In this episode of Second Opinion, hosts Christina Farr, Ash Zenooz, and Luba Greenwood dive into the intricacies of the behavioral health industry with Alex Katz, CEO of Two Chairs. They discuss the misconceptions and challenges within the mental health system, the importance of finding the right therapeutic fit, and the impact of venture capital in driving both quality and accessibility in mental health services. Alex highlights the need for personalized care, the evolving perception of therapy thanks to platforms like TikTok, and the potential and limitations of AI in therapy, emphasizing the irreplaceable value of human therapists.

—

RECOMMENDED PODCASTS:

🎙️This Won't Last

Eavesdrop on Keith Rabois, Kevin Ryan, Logan Bartlett, and Zach Weinberg's monthly backchannel. They unpack their hottest takes on the future of tech, business, venture, investing, and politics.

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/id1765665937

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2HwSNeVLL1MXy0RjFPyOSz

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ThisWontLastpodcast

🎙️Turpentine VC

Investor Erik Torenberg interviews partners at the top VCs in the world to learn their approach to the art and science of building a successful venture firm.

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1701006772

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Yb8ErLRnyoAqn4Y6NegTx

—

SPONSORS:

👩‍⚕️ Hot flashes, insomnia, brain fog? You don't have to accept these as just another part of aging. Midi Health is the virtual care clinic for women navigating midlife hormonal transition, offering FDA-approved medications, supplements and lifestyle coaching - all covered by insurance. Visit https://www.joinmidi.com/ to book your virtual visit today.

🩺 AWELL. Transform your healthcare operations with Awell! Say goodbye to manual work and Excel hell. Awell's CareOps orchestration platform helps design, implement, and improve care flows in days. Trusted by Astrana Health, Commons Clinic, and Better Health, Awell automates processes for faster care model improvements in 2 days or less. Visit awellhealth.com and mention Second Opinion for a free bootcamp.

—

LINKS:

Subscribe to Second Opinion Newsletter: https://secondopinion.media/ 

Two Chairs: http://www.twochairs.com/ 

—

FOLLOW:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexjkatz/ 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/christinafarr/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/lubagreenwood/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashzenooz/

—

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 Intro

01:14 Behavioral health industry insights

02:04 Alex Katz's journey with Two Chairs

05:02 Navigating the mental health landscape

08:22 Business models in mental health

14:04 Barriers to mental health access

16:08 Sponsor: Awell

19:56 Behavioral health companies and cost reduction

22:00 The crisis in therapy retention

23:41 Youth mental health challenges

25:40 Gen Z and therapy culture

29:14 The importance of hybrid care models

31:31 Skepticism around ai therapists

36:00 The Debrief