We present to you the interview with the Dr. Bhavi Mody, CEO, Edupsyche.
Edupsyche is a Mental Health care initiative, a vertical of Vrudhi Research Foundation which intends creating platforms and service deliveries for Mental Health industry across the country.
Q1. Firstly, a very warm welcome from Ideasmakemarket.com team. “Edupysche” is one-of-its-kind venture in the mental health care industry. Tell us about your journey so far.
Thank You Ideasmakemarket.com for giving us this opportunity to share our expertise and experience. You are right Edupsyche is currently one of its kind in the mental health domain. It is the result of journey travelled in the last two decades by me and my husband Dr Dhaval Mody. We have been into medical practice for the last 2 decades, seeing the growing number of cases requiring intervention for psychological and psychiatric conditions Dr Dhaval pursued postgraduation in Psychiatry and currently awaiting to complete his Ph.D.
Having worked in this industry we realised the lack of initiatives and lack of providers in this domain. We believe that every challenge is a opportunity. We therefore came up with the idea of Edupsyche which not only provides solution to those individuals requiring support but also aiding in capacity building of the nation by training mental health professionals through various structured programs across the year.
Q2. Can you please tell us more about the business model, clientele and revenues along with the scope of expansion in other geographies?
Currently the centre has a team of professionals working in domains of Promotive, Preventive, Interventional and Rehabilitative Mental Health Care. To deliver the above we have created various programs that offer either consulting services, learning programs and mobile solutions. Our Consulting includes at site and online consulting and therapeutic interventions. We aid schools set up Inclusive Education Cell (IEC) to effectively implement the Right to Education Act (RTE) and support children with Special needs. Our expertise reaches out to children with Academic Behavioural Career and Developmental needs. We have created a structured online program for Screening, Assessment, Therapy and Monitoring for the same. We also offer online counselling and treatment for children with conditions like ADD/HD.
Our current outreach is among the children adolescents and youth of the country. We have been working relentlessly with schools and colleges. We do provide counselling and consulting for a variety of behavioural and emotional issues. Our domains of expertise in this is premarital and marital counselling.
We also provide learning solutions for Mental Health and Alllied Professionals, HR Executives and Foundation and Awareness Programs for population at large. With Edupsyche we have started creating various mobile solutions to ensure effective communication by schools effective parent engagement al this working for the wellbeing of child and their safety.
We have 3 versions in this to reach out to classes and masses of children across the country. We are shortly coming out with Kampus Konnect a mobile app for students in B Schools. Lastly to revolutionise mental health and make it available for all our dream project a mobile app for corporate employees, this is the future and will change the way mental health services are delivered across the country. Our Business Model, most of our services are subscription based. While at site and consultation and learning programs have service and program based cost. Products developed are online solutions and have been developed to break geographical barriers. We have developed a business partner program and emerging entrepreneur program to ensure adequate outreach and sustain scalability.
Q3. Being one-of-a-kind in the industry can be a USP but also challenging at times. Can you please tell us about the challenges you have faced as a woman entrepreneur?
As I said earlier Dr Dhaval and myself we believe that every challenge is anemerging opportunity. But You are right this comes with a packet of concerns and challenges which have to be handled sensitively. To enumerate a few of these:
- Mental health is one of the most neglected domains in our country as there is very poor awareness
- Mental Health issues bring a lot of social stigma.
- People with Mental Health issues are open to all forms of quackery.
- No definite structure of addressing issues between say maybe a counselling psychologist and clinical psychologist.
To sum up awareness, social taboo, lack of providers, quackery are among the prominent challenges we are working with. At this moment since we are talking about me as a women entrepreneur. I would also like to tell you that we also come with a family baggage which often is a challenge.
Q4. With the industry growing everyday, where do you see the Indian mental health care industry 5 years down the line?
I firmly believe that while people have been working and accepted various forms of physical wellness programs. Mental Health is the next big thing that our country will see. We intend to emerge as pioneers of the same. We have the intention, experience and commitment to bring this change.
Q5. Coming to your personal life, tell us something about your transition from a doctor to an entrepreneur? Is there any particular instance that you would like to share which brought about this transformation?
Coming from a Gujarati Business Community we have always had an entrepreneur within us, starting may be from our early career a pharmacy business, to an Export oriented software company between 1999 to 2003. We believe that this company is the culmination of my years of experience into Medicine, Mental Health and IT. This is a combination of our Healthcare and IT Skills.
Having grown in age experience and having garnered business and professional skills during this travel has helped us become what we are today.
Q6. You are a multifaceted personality juggling so many roles – a mother, wife, doctor and an entrepreneur. Can you please tell us how a typical day in your life would look like?
Planning is important, so is taking everyday as it comes. You are right juggling with roles not so difficult but the responsibility it brings along often is demanding and taxing. Let me for example share with you being a mother is not difficult but the responsibility of becoming a better mother everyday sometimes is.
I have a supportive family and cooperative husband, being from the same stream often our talks and discussion revolve round our clients and business. This does makes it a lot easier.
Q7. They say behind every successful man there is a woman. Who would you attribute your success to?
I attributemy success to first – my kids who are so loving, caring and understanding at the same time are supportive of me always. My parents whose support has been untiring, coz they are there I feel safe and secure fo my kids and my husband who has been rock-solid in my endeavours. Like you said, behind every successful man there is a woman, I say behind my success is My Husband who has always motivated me to move on and at times pushed me to achieve new heights be it education or practice and now as an entrepreneur. We have always walked together and though after post graduation our fields were a little different ( I did my post graduation with a homeopathic subject of Organon while he did his with Psychiatry), our paths were never different. We were with each other at every step falling and rising together.
Q8. When you are not busy managing and practicing, what are your hobbies and interests?
Reading, Listening to soft Music and sometimes just being with myself.
Q9. What is it that you enjoy most about being an entrepreneur?
Many Dream but being an entrepreneur allows me to fulfil my dreams of reaching out and achieving my goals.
Q10. From your learnings and experiences, what would be your word of advice to the budding entrepreneurs?
All of us have our strengths identify the entrepreneur that you want to be, work towards what you are most passionate about, then you need not just think Big and Dream Big but you can Make it Happen.
Never lose HOPE. PATIENCE, PERSISTENCE and PERSEVERANCE are the keys to success.
(As interviewed by Akshita)
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