The rapid growth of mental health platforms has expanded access to care, but many providers feel they’ve been left behind.
Therapists and counselors often experience low pay, high caseloads, and little input into company decisions.
As a result, a clear disconnect between mental health providers and the platforms they serve has emerged, leading to frustration and burnout. 
This growing tension demands action. One potential solution that could realign incentives is offering equity to mental health providers—similar to how tech companies compensate developers.
The Core Issues Mental Health Providers Face
Mental health platforms are celebrated for increasing access to care, but that success has often come at the expense of the professionals delivering these services.
Providers face several challenges:
- Unfair Compensation: Therapists are frequently paid significantly less than they would be in private practice.
Platforms prioritize affordability for clients, but that often leads to low pay for the providers who carry out the work. - Burnout from High Caseloads: To keep up with demand, platforms encourage providers to take on as many clients as possible.
This approach leads to stress, exhaustion, and compromises the quality of care. - Lack of Representation: Mental health professionals often don’t have a voice in leadership decisions that affect their daily work.
Platforms make decisions based on business metrics, but therapists’ needs and the nuances of delivering care are rarely taken into account. - Ethical Concerns: In the rush to scale quickly, many platforms have lowered the quality of care.
Providers feel that the push for quick appointments and high volumes is compromising their ethical responsibility to deliver meaningful treatment to clients.
Why Equity Pools Could Be the Solution
Offering equity to mental health providers could be a bold solution to this growing tension. Here’s why equity matters:
- Shared Success: Equity gives providers a vested interest in the company’s long-term success.
When therapists are also stakeholders, they’re more likely to feel valued and invested in the platform’s growth. - Aligning Incentives: Just as tech developers are often compensated with equity for building platforms, therapists are integral to the success of mental health platforms.
Developers create the infrastructure that allows the service to operate, but it’s the therapists who deliver the core service—client care.
If developers are considered valuable enough for equity, then mental health providers, who are responsible for delivering essential care, should absolutely be included in equity pools. - Building Trust: By offering equity, platforms can rebuild trust between themselves and providers.
This approach demonstrates that platforms value the people who make their services possible.
My Experience: Building an Equity Pool for Providers
As a startup founder, I’ve decided to implement an equity pool for the providers on my mental health platform.
This initiative ensures that therapists share in the success of the company they help build.
Offering equity fosters loyalty, encourages quality care, and shows that we truly value their contribution to our platform’s growth.
Providers deserve fair compensation and a say in the future of the platforms they support.
By offering equity, my platform aligns provider incentives with the company’s long-term goals, creating a collaborative and trusting relationship.
The Path Forward
It’s clear that current mental health platform models aren’t sustainable for providers.
The solution lies in treating mental health professionals not just as workers but as essential partners.
Offering equity is one step toward repairing this relationship, ensuring that providers are fairly compensated and fully invested in the platform’s future.
The time has come to shift the balance of power. Mental health providers are the driving force behind these platforms, and giving them a stake in the success of the platforms they help build is key to creating a fairer and more sustainable future.
[…] Mental Health Platforms Are Failing Providers: Is Equity the Solution? […]