From Match to Mind: Rethinking Mental Health UX

The therapist matchmaking process was entirely manual: coordinators reviewed client forms and selected therapists based on selected preferences, therapist at their own judgment. A patient filled in a questionnaire, waited up to 24 hours for a coordinator to pick someone, then received an email with a therapist they had never seen and a time they had not chosen.

To evaluate market solutions, I performed a competitive analysis of 9 leading mental health platforms. Key findings:

We've conducted a series of interviews for the second part of the project work, but in addition we asked some questions that were also related to the matchmaking functionality. Key insights included:

I introduced an automated matching algorithm that processes the patient's questionnaire responses and therapist preferences (such as therapy type, therapist gender, experience, etc.) to suggest the most suitable therapist.

The system presents the matched therapist with a detailed profile to help the patient make an informed decision.

After booking, users see a clear confirmation page outlining next steps, including:

Alongside the product work, I defined a new visual direction for the platform. The key challenge: the stakeholders wanted a retro aesthetic with vintage elements and grainy textures, unconventional for mental health, where most products default to clean, clinical looks.

EHR systems can be built from scratch or based on templated solutions. We explored existing platforms and customization options, but after several Q&A sessions with stakeholders and careful analysis, we decided to go with a custom-built system. The existing template-based solution had already led to many of the current issues, and we wanted to avoid repeating them.

With a tight timeline and competing priorities, getting dedicated research time required active advocacy. The insights it surfaced shaped the final solution.

These findings shaped the final scope: centralized overviews per role, streamlined note signing, automated form delivery, and no built-in calendar.

Wireframing and Design System Expansion

The EHR system required three distinct permission levels, so I mapped therapist, supervisor, and admin workflows before designing any screens.

The patient platform was created with a focus on clarity and accessibility.

Research showed therapists were switching between 3+ tools to piece together their daily schedule. This view consolidates everything into one screen: upcoming sessions, client names, note status, and actions, so therapists can start their day without opening anything else.

Therapists lacked a centralized view of their patients. Basic info was scattered across multiple sections. This overview surfaces only what therapists told us they actually check: contact details, diagnosis, session history, and pending forms.

This was the biggest pain point from research. Supervisors' primary task is reviewing and signing session notes, but they had no way to see which notes were pending. This view surfaces unsigned notes first, with filters by therapist, date, and status.

The clinical note form was redesigned around what therapists actually fill in. We removed unused fields, grouped related inputs (observations, affect, mood), and structured the form to match how therapists think through a session, not how the old database organized the data.