Tao: A Guide to Finding your Inner Peace

Too often lately, we hear about the growing need for mental health services and a lack of available resources for the ever increasing demand. Sadly, our very own state of Florida is one of the lowest ranked states for per capita expenditures on these much needed services, which has led to a crisis of catastrophic proportions. As of 2014, we were ranked 49th lowest in the nation for basic state funded mental health services, and current programs and attempts at improvement leave much to be desired. While this knowledge is common for those in the mental health professions, many are unaware of just how much a lack of funding feeds a growing epidemic.

One local mental health professional with an entrepreneurial spirit recognized the need for innovative and accessible services to be utilized by both professionals and clients alike. Thus, TAO, Therapy Assistance Online was born. TAO “is committed to reducing mental health disparities by bringing affordable, effective, and accessible treatment to people who have had limited access in the past,” according to their mission statement. TAO was founded in 2012 by Dr. Sherry Benton when she was serving as the Director of Counseling Services at a large university. Through her experience, she recognized a need for a change in the way therapeutic services are rendered, utilizing an international, evidence based model. According to TAO’s website, this model involves online modules, tools, brief phone calls and videoconferencing to address the unique needs of each individual client. Through her research and studying this method with clients at her very own university, Dr. Benton found this method of therapy yielded incredibly successful outcomes while simultaneously effectively reaching a large audience.

The month of May is National Mental Health Awareness Month. According to Johns Hopkins, as many as 1 in 4 adults over the age of 18 is diagnosed with a mental illness at some point in their life. It is with high hopes that successful startups like TAO continue to come to fruition to meet an ever growing need.