Talkspace Opens up New Therapeutic Insights for 1 Million Clients

President and chief operating officer of the pioneering online therapy platform Talkspace, Mark Hirschhorn directs the work of a company dedicated to providing high-quality, affordable, and confidential mental health services. The platform’s 1 million clients have access to trained, licensed therapists specifically matched to them. Mark Hirschhorn and his team have structured Talkspace to respond to the unique needs of each client, all within private and secure online therapy rooms, videoconferences, messages, and chats.

Talkspace has received top ratings directly from its clients. In one personal testimonial posted on the platform’s website, a client noted that their therapist was the most compassionate and effective therapist they had ever encountered, with a genuine desire to get to know them and understand their individual needs.

Another client, a first-time user of mental health therapy services, wrote that their Talkspace therapist provided helpful new insights and suggestions that the client would never otherwise have thought of. Another client stressed the effectiveness of the real-time Talkspace environment, which allowed them to communicate information to their therapist as issues arose instead of having to wait for an appointment and the possibility of having forgotten things that would have been important to bring forward.

A Cancer Research Charity That Focuses on Children’s Needs

Mark Hirschhorn has served in multiple executive capacities with some of the most innovative emerging and growing companies in the digital services sphere. Currently president and COO of digital behavioral therapy platform Talkspace, he previously supported operations, compliance, and investment as CFO of pharmacovigilance support provider ArisGlobal and served as executive vice president and CFO of media software applications provider RCS/Media Monitors. In addition, Mark Hirschhorn is a dedicated supporter of nonprofit organizations such as the National Pediatric Cancer Foundation (NPCF).

Working with leading physicians and scientists, NPCF focuses on funding research efforts and clinical trials with the aim of developing treatments that will be less toxic, less invasive, and more comfortable for young patients and their families. As its team works to ultimately conquer childhood cancer, it seeks to boost current rates of survival and help reduce side effects of existing treatments.

NPCF’s work is particularly important in light of the fact that the majority of cancer research centers on the physiology of adult patients. As most traditional treatments are geared toward adults, medication dosages are often simply reduced to correspond to lower-weight bodies when treating children. But children’s physiologies are categorically different, which can result in needless misdiagnoses, complications, and side effects that might not happen if more were known about their unique needs.

While traditional fundraising initiatives have largely neglected pediatric cancer, NPCF is noted for its targeted research in the fight against the disease.

 

National Pediatric Cancer Foundation Launches Sunshine Club Fundraiser

Known for his sustained results in the institutional investment sphere, Mark Hirschhorn led the global pharmacovigilance SaaS technology firm ArisGlobal prior to its successful sale. Presently an executive at Talkspace, Mark Hirschhorn has a strong commitment to community giving and supports the National Pediatric Cancer Foundation (NPCF).

In September 2020, honoring Pediatric Cancer Awareness Month, NPCF launched the Sunshine Club fundraising initiative within its 2020 43 Challenge campaign. This year-long effort honors the 43 American children who receive a diagnosis of cancer, on average, each day.

While cancer is by far the leading cause of disease-linked death among children, less than 5 percent of cancer research focuses on childhood forms of the disease. Over the past four decades, the number of drugs that have been successfully developed for childhood cancers is in the single digits.

The Sunshine Club addresses this issue by fostering philanthropic and scientific collaboration across 20 top-ranked pediatric hospitals nationwide. The aim is to identify and develop novel therapies that are both effective and have less toxicity. Over the past 19 years, more than $25 million in NPCF funds has gone toward pediatric cancer research efforts. The current campaign encourages contributions of at least 43 cents per day, or about $13 per month, to the organization.

 

What Is Behavioral Health?

An accomplished executive experienced in sales and acquisitions, Mark Hirschhorn serves as the president, chief operating officer, and chief financial officer of Talkspace in New York City. Outside of directing finance, treasury, and investor relations functions, Mark Hirschhorn is interested in behavioral health.

Behavioral health encompasses the well-being of both the body and the mind, which are closely related, according to a growing body of research. Related to how healthy our choices are for mental and physical well-being, behavioral health can include what we eat and drink, how much we exercise, and how we interact with others.

While some people seek behavioral health care to treat a psychiatric condition or addiction, others use the approach to improve their interpersonal relationships with their spouse or other family members. Unfortunately, many people who have behavioral health challenges aren’t receiving the treatment they need because they lack health insurance or the necessary resources to access care.