Today we have the opportunity to talk to Roni Frank, co-founder and Head of Clinical Relations at Talkspace.

Before her current position, she was a software developer at Amdocs. Frank holds a Master’s degree of Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy from the New York Graduate School of Psychoanalysis, and Bachelor’s degree of Computer Science from the Interdisciplinary Center, Herzliya. Here’s what she had to say…

How would you pitch your company? What’s your elevator pitch?

Talkspace is a real-time on-demand therapy platform that connects people with licensed therapists anytime, anywhere. We were founded with a mission to eliminate the stigmas associated with therapy and make it more accessible, affordable and flexible for all.

What sets you apart from competitors?

We’re different from our competitors because of our mobile first experience. Talkspace takes a messaging-first approach to offering therapy, which has been incredibly successful so far. Messaging has become a big part of our everyday lives for us; it was important to tailor the experience so that it falls in line with how we communicate today. Our members have also told us that it made it much easier for them to open up and also found the journaling effect to be incredibly valuable in the long run as they look back on their own progress.

Because we are leveraging technology to deliver therapy in a way that’s never been possible before, we’re introducing a revolutionary new way to experience therapy that’s immediate and even anonymous if the member chooses to be.

Our goal is to be able to offer millions of people a way to be proactive about their mental health by lowering the barriers to entry.

What’s your business model?

We offer Unlimited Messaging Therapy services for individuals to correspond with a dedicated therapist 24/7 for just $25 a week.

Can you share some numbers? How many users do you have?

We have over 80,000 members and a network of more than 200 therapist.

Where do you see the company going from here?

We know that the mental health care system is broken; this is a worldwide epidemic where there are millions of people in need but cannot get care. We will not stop until every person in the world is able to have access to a licensed therapist.

Where do you see the mHealth industry going? How long are we from seeing modern mHealth technologies going mainstream?

mHealth is already here — over 70% of the population owns a smart mobile device, using it to manage every aspect of their lives — including their health. The fact that most traditional healthcare players are so slow to acknowledge and act upon these simple facts (not to mention being married to their margins) allows Talkspace and other disrupters to provide superior care at a much more affordable price point to people in need.