This startup provides online counseling sessions for people struggling with depression

In today’s fast-paced life stress, anxiety, tension persecutes each one of us but many of us aren’t willing to talk to a professional about this issue.

The need for counseling and therapy is looked down as a weakness. Given the huge stigma associated with any psychiatric illness, the vast majority continues to live with mental illness in the shadows, away from public view.

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World Health Organisation (WHO) predicts that 20% of India’s population will suffer from some form of mental illness by the year 2020.

According to WHO’s recent report, depression cases are fast increasing in India with over 5 crore people suffering from the disorder.

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YourDOST, a Bangalore-based online counseling and emotional wellness platform is designed to foster mental health is the perfect steered solution to the problem of the lack of psychiatrists in the country and the social stigma associated with mental health issues.

How does it help

YourDOST anonymously connects people with the right expert consisting of psychologists, psychotherapists, counselors, life coaches, career guides and people with rich and deep life experience, who understand and guide users through completely confidential individual sessions.

With more than 650+ experts, the platform services 1000 one to one interactions on a daily basis.

Since its inception in December 2014, more than 1 million users have sought guidance so far.

All you have to do is sign up on their mobile app available on Android or Ios platforms and choose a therapist whom you are comfortable with.

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You can chat with the therapist at your own convenience and even join a group discussion on forums with people struggling with similar issues.

It’s just that simple; they’re starting a conversation on mental health that isn’t dying down and that’s commendable in a country like ours where almost 7.5% of Indians suffer from major or minor mental disorders that require expert intervention, however, India has less than 4,000 psychiatrists to treat mentally ill persons.