Why I started Elfina
Hey Grapevine! 👋
I'm Tanvi, and I've been hunting for the right therapist since I was 29.
After sitting across from therapist after therapist for years - some great, some meh, some completely wrong - I got tired of the whole hit-or-miss game. The existing platforms are basically fancy Yellow Pages. "Here are 200 therapists near you, good luck figuring out who won't waste your time and money."
So I built what I wished existed: a client-therapist matching platform.
We're obsessed with one thing - helping people find therapists who actually get them. Not just any licensed professional, but someone whose style, approach, and personality clicks with how you're wired.
What we do differently: Intelligent matching Progress tracking Dedicated Care Managers
I spent 13 years in finance/ big tech/ startups before this - learned that the best products solve problems you've personally lived. Turns out, lots of working professionals want therapy but don't know where to start or how to find the right fit.
The reality? Most people give up after 1-2 bad experiences. I want to changing that.
Currently helped 200+ clients find their therapist match. Always happy to chat about mental health, startups, or why building in this space is both rewarding and absolutely exhausting.
What's everyone here working on? 🚀
Talking product sense with Ridhi
9 min AI interview5 questions
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Elfinahealth.com
Sorry new to grapevine! Forgot to add the link in the post 🙂
If you're curious, this is our website: elfinahealth.com
Well created 👏
Hi Tanvi,
All the best for your new venture.
Snooped your profile on Linkedin. What piqued my interest was that you decided to do an MBA after 7 years of work experience - What made you take the plunge then?
Was it worth it? I presume a decade ago, the quality of an ISB batch would be much better (vs today).
Did people have similar work experience (# yrs), or were you in the “senior” category?
Would you recommend someone with 6+ years of work experience right now and similar pedigreed UG to consider it as an option?
Some thoughts in no particular order:
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Reg MBA after 7 years - my gut feel plays a big part in most big decisions. So while one may say it wasn't the most logical move (my preMBA and postMBA was exactly the same). But I was felt that MBA is the right next move.
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I can't objectively comment on current batches, but almost every recent graduates I have interacted with - I have been impressed. So I have no reason to believe that the quality has deteriorated.
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Yes there were at least about 50-60 people with more than 6-7yoe
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I'd totally recommend it - but know what you're going for. I was OK with the ambiguity of the outcome. I wanted the MBA experience and thought the brand name won't hurt. Also it was lot cheaper back then 🙂
Best of luck!!
The thing with finding a therapist is the emotional connect rather than a simple app/platform algorithm that tries to match based on a set of questions, for which answers could vary depending on the mood of the person at the time of taking a survey.
The other thing is that therapy treatment is considered a stigma in the society because you have to toughen up and manage the problem.
These are harder things to overcome and cannot be easily undone overnight.
Nevertheless, wish you the best going forward!
I agree with both your points. Which is why there is 80-85% algorithm, 15-20% human judgement that goes behind the match.
Also, our session-5 retention rate is 80%, which says something about the matching working 🙂
I'd love for you to try the consultation (it's free) and give me honest feedback if you find something lacking.