"If only" is a phrase we hear too often in mental health. If only we knew what was going on. If only I knew how to communicate my emotions. If only they knew they weren't alone. If only we had recognized the signs before. If only. 

In the mental health field, we often think about treatment after someone has already reached a state of crisis, developed a mental illness, or has been given a diagnosis. But what if we could prevent mental illness before it even starts? That's where pre-therapy comes in.

Many factors influence optimal human functioning during transitional points in our lives, such as personal history, family structure, relationships, how we view ourselves, as well as our social circumstances, including housing, employment and education. While it isn't possible to completely remove all mental distress from developing, many negative consequences can be prevented with the right preventative approaches.

Pre-Therapy is an important step in the process of getting ready for regular therapy. The goal behind Pre-Therapy isn't just to make you "prepared" for therapy but rather to equip you with the right tools to enhance and optimize your adaptability to difficulties that come up during transitional periods.

This approach is developed by a Canadian startup called Mind-Easy. The term was introduced since prescribers to Mind-Easy have access to asynchronous coaching in both immersive virtual reality spaces and accessible mobile applications to work through daily mental health issues. 

It focuses on helping people develop the skills needed in order to optimize their adaptability to their complex environments. "We realized that regular therapy treats conditions, rather than the complex human being", said Alexandra Assouad CEO & Co-Founder of Mind-Easy.

"Not only has research revealed that we are all susceptible to mental health difficulties, but researchers have also become familiar with the experiences that lead to this susceptibility. Despite this progress, most people do not know they can protect themselves and adapt to these situations." said Assouad. Following this preventative framework is expected to result in two things: 1) increase your adaptability and 2) save you the emotional labor, time, and cost that goes into regular therapy. 

"We know that no one is immune from mental health difficulties, and the pandemic revealed everyone's susceptibility to stressors. It's great that we are having the conversation around mental health more but what is talking without doing something about it? We simply cannot wait for individuals to be sick to finally equip them with the mental health tools for thriving," says Chief Clinical Officer and Co-founder Dalia Ahmed. 

The pandemic has revealed to us all that we are in need of a robust mental health system, from preventative to reactive. "The lack of evidence-based preventative measures available has left us receptive to the accumulation of built up emotional traumas, physical implications, and high rates of crises," says Ahmed, adding: "We like to think of Mind-Easy as a gym for your mind to meet your mind's daily needs". 

The founding team brings a fresh perspective to the mental health field as they  become trend-setters through their diverse range of projects, and have managed to attract multiple investors while building traction in 17 countries since the launch of their minimum viable product.