Denise Shiffman, Founder and CEO of GroupWell, joins Michael in this episode of the Reconstructing Healthcare podcast to discuss how their data-driven, online group therapy platform is providing employers with a ground-breaking way to approach mental health.

Group Therapy combines the treatment of both mental health and social health to reduce clinical symptoms. GroupWell leverages technology to provide a platform where clinician-led group therapy can be accessed for specific groups of individuals dealing with similar issues and challenges. In addition, GroupWell provides wellness affinity groups led by certified behavioral coaches that can help people with sub-clinical levels of stress and anxiety as well as nutrition, weight loss, parenting, and other topics to support people’s emotional well-being. 

Denise Shiffman held multiple executive roles at tech start-ups and at multi-billion-dollar tech and healthcare companies prior to starting GroupWell. This previous experience has helped her build a dynamic platform that can increase access to a mode of therapy that can help people learn the skills and behaviors to build connections and quality relationships and aid in the recovery from mental health conditions.

 Here’s a glance at what you’ll learn from Denise in this episode: 

• The personal experiences that led Denise to start GroupWell
• How Group Therapy works and is proven to be as or even more effective than individual therapy
• How GroupWell leverages technology to deliver evidence-based group therapy for Affinity Groups
• Why employers and care providers must pay more attention to mental health

Timestamps:

• 0:00 – Introducing and welcoming Denise to the show
• 1:10 – Who is Denise Shiffman and what is GroupWell?
• 2:35 – How Denise’s experience with chronic anxiety led her to create GroupWell
• 5:45 – Making it through the pandemic, the state of mental health, and what lessons should employers be taking from the last two years? 
• 11:00 – The issues that people with mental health issues face with current healthcare providers
• 12:30 – Why is group therapy a relevant mode of treatment and why Denise decided to focus on it
• 16:45 – How GroupWell works for those seeking mental health support
• 23:40 – Why Denise works with certified coaches that lead affinity wellness groups and how mental health treatment is larger than just therapy
• 27:10 – The timeline that GroupWell provides for their care
• 29:10 – Exploring the data around how group therapy works for those seeking mental health care
• 31:00 – How GroupWell attracts coaches and therapists to their network 
• 35:20 – The method of tracking and sharing results with employers and how GroupWell keeps members engaged