The online platform MindBerry, that connects employees and individuals to mental health professionals, is offering healthcare workers free access to their mental wellbeing support service.
The offer is also being extended to elderly people and people suffering in isolation.
MindBerry is a startup that is already providing both face-to-face an online mental wellbeing support to corporates including eBay, Thunes and InMotion.
Coaching and counselling, is offered via a secure, end-to-end encrypted platform. This ensures confidentiality is respected and vulnerable individuals are safeguarded.
The support can be accessed by video, audio or instant messaging – wherever there is a wifi signal. This could be from the car, home – whatever works for the individual.
Sandra de Monte, Founder and Director, MindBerry Group said: “Levels of anxiety are running high. There is a huge amount of uncertainty and fear of the unknown. Healthcare workers are worried about being overwhelmed. They deserve our appreciation and support so I decided to offer them free access to our mental wellbeing support”.
“We also have thirty professionals on our platform who have agreed to provide free support to very serious cases of people in isolation”.
Even though levels of uncertainty and anxiety linked to the coronavirus crackdown are high, causes vary very much depending on the individual.
De Monte explained: “Individual concerns that existed before the pandemic are being amplified. If people have children, they may be worried about schooling, working from home with kids around, or meeting mortgage payments. Someone single might be worried about how they will meet a partner if isolation continues. Or someone might be worried about their elderly relative. The danger is panic. This is what we really need to avoid and try to contain as much as possible”.
Based in London, being half German, half Italian and married to a Swede, De Monte brings an international perspective and understanding for different cultures. She believes, whatever their culture though, the key in dealing with COVID-19 is that people stay connected – in whatever way they can.
De Monte’s tips for staying connected include: setting up different WhatsApp groups to keep in touch with friends and family; lighting candles each evening and taking a moment together online to share thoughts about loved ones who are absent.
At this difficult and unprecedented time, MindBerry aims to be there for everybody and to help people in need.
Further details can be found here.
About the Author
Claire Farrow is the Global Director of Content and Programming for the Mad World and Make a Difference Summits. She also drives the content for Mad World News. Claire is on a mission to help every employer – large, medium and small – get the insight, inspiration and contacts they need to make real impact on workplace culture, mental health and wellbeing in their organisation. She has been freelance for more than 15 years. During that time, she has had the honour of working with many leading publishers, including the New York Times.
