Why did I start MellaHealth?

by | Sep 18, 2020

Welcome to MellaHealth!

I had the idea to start MellaHealth in the fall of 2020 when we were in the throes of the pandemic. As a cognitive behavioral psychologist with a local Hartford-based practice, I received numerous calls from people reaching out for mental health services. The number of people seeking therapy for themselves (or their children, their spouse, their parent) far exceeded the capacity of my practice. People were seeking treatment – they were trying to cope with an enormous stressor that changed so many aspects of their daily life – and they wanted to use their insurance … And I felt so stuck!

Where to send people for good care? I had exhausted my list of trusted colleagues (also on waiting lists), so I looked for any available option, often not knowing much about the quality of services. I thought to myself: What if I could bring together a group of outstanding clinicians, offer them advanced training in cognitive behavioral therapy, and assist them in becoming in-network providers with the major insurance companies? Then, I would have trusted, well-trained therapists available to match with those seeking treatment. And so, over the next six months, I worked to create MellaHealth.

And you are probably asking, why the name MellaHealth? Mella comes from the Latin root Meliora – meaning always better. It is my hope and dream that MellaHealth will make a significant, positive impact on the lives of many individuals in our community by providing the highest quality therapeutic services to help them feel better!