At Talkspace, Start-Up Culture Collides With Mental Health Concerns

At Talkspace, Start-Up Culture Collides With Mental Health Concerns

Credit...Scott AndersonSkip to contentSkip to site indexThe therapy-by-text company made burner phones available for fake reviews and doesn't adequately respect client privacy, former employees say.Credit...Scott AndersonBy Kashmir Hill and Aaron KrolikAug. 7, 2020, 12:03 p.m. ETIn 2016, Ricardo Lori was an avid user of Talkspace — an app that lets people text and chat with a licensed therapist throughout the day. A part-time actor in New York City, Mr. Lori struggled with depression and anxiety, and he credited the app with helping him get out of an abusive relationship. He was a believer in Talkspace's stated mission to make “therapy available and affordable for all,” and when the start-up offered him a job in its customer support department, Mr. Lori was ecstatic.Talkspace, which has raised more than $100 million from