As our working lives become busier and more stressful, mental health issues are becoming much more prevalent. To help employees deal with these issues, startups like Ginger have started to appear, enabling access to coaches for people who work in big companies and have tight schedules. So, what is Ginger, and what companies use this startup to provide mental health support for their employees?
Ginger is a startup that works with firms and healthcare providers to provide mental health support for employees. It gives access to coaches by using an app, through which employees can talk about their issues. It is used by CBS, Sephora, Netflix, Pinterest, Yelp, BuzzFeed, and Twilio.
This article will discuss everything you need to know about Ginger.io and its aims for mental health support. I will also talk about how people use this startup and which major companies use Ginger to help employees deal with mental health issues. Startups like Ginger are typical nowadays, so getting familiarized with their services can be of great help.
What Is Ginger?
Ginger is a startup that works with major companies and organizations to provide the best support for employees with mental health issues. They have established a system that works through an application that allows employees to access mental health coaches at any time throughout the day. Ginger.io
is concerned with the mental health issues that arise daily due to people’s busy and stressful lives.
With its work, Ginger has raised over $35 million that will be used for further studies and research dedicated to common mental health issues, as they claim. They have decided to provide help for big companies because the employees of big organizations generally deal with hectic schedules and a bunch of work daily. This means that they do not have proper time to deal with the mental health issues they commonly face.
How Does Ginger.io Work?
Ginger.io works closely with the health providers of the big companies. They provide the link between the employees and the coaches at any time of the day. The first contact between an employee and a mental health expert is achieved through a simple text. So, people are enabled to send a text, 24 hours a day, to a coach and expect an immediate response.
The next step followed by the texting might be a scheduled video session if both the person and the mental health professional believe it is necessary. However, according to many shared experiences, people continue the conversation via texts rather than scheduled video sessions. This is probably because people feel more comfortable when they are not facing the person with whom they share the deepest thoughts and details of their lives.
In addition, video sessions can be scheduled outside the working hours, which many people find convenient. Not everyone feels comfortable and safe talking about mental health issues in front of a camera while in an office.
So, it is a straightforward service – Ginger provides mental health experts, and it is up to people to get in touch with them whenever they feel the need. The best thing about this is that employees do not have to pay for anything. Ginger’s theory is that if employers accept something like this, their employees will be more open to the chance to talk to coaches about things that concern them deeply.
What Companies Use Ginger?
Since Ginger.io aims to help major companies that include many employees, many big organizations and firms have started using it. From establishing Ginger up until now, the startup has been growing significantly and at a steady pace. Up until today, more than 200,000 people have access to the services of Ginger that their employers additionally provide.
Major companies currently using Ginger are CBS, Sephora, Netflix, Pinterest, Yelp, BuzzFeed, and Twilio. However, Ginger is also available and active in around 25 countries outside the US, such as Japan, Australia, India, Canada, and the U.K. According to experiences and research, this kind of service for mental health issues has helped employees deal with the same and feel comfortable even making the first move to seek mental health support.
As Ginger has made its services available through text, people have been more comfortable asking for help when they believe they need it. Not many individuals are willing to accept that they need a mental health coach, but when you start facing your problem via text, it makes it somehow more bearable.
What Are Employees Saying About Ginger.io?
While this kind of service provides an unconventional type of mental health therapy, it resulted in many satisfied employees who previously did not talk about mental health issues. Ginger.io has an amazing rating online, and it is reporting that around 70% of patients have shown a reduction in depression symptoms in only 12 weeks. If you know the mental health issues rate, you probably know how fascinating this statistic is.
According to some major review sites, Ginger is reported to provide great support 24/7, and it helps employees in their productivity and motivation daily. Employees have become more positive and goal-oriented when it comes to working. Customers like the flexibility of the schedules, and they have been using this service even outside working hours, which proves its effectiveness and helpfulness.
The average rating of Ginger is 4.7/5, and it is personalized and suitable for private care. People have also liked that it takes only around 60 seconds to connect with a coach, and you can choose the type of therapy you need. The easy use of the application and the skill-building activities incorporated in it are a huge benefit for employees.
The fact that you can use different devices enables people to seek help at any point of the day, no matter where they are. The team includes licensed coaches that provide professional support that customers have found useful. They also like the fact that they can work with different experts in different sessions.
In What Ways Is Ginger.io Different From Other Online Therapy Programs?
If you have researched many online therapy programs, you have probably seen that they all offer similar services. However, it is important to differentiate between the programs since some tiny details can change your therapy progress. Mostly, the therapy programs differentiate in prices, but also availability and methods of work.
Ginger.io vs. BetterHelp
While Ginger works best for full companies with many employees, BetterHelp is convenient for those aiming to get full-service therapy, i.e., they can choose different coaches suitable for group therapy, family, and marriage therapy. Even though they seem to work similarly, they use other methods that are suitable for different people.
For instance, BetterHelp offers different packages, i.e., you can schedule your therapy sessions by week, month, quarter, or year. On the other hand, Ginger does not offer these kinds of packages but provides two main methods for work – Behavioral Health Coaching and Therapy and Telepsychiatry. The former is focused on mood disorders, depression, and anxiety in a work environment. It can be attended to in groups, while the latter focuses on more personal and traditional therapy.
Although the two have similar goals, they can be slightly aimed in different directions. Therefore, they might be suitable for different purposes.
Ginger.io Focal Points
- Goal setting.
- Sleep issues.
- Depression.
- Anxiety.
- Self-esteem issues.
- Managing routine stress.
- Recovery from loss.
- Self-esteem issues.
BetterHelp Focal Points
- Depression.
- Anxiety.
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder.
- Bipolar disorders.
- Sleep issues.
- Sexual orientation issues.
- Career-related problems.
- Existential worries.
- Spiritual matters.
Concerning prices, BetterHelp is considered a pricey therapy program since you have to establish a package that you want to use. On the other hand, Ginger offers all texts for free, while you have to pay for the video sessions. The prices of both therapy programs vary due to the frequency of the sessions and the types of therapies you intend to use.
Ginger.io vs. Calmerry
Calmerry is one of the latest online therapy programs, and it resembles BetterHelp in many ways. They also provide licensed coaches for different therapies, allow texting with mental health professionals, and offer video sessions. However, Calmerry is one of the simplest online therapy programs. People have found a great advantage in its simplicity since no one wants to use something way more complicated.
Calmerry is quite closer in similarities with BetterHelp than with Ginger.io when it comes to the focal points. It helps with depression, anxiety, and different kinds of disorders and deals with emotional abuse, spiritual matters, and existential questions that are not included in the Ginger therapy program as a focal point.
Another difference between Ginger and Calmerry is in the price. While both offer unlimited messaging 24/7, Calmerry provides this service for a certain fee, while Ginger provides it free. Calmerry has several packages from which customers can choose according to their needs.
While most of the programs and packaging start with sending a text, some types of therapies offered by Calmerry require a call. This feature is not convenient for some users, so they avoid choosing that type of therapy.
Is Ginger.io Worth It?
When it comes to dealing with mental health issues, every form of help is welcomed and beneficial. This is because people are reluctant to talk about mental issues, especially if they are stuck with busy schedules and stressful pace at work. Therefore, everything that allows you to talk about your issues and at the same time makes you feel comfortable; then it must be worth it.
However, as you could see, many online therapy programs offer similar services, so you might question the right way to choose something that will suit your needs. Therefore, you need to think about the types of therapies you are comfortable with, the types of issues you want to discuss, the flexibility of your time and the scheduled sessions with given therapists, and finally, the cost. Also, you need to remember to check the aims and the targeted users of each online therapy program.
When it comes to Ginger, you have read many features, and you are probably aware of its advantages so far. According to many users, reviews, and research, Ginger.io helps deal with mental health issues. However, to decide whether it is worth it to use Ginger in the first place, you must take a close look at the pros and cons of this therapy platform.
Pros
- Text-based coaching helps people feel more comfortable talking about their issues, and they do not feel as if they are talking to a robot.
- The employees do not have to spend a dime for the provided mental health support.
- Ginger does not publish their pricing online, so employers are not forced to share the amount of money they spend on this kind of support.
Cons
- A common user cannot start using Ginger unless they work have signed up for the platform.
Ginger.io has become one of the best online therapy programs offered to employees in major companies, and it is known to have improved the mental health of many users. The founders truly believe that this technology usage is the key to dealing with mental health issues.
Sources
- https://www.ginger.com
- https://techcrunch.com/2019/09/04/ginger-an-mit-spinout-providing-app-based-mental-health-coaching-to-workers-raises-35m/
- https://www.zenmasterwellness.com/ginger-mental-health-review/#Is_Gingerio_worth_it
- https://www.betterhelp.com
- https://calmerry.com
- https://optimistminds.com/betterhelp-vs-ginger/
- https://www.healthcanal.com/mental-health-behavior/best-online-therapy