In a time when stress at work is becoming more widely acknowledged as a serious issue, leadership plays a fundamental role in creating a safe and supportive work environment. Sheena Pirbhai, the vibrant CEO of Stress Point Health, is leading this effort. Under her inspiring leadership, Stress Point Health has become a leader in creating cutting-edge strategies to address stress and advance mental health in the workplace.
Sheena founded Stress Point Health after her own battle with PTSD and burnout. Following a severe road accident and undiagnosed PTSD, she recovered enough to start a career but struggled in a high-stress investment banking job, leading to burnout and a lack of support from her employer. After quitting, she spent two years focusing on her mental health. Before starting Stress Point Health, she built and exited two other companies in finance and tech, ultimately deciding to focus her third venture on mental health.
This article delves into Sheena’s path, examining the tactics and ideas that have contributed to the business’s success and how she is redefining leadership in the fast-paced world of today.
What are the main factors that guided you to where you are now?
Going through something traumatic at that age taught me to rely on myself and my gut instinct. As an entrepreneur I think this has served me well when there are conflicting voices around you and advice coming from multiple different directions. I leant to trust my instinct and be confident in my decision-making.
I am also lucky to have had fantastic mentors in my career. People who have helped me look at different perspectives and provide support and guidance when I needed it.
Things really came full circle for me when one of the UK’s leading psychiatrists, a man named Dr Michael Bott, who was instrumental in my PTSD recovery became the first investor and board director for Stress Point Health.
Given your years of experience and accomplishments, what would you say was your biggest achievement?
On a personal level, overcoming my physical injuries, learning to walk again 3 times and ensuring my accident didn’t define me is something I am very proud of. Professionally, bootstrapping Stress Point Health and bringing much needed support to thousands of people is also something I am immensely proud of, even though I still have more to achieve.
What is the quote that inspires you the most?
“The difficulty lies not so much in developing new ideas, as in escaping from old ones.” John Maynard Keynes
Can you name two books that inspired you? And what did you take out of them?
The Body Keeps Score by Bessel Van Der Kolk is without doubt the book that has influenced me the most. The book taught me so much about how trauma affects the body and mind but also inspired me to start SPH. I tell everybody to read this book!
The First 90 Days by Michael Watkins was a great book to help when transitioning through different size organizations and understanding what to look out for and be prepared for. On the surface it doesn’t seem relevant to entrepreneurs but looking at organizational structure and leadership through this lens helped me to future proof my business and be prepared for all growth stages.
What personality traits contributed to you being a successful CEO?
Resilience and adaptability. Leading a successful organization is tough and lonely and you need to be able to manage the downs as well as the ups. In the startup world things change quickly and the market doesn’t wait so staying adaptable and flexible has meant I can keep up with the pace of innovation and be attuned to product market fit.
I think my inherent personality as someone who is always looking for solutions and finding a way forward has been key to my success over the years.
Are there any significant challenges facing the virtual therapy industry today? Can you name the most relevant ones?
The mental health industry is reaching a breaking point with a massive strain on its services with increasing numbers of people seeking help. The virtual therapy industry is not immune to the same challenges as traditional mental health pathways; not enough therapists, difficulty in accessing help and the stigmas associated with receiving help in certain regions such as the Middle East.
I also believe that we need to broaden our approach, include novel therapies in treatment pathways and empower people to make a choice about how they want to improve their mental health. One size doesn’t fit all and digitizing the status quo is not going to enhance outcomes for people. We need to be personalizing the approach to each individual person and virtual therapy and digital therapeutics can be at the forefront of this.
The other major challenge is who pays? The reimbursement models for virtual mental health services haven’t been defined clearly and it makes things complicated for patients. Insurance, governments and private companies all need to work together to ensure a seamless approach for those seeking help.
In light of your journey and experiences, what message would you like to convey to aspiring entrepreneurs?
I know this might sound cliché, but I think it is the number one reason behind entrepreneurial success – solving a problem that the market needs solving. What I mean by this is, some of the most successful companies discovered a problem that needed solving, not something they felt should be solved.
Not every business will turn into Apple or Amazon but starting from this place will give you the best chance of success.
I would also like to say to anyone embarking on this journey. It is tough and not the easiest path and is not for everyone. Ask yourself if you thrive in an environment of uncertainty which isn’t linear, but with high stakes and high potential rewards.
What is your personal team leadership philosophy, and how does it shape the approach and methodologies used by Stress Point Health?
I believe that to get the best out of people they should be allowed to work in a way that keeps them motivated and gives them the work/life balance that suits them.
I also like to inspire my team with the mission of Stress Point Health, so we are all working to a collective goal. I use my lived experiences to be open about my challenges to foster an environment of openness and inclusivity so that everyone feels comfortable expressing themselves and taking the time they need to support their own mental health.
As a mental health company, we need to be a shining example of how to support teams, foster their growth and resilience and help them perform their best.
What is the most valuable lesson learned from your professional journey?
In the startup world venture capital isn’t the only way to build a successful business. If you can bootstrap and start to generate revenue this is arguably a better way to build a sustainable and robust business.
In healthcare, VC funding often pushes companies to make decisions that might not be right for the product build or GTM strategy but instead satisfy investor cycles and future fundraising. The right investors recognise the long-time horizons when building innovative products in healthcare and finding them and being patient with the journey was an incredibly valuable lesson for me.
Tell us more about what distinguishes Stress Point Health from other similar services?
Stress Point Health has built the world’s first software solution that regulates emotions and the nervous system. Our patent-pending digitized Neurofeedback technology uses specifically designed sound frequencies to regulate brain function and emotional responses.
Before now, it could only be administered by medical professionals using specialist equipment, but we’ve developed a ground-breaking way to deliver it digitally, through our app Sphere.
Sphere can start to reduce stress, anxiety and burnout with just one 20-minute session. This is revolutionary and there is nothing like it in the market today. It is quicker and more effective than talk therapy and has none of the side effects of medication.
We have spent several years building and clinically validating our solution which also sets us apart from other mental health apps. Research published by Imperial College London hailed us as the future of personalized mental healthcare.
How would you balance innovation in therapy approaches with the need to maintain evidence-based practices?
I think it is essential that any innovation – novel or otherwise – has evidence to back their efficacy. When dealing with people’s health and in particular mental health ensuring safe and robust innovations is incredibly important. Technology has an incredibly important part to play but cannot put lives at risk. In Europe there have been scary examples of AI mental health chatbots guiding people in the wrong direction so ensuring there is evidence behind these solutions is essential.
Are there any upcoming projects or initiatives you’re particularly excited about, and how do they align with Stress Point Health’s strategic goals?
We are really excited about our initiatives in the UAE, partnering with corporates for employee wellbeing and burnout and working with healthcare providers to reach more people who need mental health support.
We look forward to working with more organizations and corporates in the UAE and wider GCC to ensure everybody has equitable access to self-care mental health support anytime they need it.
