Dr. Helodia Dastiné is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and psychoanalytic psychotherapist, specializing in supporting LGBTQAI and BIPOC communities. With expertise in addressing racial disparities, substance use, and mental health challenges, she creates a safe, compassionate space for healing. As the CEO and Founder of The Deep-Seeded Truth Psychotherapy, she leads a practice dedicated to decolonizing mental health care.

Dr. Dastiné holds advanced training in psychoanalysis and cutting-edge therapies like Ketamine-Assisted and MDMA-Assisted psychotherapy. In addition to her clinical work, she teaches Decolonizing Social Work at Columbia University and foundational courses at Yeshiva University, preparing future social workers to be more inclusive and culturally responsive. Dr. Dastiné is also a passionate advocate for social justice, committed to dismantling systemic barriers in mental health care.

1. What inspired you to found {business} and what were the main challenges you faced?

I founded The Deep-Seeded Truth Psychotherapy because I felt the mental health industry needed a revival in the way it provides services. The industry has taken a medical Euro/American paradigm approach to servicing clients, focusing on symptom management rather than getting to the root cause.

I felt it was important to create a practice that grounded itself in getting to the root cause of issues so that people can find true relief.

I also believed people of color deserved a safe space that provided high-quality therapeutic services, as BIPOC folks are often provided subpar mental health services.

Additionally, I believed in the decolonization of mental health, which meant centering holistic indigenous practices such as psychoeducation on various plant medicines. This approach aimed to deconstruct the power dynamic, segregation, and dehumanization that can occur in the therapy dynamic while focusing on a communal approach to healing instead of the individualistic ideology that often surrounds mental health care. This means centering and normalizing collective growth, as our healing contributes to the betterment of our community. It is our responsibility to focus on our self-awareness journey, as this adds to the collective progression and ascension to higher consciousness.

2. Did you start the venture alone?

Yes, I started this business alone. I have been a social worker for over a decade, and through my years in the mental health field, it became essential for me to create something that would break the status quo on how mental services were conducted. The goal became to disrupt the paradigm of how we've been conditioned or trained to approach mental health services.

3. What's your business model, and how have you grown your revenue?

At The Deep-Seeded Truth Psychotherapy, our business model is rooted in providing high-quality, inclusive, and culturally sensitive mental health care that addresses the unique needs of marginalized communities, particularly the BIPOC and LGBTQ+ populations.

We focus on decolonizing mental health by integrating psychoanalytic practices with therapeutic modalities, including Ketamine-Assisted therapies and psychoeducation on other plant medicines. We take a holistic approach to mental health.

In terms of revenue growth, we offer individual and couples therapy and will be expanding to group therapy sessions, which allows us to serve a broader range of clients.

We've made therapy more accessible for clients with varying schedules or mobility issues by providing telehealth services. We accept various payment options to aid in the inclusivity of services.

We've also leveraged our expertise by offering consultations and partnerships with social service organizations to provide high-quality therapy services. This reinforces our commitment to equity in mental health care. Through these efforts, along with an ongoing focus on client satisfaction and outcomes, we've been able to steadily grow our revenue and impact in the mental health space.