BU alum Athena Kalabokis created 'Mentyy,' a mobile app for students that shifts the search for counseling from campus referrals to provider browsing. Kalabokis built it after struggling to get a timely appointment as a student, using that experience to shape a simpler search path. Instead of starting with campus referral hurdles, users can look for in-person or online support, review profiles and choose a provider themselves, with no waitlist or initial consultation fee.
Mentyy launched in early September and currently operates at Boston University and American International College in Springfield, Massachusetts. Its partner network reaches more than 800 providers statewide, including therapists and psychiatrists, and the profile format helps students screen for practical fit, such as language or cultural background, before booking.
An 800-provider Massachusetts network widens campus care beyond a single counseling office and turns mental health access into a curation problem instead of a referral queue. Operating at two colleges also gives Mentyy a test case other schools can study when they want outside provider access without rebuilding services.
Image Credit: SUMMER LAROSE
What's Driving This Trend
- Student-led Care Navigation
- Peer-informed platforms are reshaping campus mental health access by translating lived student frustrations into simpler discovery and booking experiences.
- Provider Browsing Platforms
- Marketplace-style counseling tools create room for more transparent mental health selection based on availability, modality, language, culture, and specialty fit.
- Campus Care Decentralization
- External provider networks are expanding student support beyond counseling centers, reducing dependence on limited internal capacity and referral bottlenecks.
Who This Affects Most
- Mental Health Technology
- Digital therapy discovery apps are opening new service models around personalized matching, searchable provider profiles, and low-friction appointment access.
- Higher Education
- Colleges are gaining flexible alternatives to expanding in-house counseling teams through curated partnerships with regional therapist and psychiatrist networks.
- Telehealth Services
- Hybrid online and in-person care options are broadening access for students who need faster, more convenient mental health support outside traditional campus systems.
