b'irelands mental health system were pioneersis complicated and overtaxed. in the mentalIf you are in Ireland and suffering from depression, health sectoranxiety,trauma,stressoraddictionyoumayfindwith this socialyourself waiting up to 9 months to see a mental health enterprise model.professional.Untilnow,theonlyalternativewas private care. Which might enable you to be seen sooner, were embracingbut would also cost you about 100 an hour. technology andBut MyMind is filling a previously unmet need:reaching out toaffordable, quality mental health care from a team of people in a way100+ therapists that includes online services as well.And the waiting time? Generally 72 hours from first other servicescontact to first appointment, sometimes less. cannot, andKrystian Fikert came to Ireland from Poland to thats exciting.work for Google. But his background in psychology ledKrystian Fikert, him to found MyMind in 2006. The organization is aFounder and CEO of MyMindsocialenterprisemodel:fee-payingclientsaccess psycho-therapy for 50 an hour which then subsidizesservices for students, unemployed clients and thosewho cannot afford the full cost. They in turn, pay 20an hour.Clients have a range of choices of therapists andcan initially meet their therapist through the My-Mind website or access online information and supportvia e-MyMind. This model appeals to many youngerclients who while they will eventually meet face to facefor therapy, appreciate being able to first see and learnabout their therapist online. While the majority of ther-apy is handled face-to-face at their centers in Dublinand Cork, clients can also Skype their sessions withtherapists and counselors often saving hours of traveltime. Soon, MyMind will open in Limerick and Galway.MyMind has won awards and recognition from Social Entrepreneurs Ireland (SEI), Ashoka and theArthur Guinness Fund for their business model and theimpact it is having across Ireland. Most recently theyhave been awarded the SEI Impact Award, which willprovide significant growth capital and support to theorganisation. Thousands of adults and children havereceived mental health care in a timely and affordablemanner that would otherwise not be available to them.Thousands more people have received online supportfromMyMindsonlineteamof11therapistsand counselors.Its great recognition for us to receive a grantfrom The Ireland Funds, says Krystian. We know of the wider network behind them and its important to ustoraiseourvisibility.Ourprimarygoalistobe accessible to our clients and offer early intervention.Wecanhelpassesstheirsituationwhichnotonly addresses problems in the short term but can save themtime and money later on down the line.connect2014 | 35'