Sydney-based online mental health startup Uprise has its genesis back in 2009 when its founder, Dr. Jay Spence, was working in a hospital. He was introduced to internet-based mental health treatments in Australia and collaborated with a research team using the technologies to complete his PhD thesis – which involved the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder online. It is from this research work that got the inspiration turn the idea into a technology business.
The technological advancements in today’s world means that meeting with mental health experts face-to-face is no longer the only option for individuals who want to improve their mental well-being. As the Australian mental health care industry is increasingly adopting web-based technologies, two core benefits are being realised in delivering mental health services through the – cutting the geographical, attitudinal and financial barriers to care access and reduced overall cost of delivery.
Sydney startup Uprise wants to take e-mental health care to another level, providing companies of all types and sizes a digital suite of evidence-based therapies, starting with one of the most powerful treatments in psychology, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). The startup allows people to learn skills right from the comfort and the privacy of their smartphone or laptop, and be self-directed in their journey towards good mental health.
The startup provide a toolkit of psychological strategies that people can use to enhance wellbeing in the form of improved thinking, feelings and behaviour. Short, instructional videos are provided that teach skills, then followed up with a short phone call from a psychologist to help people put ideas into practice and create real change.
Uprise is based in Sydney and a recent graduate of the University of Sydney’s INCUBATE accelerator programme that was founded by clinical psychologist Dr. Jay Spence. He is a licensed clinical psychologist with over 10 years of clinical experience and conducts ongoing research into the possibilities of online solutions for treating patients with a range of anxiety and depressive disorders. Jay has scooped three awards from his research including the .
The startup is currently pursing various growth plans. It is planning to conduct paid and unpaid trials with very large companies (with more than 5,000 employees worldwide), medium-sized enterprises and small businesses. It will be looking to roll out its offering more vigorously after the startup establishes a product-market fit.
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