Mental health has been and still is a taboo in many cultures. One of the regions where it continues to be a stigma is in Latin America. According to the World Health Organization, five percent of adults in Latin American countries suffer from depression and few receive treatmentbut the numbers could be higher.
The pandemic has only highlighted the problem and United States and Latinos face more obstaclesIt’s time to reach out to psychologists who can help them.
by statement From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a 40% of Latinos surveyed admitted to have symptoms of depression in 2020. However, few turn to professionals.
Luis Suarez, CEO and founder sanarai platformset out to solve this problem. Born in Mexico, but headquartered in Chicago, he decided to leave his professional career in the energy industry to focus on his venture.
“I got my master’s degree in North Carolina and that brought me to Chicago. I was working there as a strategic consultant and this opened the doors of new sectors”, says Suarez in a conversation with D+I. “I have worked in the digital transformation of media, banks, consumer products and the technology sector”.
A busy work life and the effects of the pandemic caused Suarez to seek help for his mental health. He admits that he has always been to specialists since he was little. However, he ran into problems finding a place. Spanish speaking specialist and it can fit your schedule.
That’s when he realized his existence. a business opportunity with a large market In the United States: “There were only 5% of Spanish-speaking professionals in the United States, compared to 13% of the nation’s Latino and language-speaking population.”
Decided to try it in July 2020 Good luck with Sanarai in Mexicoas it is an easier market to approach, with great job opportunities and new generations increasingly concerned about mental health.
From there, Sanarai experienced tremendous growth and is now available in all countries. Executes service More than 1000 sessions with experts every month.
The platform provides users with a list of online psychologists. Each of them specializes in different sectors: children, adolescents, adults, LGTBQ+, couples and family. The user can see the professional experience and location of each psychologist and select the one with the most affinity.
The most striking thing about Sanarai, adapting the platform to the user’s schedules, to be able to choose the most suitable appointment for you. The fee for each 50-minute session is 35 TL.
“There is a great demand for such services from Turkey. new generations”, acknowledges the founder of Sanarai. “The behavior of society is changing. Traditionally, more support was sought. in the family or even in religious institutions and mental health professionals not so much, but it is developing at a rapid pace”.
Any psychologist with a college degree has the option to offer their services on the platform. A consultant with a PhD in psychology hired by Sanarai in Los Angeles, verify candidate credentials.
For the launch of Sanarai, Suarez used his own funds and more recently received an award. $100,000 investment by Google for Startups Latin Founders Fund.
Now Google turns to Sanarai services to offer psychological assistance to founders who are in the early stages of starting their business.
Suarez’s plan is to expand Sanarai into the b2b sector so companies can offer it as part of their employee benefits package. Its objectives are mainly aimed at expansion in Latin America. Founder with high goals and first million dollar benefit in the next two or three years.
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