[100 Emerging Women Leaders] This woman entrepreneur is bridging the gap in mental healthcare services with therapy and training

After working in financial services for nearly five years, Apeksha Sharma, a resident of Bengaluru, switched paths and turned to psychotherapy. Realising the need to bridge the gap in accessing mental health therapy, she pursued a degree in psychology.

Just as she was applying to schools for her master’s, her mother was diagnosed with cancer. This experience made her realise the significant gaps in support—not just for patients but also for caretakers and families.

This realisation drove her to offer pro bono therapy services, initially for her friends, neighbours, and immediate social circles.

“It was an all-around initiative that grew organically—friends of friends, neighbours’ neighbours. And then, amidst all this, my husband suggested giving it a formal structure and bringing more people in, so that we can scale and reach more individuals in need,” Sharma tells HerStory.

In 2021, Sharma, along with her husband, started a mental health startup, Mindfuel Healthcare.

Mindfuel Healthcare offers telehealth therapy services, catering to individuals and couples. In addition to therapy, it provides workshops, events, and training sessions. The startup is also planning to expand into in-person centres soon.

“There’s a significant gap between the population in need of mental health support and the number of qualified professionals available. We need more people in this space,” says Sharma.

After completing her studies, she joined KPMG as an audit assistant and later moved into an executive role.

Later she quit her job and pursued a master of science in counselling psychology, after which she started Mindfuel Healthcare. The startup was accelerated at NSRCEL under its Velocity programme; it was also a part of NSRCEL's LaunchPad programme.

Mental health awareness

Sharma acknowledges that people are becoming more open to seeking therapy, but there still is a long way to go. She also notes that the interest in mental health peaked during the pandemic; however, it has now hit a plateau.

Sharma goes on to say that the older generation has become more open to therapy, and she believes it's partly because they see their children embracing it.

“We're often influenced by the older generation, but it's great to see the influence working the other way around too,” she notes.

Most of Mindfuel Healthcare’s clients are between the ages of 20 and 40, but there has been an increasing number of clients in their 60s and even 80s.

“It’s beautiful to witness this shift,” says the entrepreneur.

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What the startup offers

Mindfuel Healthcare offers therapy sessions to individuals in aspects such as grief, trauma, and relationships. It also provides workshops in corporate stress management, seminars, and support circles for employees.

The startup is looking to venture into using AI as a therapy tool.

“I do not think AI can be a replacement for therapists. I think the ultimate core of therapy is the relationship and everything that comes with it. But especially with the upcoming generation, which is comfortable with tech, I think AI can be a great starting point,” she adds.

Challenges in the journey

Being a caregiver in the mental health space is no doubt challenging, but the work also brings Sharma a deep sense of purpose and fulfillment.

“This is a space I want to be in, where I can hold space for those who come to me,” she says.

Her work entails immersing herself in the world of a client. While this is tricky, Sharma has developed personal techniques to bring herself back from that world.

“Because I have another client waiting, and I need to do justice to each person I see,” she says.

On that note, she adds that it’s mandatory for all the consultants working at Mindfuel Healthcare to undergo personal therapy themselves.

When she started out, Sharma held onto the old-school values of organic growth through word of mouth and believed her work would speak for itself. However, over time, she understood that promotion was important as well.

“I understood that I was just masking my hesitation to be out there… As a result, I had to learn self-promotion.”

Sharma doesn’t have an entrepreneurial background, but she views this as an advantage, as she brings a fresh perspective to the business.

Sharma has faced several challenges in her journey as an entrepreneur. Besides the stigma associated with mental health, she noticed a bias among people who assumed women were good at providing services but not adept at strategic thinking and handling the financial aspects of business.

“I often found people wanting to speak to my co-founder, my husband, assuming he understood business and numbers better,” Sharma shares.

The entrepreneur has come out stronger tackling these challenges and stereotypes.

“I will tell all the women out there to not be afraid to make mistakes or fail. Lean into your support systems, whether it’s people around you or other resources. Don’t hesitate to ask for help,” she advises.