states and ensuring a smooth journey from sign-up to session booking.

• A scalable design system – Built UI components that ensured design consistency and easy implementation, improving collaboration across teams.

• Data-driven optimizations – Implemented UX patterns that reduced onboarding friction by 40%, decreased user churn by 25%, and boosted engagement by 20%.
  
  
  

Overcoming the Real Challenge

One of the biggest hurdles was addressing the hesitation users felt when seeking help. Many were unsure if therapy was right for them. To bridge this gap, we integrated:

• Guided self-assessment tools – Helping users understand their mental health needs before booking a session.

• Therapist profiles with humanized details – Ensuring users could make informed choices about who they’d speak with.

• Seamless WhatsApp integration – Allowing users to ease into therapy by starting conversations in a familiar environment before transitioning to the full platform.