Really Global: Mental Health for All Launches

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): A Further Inquiry

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2025/10/09

DavidPaul Doyle is the CEO of Really Global, a browser-based mental-health marketplace launching August 1, 2025, with the mission “Mental Health for All.” Really Global offers instant Talk Now sessions and scheduled appointments with therapists, coaches, and mentors in over 200 countries. In Canada, licensed therapists and non-licensed counsellors can join for free, set their own rates, and retain 85–95% of the session fee. Doyle champions culturally sensitive access—vital as 57% of young Canadians with early signs of mental illness cite cost as a barrier (Canadian Mental Health Association). He welcomes media conversations on topics such as therapy access, rural delivery, men’s mental health, and holistic support. More info: https://really.global.

In this interview with Scott Douglas Jacobsen, Doyle discussed redefining mental health as encompassing both clinical and non-clinical well-being, emphasizing that “mental health for all” means universal access, regardless of geography or circumstance. He explained that Really Global distinguishes between licensed professionals, such as therapists and nurse practitioners, and non-clinical providers, such as coaches and mentors. He emphasized that the platform is not a suicide hotline, but he personally compiled the most comprehensive list of crisis hotlines in 120+ countries to direct people in immediate danger. Doyle also discussed affordability, youth access with parental oversight, HIPAA/GDPR data security, stigma reduction for men, and 550+ searchable provider categories.

Scott Douglas Jacobsen: Typically, when you request permission to record, the platform makes a note of that exchange—the other person grants consent, and then you begin recording. On my end, it does not make a sound, but it is recording, and I can confirm that. On your side, it appears to be noted for documentation purposes.

Now, turning to the topic of mental health for all, this is a vital subject because it challenges and expands long-standing assumptions.

For example, consider how society once defined abuse. It was once viewed as a small set of obvious behaviours. Over time, however, clinicians and researchers have catalogued abuse in a far more nuanced way, identifying patterns and forms that were once overlooked. I am not a clinician myself, but I have interviewed many professionals in this field, and their expertise makes clear how much more detailed and accurate these definitions have become.

I see mental health in a similar light. For much of the public, mental health has not traditionally been viewed as part of health. People might dismiss it as someone “just feeling blue” or even romanticize it as the basis for artistic expression, such as inventing a new music genre. However, the reality is that mental health is a form of health.

So when you speak about “mental health for all,” what exactly do you mean? Moreover, how does the rights-based context fit into this?

DavidPaul Doyle: There are, of course, many definitions of mental health. From our perspective, mental health encompasses everything related to mental and emotional well-being. It includes both clinical and non-clinical dimensions. The broadest and most useful definition encompasses this spectrum, which includes licensed clinical care as well as non-clinical wellness practices. That is why we group them under the umbrella of “mental health and well-being.”

The mind is inseparable from emotions, and both are closely connected to the body. Physiological health, emotional health, and mental health reinforce one another. So, it is a broad but necessary framework.

The phrase “for all” reflects the core goal: to create a world where anyone, anywhere, can access mental health and wellness support. That is the mission of Really Global—to make such access universally possible.

Jacobsen: How do you distinguish between counselling, therapy, mentoring, and similar forms of support, so people can choose what suits their needs?

Doyle: On our platform, we make these distinctions clear. For example, therapists and counsellors are listed together, while social workers, nurse practitioners, and other allied health professionals appear in a separate category. Coaches and mentors are also listed in their own section.

Each page includes clear descriptions of what each role can and cannot provide, so visitors understand the scope of practice. The distinction is straightforward: licensed professionals deliver clinical care, while coaches and mentors provide non-clinical support.

Jacobsen: When people are looking at the provisions you are offering under the “for all” model, there is clearly a structure: an apparatus, a business model, and specific provisions. However, are there methodologies outside your platform—beyond your mandate—that might also be useful? In other words, what is your model perfect for, and what are its limitations? 

Doyle: Yes, that is an important distinction. One thing we are very clear about is that we are not a suicide hotline. At the bottom of our website, there is a clear disclaimer: If you or anyone else may be in immediate danger of harm, do not use this site. Go immediately to your local hospital or call one of these numbers.

I actually spent four months—eight hours a day—building what I believe is the most comprehensive list of global hotlines. I went country by country, sometimes spending weeks on one country, calling numbers, emailing people, and verifying information. Many widely cited hotline pages contain outdated or inaccurate details, such as old numbers and inactive emails. So I put in the work to ensure that our list is accurate.

Currently, we have hotlines available in over 120 countries. We do not yet have all 200, but the 120 that we have are verified and reliable. That was a significant effort, but it was necessary so that people in crisis could reach the proper care immediately.

Our platform does not provide that kind of emergency service, but we wanted to make sure people in that state could find help elsewhere. What we do provide is support for those not in immediate danger: licensed providers on our platform deliver clinical care, and coaches and mentors offer non-clinical support. We can cover everything except life-threatening emergencies.

Jacobsen: What about young people? They may not have as much financial capital, nor as many supports throughout life. They are often trying to establish professional support, mentoring, and so on, but all of this comes at a cost. How do you help them access or leverage services in a way that reduces costs or makes things more accessible, particularly when they are just starting out or at specific points in life?

Doyle: First of all, you must be at least 13 years old to use our platform. You cannot hire a licensed professional or practitioner until you reach the age of consent in your country. Between the ages of 13 and the age of consent, users may purchase services only from coaches or mentors, not licensed professionals.

We have these country-specific age brackets built into the platform. Everyone must provide their date of birth when creating an account. We maintain a database by country and state within the U.S., allowing us to determine whether someone meets the age of consent. This determines what services they are allowed to access.

Parents can also create sub-accounts for their children. For example, after an adult creates an account, they can add sub-accounts for minors, young children, or elderly dependents they are caring for. Case managers or clinicians can also create sub-accounts for clients under their supervision. This allows oversight and management of more vulnerable populations.

On the issue of cost, it is important to clarify that we do not set prices on the platform. Care providers are entirely responsible for setting their own rates and determining their own availability. We play no role in the delivery of care itself. In our terms of service, we are very clear: we are simply a platform that enables clients and providers to connect.

The provider is 100% responsible for complying with the laws and regulations of their jurisdiction and for delivering services in line with their licensing or professional scope. Clients, in turn, contract directly with the provider—they pay providers directly. Our role is to facilitate discovery and connection, allowing people to browse, search, and find the support they need.

Jacobsen: What about people for whom cost is not the main issue, but distance is—those in rural or underserved communities?

Doyle: We have telehealth software integrated into our platform, which provides that mechanism. Our platform supports both in-person and telehealth services. Providers can choose whether to offer one or both, and clients can search specifically for what they are seeking—whether local, face-to-face support or virtual sessions.

Jacobsen: A significant concern in mental health delivery is data security. Data breaches are always a risk. How do you incorporate data security into your platform?

Doyle: We use Microsoft Azure as our hosting platform. All data is encrypted, and our developers have configured everything in line with HIPAA compliance on Azure. We ensure the full utilization of Azure’s HIPAA-compliant and GDPR-compliant security features, ensuring the system meets both U.S. and international data protection standards.

Jacobsen: Over the last five to ten years, there has been growing awareness of men’s mental health and the stigma surrounding care. Part of the challenge is even having the language to label and discuss the problem. How does your platform help address gendered stigma—both in encouraging men to seek care and in supporting them to remain in care during an episode or crisis?

Doyle: At the moment, we do not have direct partnerships targeting men’s mental health. We are still a small and growing platform, and since we only recently launched, we have not yet had the opportunity to form such partnerships. That said, if a provider indicates that they specialize in this area, the platform can surface that information.

We also have a semantic search feature built directly into our navigation bar, which allows users to search for precisely what they need. One of our strengths is the depth of categorization. Providers can select from over 500 different categories, including areas of focus, lived experiences, backgrounds, and specialties. This allows users to search in a nuanced way—for example, finding a provider who explicitly lists expertise in men’s mental health or related issues.

All of those categories—identity, lived experience, client focus, expertise—are both browsable and searchable. Providers can select from literally over 550 options across these categories.

The goal is to provide clients with clarity: they can search for someone with a specific expertise, skill, background, or focus area and find the right match. For example, men can look specifically for providers who highlight experience in men’s issues, or who have a relevant background or lived experience. Right now, that level of feature depth is what we offer.

Jacobsen: Providers retain 85 to 95 percent of fees, correct?

Doyle: That is correct. We charge a 15% platform fee for telehealth services and a 5% fee for in-person services.

Jacobsen: That makes sense. Moreover, since this is the launch phase, how are things looking so far?

Doyle: We literally just began outreach to influencers this week. We already have 15 responses, and we are sending out affiliate links to them now. So, our first actual promotions will roll out next week. We are still a small and growing organization, but we are continually expanding our network of providers. I have not even issued a press release yet—that should be coming in the next week.

Jacobsen: Is this a highly competitive industry, providing that kind of resource-filtering layer?

Doyle: That depends on how you frame it. Do you mean competitive compared to extensive services like BetterHelp or Talkspace? Or competitive from the perspective of providers choosing between platforms?

Jacobsen: I mean more from the provider’s perspective—what they would be using if not this platform. Or is this more like the “first personal computer” in an untapped market?

Doyle: We are first in some respects, but not in others. There are numerous directories available that feature therapists and coaches. However, ours is the most nuanced of all. With over 550 categories for providers to choose from, we offer an unprecedented level of detail and search precision.

On the site, for example, if I go under “Therapists,” you can browse by therapist type. Within “Relationships and Family,” you will see a wide range of categories related to family. Under “Work,” there are many options for jobs, career development, and related emotional issues—an extensive amount of detail. The same applies to other sections, including “Community and Identity.”

Here, for instance, you will find “Men’s Issues” under identity and gender. We also have a wide range of treatment approaches. Additionally, you can filter by provider focus. For example, if you want someone who works with specific ethnicities, age groups, genders, or sexualities, you can filter your search to include that.

We designed the platform to allow providers also to indicate their lived experience, which further enriches the matching process. This allows clients to be particular about the type of provider they want to work with.

From the provider’s side—therapists, coaches, or mentors—they can also define their niche very clearly: who they want to work with, their areas of expertise, and the kinds of clients they want to attract.

Once the marketplace reaches a particular scale, this will enable very detailed and personalized matching. That is the goal of having such a granular structure. Directories exist, of course, but they typically offer only a dozen or so categories. We are pushing the boundaries of specificity in a way that makes us unique.

Jacobsen: Thank you very much for your time today. I really appreciate it.

Doyle: Thank you, Scott. It was a pleasure to meet you. I appreciate your time as well.

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