Meet Alyssa Petersel Landsberger, LMSW | Award Winning Author, Therapist, and Forbes 30 Under 30

We had the good fortune of connecting with Alyssa Petersel Landsberger, LMSW and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Alyssa, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
As a trained therapist, I am firm believer in the intersection between nature and nurture. From a young age, I both believed that I would be my own boss, and my father reinforced that belief in nearly every conversation I had with him.

My career has been an eclectic one, with one common thread between chapters that seemed otherwise disconnected: I’m committed to leaving the world a better place than I found it.

I had stints in biomedical engineering, community organizing, and creative nonfiction writing and publishing before training as a therapist at NYU. While training, I pursued my own therapist search. Anxiety was no stranger to me and I did not want to be a therapist without ever having been on the couch myself.

I was surprised and deeply disappointed by how difficult it was for me to find a therapist who resonated with me, despite knowing the industry and its acronyms, and not being in an active state of anxiety or depression, which would have eaten away at my executive functioning and follow through.

Upon preparing to graduate from NYU with my Master’s, I invested more time and energy into what I wanted to do after school, and couldn’t stop thinking about the millions of people (myself included) that could benefit from easier access to mental health care.

So, I decided to take the leap. I was the first social worker accepted into a 10-week NYU startup program called the Summer Launchpad Program (SLP). I used its $10,000 non-dilutive grant to talk with 100s of people about therapy and, ultimately, to start and scale MyWellbeing.

Please tell us more about your work. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today professionally. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?
As a born and bred New Yorker, I embrace a relentless optimism for a better future, fierce determination to lead the change, and tireless work ethic to execute on the many to-dos for a more empowered future.

As the daughter of two children of immigrants escaping genocide in Europe, New York has also gifted our family safety and the opportunity to build from zero to success. My family also has a history of anxiety and depression, which has shown up in me since birth, entering the world with colic and coping with high anxiety for as long as I can remember, before realizing that there were concrete steps I could take to better heal and cope.

The combination of the physical and emotional trauma in my history inspires me to build with a particular emphasis on sparing others from as much suffering as possible. As a teen, I volunteered at women’s shelters. In college, I raised $10,000 to contribute to the relief efforts in Haiti and created microfinance opportunities for people of lower socio-economic status. Post-college, I received a year-long fellowship to reduce youth violence and crowdfunded $12,000 to write a book about third-generation Holocaust survivors. Finally, I became a therapist and founded a mental health company.

If I’ve learned nothing else over the years, it’s that we’re stronger, together.

I have dedicated the last five years of my life to building MyWellbeing; to date, we have helped over 250,000 people being their care journey and reach millions every month through therapist-led content and support.

In 2022, MyWellbeing launched a new arm of our business called Dedicated by MyWellbeing to usher in the next generation of mental health providers with a focus on diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. Our providers receive 1:1 and group supervision to grow in a hyper-personalized environment that will further empower and support the diverse needs and populations in our city. To date, of the thirteen New York therapists hired into Dedicated— 31% identify as POC, 71% identify as LGBTQ+, and 100% train in cultural competency and work with Gen Z. In the last eight months, they’ve completed over 5,000 sessions.

Over the past two years, we’ve raised over $90,000 from partners like The Mayfair Group, Bumble, STARZ, Bleacher Report, and more to sponsor free care for people who want to access therapy but cannot afford it. We’ve designed a proprietary eligibility flow that accounts for more than just income (e.g. student debt, household size relative to household income, dependents, health concerns).

Success begins with the individual and their ability to gain the tools needed to heal. In 2022, 90% of Gen Z was diagnosed with anxiety, yet only 39% received care. Five years from now, if we’re successful, I imagine the reverse: 90% of Gen Z will receive care and only 39% will experience anxiety.

We at MyWellbeing are committed to a mentally healthy future, and we can’t do it alone. Learn more at MyWellbeing.com.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
You MUST go to any pop up that is facilitated by Mayfair Group if you’re at all interested in mental health or wellbeing. After that, grab a smoothie, stroll by the water, and journal in the sun.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
We wouldn’t be where we are at MyWellbeing without our incredible team. Ryan, you have a fierce energy and optimism that is unmatched and keeps our culture at MyWellbeing thriving. Jneé, the heart you bring to the work ensures that we never lose what’s human about healing. My husband, Michael, has spent more early mornings, late evenings, and lunch breaks troubleshooting with me than I can count; plus, he keeps me grounded and ensures that once we’re done problem solving for the day we take a moment to pause, appreciate, and enjoy.

Website: https://mywellbeing.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/findmywellbeing/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alyssapetersel/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AlyssaPetersel

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/findmywellbeing/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkWL-MESRuvyBBOgiIOAGWQ