Introduction

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Ginger is an on-demand mental healthcare platform that provides employees access to 24/7 text-based behavioral health coaching, psychiatry sessions, and self-guided care resources through a stand-alone application on their smartphones.Their accessibility is their greatest advantage.
Ratings
Ease of Use
Best For
Key Differentiator
Price
Free Trial
PROS
- Members can connect with a behavioral coach in under 60 seconds at any time of the day
- Ginger offers a wide variety of self-help resources at no additional cost to the user
CONS
- Ginger is not a web-based platform. Users can access the tool only via their smartphone
- Members outside the USA do not have access to video therapy and psychiatry sessions.

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Built using smartphone-based technology, data science, and augmented intelligence, Ginger is an on-demand mental healthcare platform that helps employees deal with any challenge they're facing, at any time of the day.
With a wait time of under 60 seconds, employees can easily chat with behavioral health coaches through the Ginger app. You can also book therapy and psychiatry sessions with licensed practitioners when needed. Any medication prescribed by your psychiatrist can be delivered to your house via Capsule in select cities.
What we like about Ginger is that health coaches, therapists, and psychiatrists collaborate and work together as a team to ensure that every individual receives the right level of care.

Ginger offers a massive library of self-guided care resources, ranging from webinars, podcasts, mental health tips, videos, and 200+ activities. All members can access these resources at any given point in time. Your behavioral coach will either assign resources and exercises as a part of your care, or the app will suggest them based on your needs and previous activity. From dealing with anxiety and stress to building healthy personal and professional relationships, there's something for everyone. We especially like their Ginger Chats - a resource of inspirational mental health stories.
Over 1.3 billion data points support Ginger's virtual platform - the world's largest data set on mental health. Equipped with these data insights, Ginger's coaches and healthcare practitioners can better help members and provide more effective care.

I use Headspace to support my mental health, including depression and anxiety. The meditation and cognitive-based approaches have suited me best, significantly to calm my mind during and after the work day.
I've even leveraged the therapy sessions, as they've been the perfect incentive to support my well-being without paying out of pocket by utilizing my employer-based insurance. In addition, I've shown my family the benefits of how I'm able to navigate my insomnia by allowing myself to rewire my brain chemistry and not overthink at night.
I've noticed an overall uptick in my thinking capabilities, navigating different employee personalities, and staying focused.

I love the benefits of using both my desktop and mobile apps when I'm on the go. I appreciate the different mental health tools, such as support with stress and anxiety with meditation. The software runs seamlessly without any hindrances, which is also a great attraction since there are no disruptions when I need it the most.
Mental health concerns were heightened during the pandemic. We were introduced to a new era, which was impacting our personnel, 78% to be exact, based on our HRIS metrics.
We were receiving not only a ton of mental health grievances through our employee relations team, but our employees' productivity slowed down by 17%. Employees were experiencing depression, anxiety, lack of sleep, and burnout.
Instead of offering employer training and internal courses, we decided to go external to best support them in their own time. We've been successfully using Headspace for over 5 years and provide this incentive in our new hire onboarding.
Their customer service process to support employees can be delayed, especially when connecting their account to the employer incentive. I've also encountered delays requesting additional licenses since the company has grown due to integrating new personnel.
Employees have also reported limited video therapy access as they don't always have expert personnel after regular business hours.
Headspace is surely the best of its competitors in terms of pricing, implementation, and the range of mental health care it provides. We had a demo with Balance, and although the application is free for the first year, it doesn't provide the best cognitive approach for those in need of day-to-day support.
This tool is the ideal investment to support your employees in terms of their overall support and well-being. Although the investment can be considered a risk for companies, the overall benefits in terms of ROI are phenomenal. Metrics show that employees will have a better mental capacity and wellness when using their programs.
Also, implementation strategies are free, with Headspace SMEs navigating the site, so we can teach and guide employees to use the benefits best.
Headspace is constantly evolving with different programs based on their research and the needs of people. Since adapting this platform, Headspace offers custom approaches best suited to the individual and their needs. They've also included clinical assessments and skill-building resources emphasizing increasing your interpersonal deficits.
I believe Headspace can be beneficial for all organizations, but specifically for those in high-stress corporate positions, creative/PR organizations, government personnel, or technology industries.
Headspace may not be best for users who aren't ready to acknowledge the importance of their mental health and appreciate best practices for improving their overall well-being. It may also not benefit those who need in-person support.
I most commonly use Headspace when I have trouble sleeping. It offers nighttime sleepcasts, which are calming stories that help promote relaxation and rest. There are also other sleep tools, including white noise, sleep radio, and guided meditations.
Headspace provides so many features that I sometimes forget all the ways I could use it, and each time I open the app, I discover more options that could benefit me. I would like to explore more of the focus and skill-building activities it offers.

Headspace offers solutions for almost any wellness challenge, including movement, sleep improvement, anxiety reduction, and skill-building. The app has a friendly user interface with bright colors and easy-to-navigate menus. It tracks activity and usage stats, showing completed activities and total time spent on the platform.
We purchased Headspace a few years ago as part of our employee wellbeing package. The veterinary industry is notoriously stressful, and Headspace provides a way for employees to rest and recharge.
It offers guidance on meditation, focus, and sleep to support emotional wellbeing. It also includes mini-sessions for learning and practicing skills, even for those who may not be interested in fully exploring its wellness tools. I have personally used Headspace for over a year.
The "Today" tab displays suggested activities for the entire day, so even if I log in at night, my first recommendations are morning activities—I wish it updated based on the time of day.
Headspace is primarily designed for mobile use, but I wish the website was as robust as the app so I could fully access it without needing my phone. Other than that, I have no major complaints—Headspace has done an excellent job.
Headspace has a more visually appealing and user-friendly design than other wellness apps I’ve tried. The app is enjoyable to browse, even when I’m not actively using its features. The layout, colors, and audio elements are thoughtfully designed and enhance the user experience.
When purchasing Headspace for employees, ensure they understand how to use it and have the resources to take full advantage of its features. The tool is only beneficial if people actively engage with it. Additionally, consider whether employees have access to a smartphone or tablet, as the mobile app offers more functionality than the website.
Headspace consistently adds new activities based on relevant topics, such as election stress and managing change. There is always fresh content to support the emotional needs of a diverse user base.
Any organization or individual looking to prioritize wellness and promote employee or personal wellbeing.
I believe Headspace could benefit any person or organization.
You cannot use Ginger’s service unless your employer has signed up for it.
Buzzfeed, Sephora, TaskRabbit, SurveyMonkey, and Chegg
- 24/7 on-demand live chat
- Behavioral health coaching
- Therapy and psychiatry sessions
- Self-guided care resources
Ginger is a stand-alone application and doesn’t integrate with other applications/software.
Ginger's pricing is not disclosed on their website. You can get in touch with their team for a custom quote depending on how much access to coaches and therapists your company requires. Employees and their dependents don't have to pay any fees.
Any sized company will find Ginger valuable for keeping employees happy and healthy.
Ginger is a mobile app, so implementation is as simple as downloading it.
Ginger's licensed professionals are available 24/7, so you can reach out to them at any point during the day. If you have any queries or concerns, you can chat with their Member Support Team using the app, and someone will get back to you within two minutes. You can also email them and expect a response within 12 hours.
When Ginger's co-founder and COO, Karan Singh, was a child, his mother would brew him ginger tea whenever he felt like he was about to be sick - a preventative remedy used at the first sign of illness. Years later, after learning of a loved one's suicide attempt, Karan decided to establish a system that takes a preventative approach to mental health, addressing problems before they become worse. Thus, in 2011, with the help of a team of entrepreneurs and data scientists at the MIT Media Lab, Ginger was born.
Company HQ
San Francisco, California
Number of Employees
230+
Year Founded
2010
Amount Raised
Ginger has raised $220.7 million in funding over 11 rounds. Their latest was a Series E round in March 2021.