DR SARAH BATEUP

Dr Sarah Bateup is a CBT therapist. Her passion for driving a new frontier of mental health care – aimed at helping as many people as possible – is what led her to join Oliva in 2021

Q. HI DR SARAH BATEUP, PLEASE INTRODUCE YOURSELF AND YOUR ROLE.

» “I’m a cognitive behavioural therapist and Chief Clinical Officer at Oliva, a mental health platform for employees.

“My 25 years of experience as a mental health professional spans both clinical and academic settings. I’ve worked for the NHS and private companies as a CBT therapist, and have held teaching positions at the University of Exeter and Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College, London for mental health professionals and psychiatrists training to practise CBT. I was on the founding team of one of the first digital CBT services in the UK, as well as founding the first CBT primary care service in the south-west of England, and have been a part of pioneering research into the use of psychedelics to treat depression.

“I’ve always been driven by innovation and a desire to help as many people as possible, so joining Oliva – a platform helping to widen access to tailored, timely and evidence-based mental health care – in 2021 as Chief Clinical Officer seemed like a natural next step.”

Q. WHAT ARE THE DUTIES OF A CHIEF CLINICAL OFFICER?

» “As Chief Clinical Officer, I’m responsible for ensuring that we’re delivering the highest possible standard of mental healthcare for our users. This includes helping to develop our self-guided content and resources, as well as overseeing our one-to-one coaching and therapy services, and managing the team of mental health professionals – including counsellors, CBT therapists and clinical psychologists – who deliver them.

“At Oliva, we pride ourselves on offering evidence-based psychological therapies in particular, meaning that all treatments are backed by rigorous research. We also ensure that each employee is carefully matched with a specialist therapist based on their individual needs. Ensuring this process is working effectively – creating the fastest possible route to the best possible support for each user – is my biggest priority. ”

Q. WHAT IS OLIVA HEALTH?

» “Oliva is the mental health platform that offers employees on-demand, specialist mental health support, paid for by employers. Co-founded by Javier Suarez (who previously founded TravelPerk) and Sançar Sahin (former marketing lead at Typeform) in 2020, Oliva has helped widen access to mental health

Q. WHAT IS CBT?

» “CBT, or cognitive behavioural therapy, is a type of talking therapy that helps people understand how thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensation impact on their behaviour.

Q. HOW HAVE YOU NOTICED MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENTS CHANGE POST-PANDEMIC?

» “The pandemic has accelerated the evolution of digital health services, including mental health care. The availability of online mental health support has grown tenfold since.

“Now, patients can access everything from Zoom therapy sessions to self-taught CBT therapy. The proliferation of on-demand services has helped to make mental health support more widely accessible. But this isn’t without its problems, since those seeking treatment must now navigate even more Google search results before they can find the right support for them – if, indeed, they are able to filter through the endless options to find the right support at all. Ultimately, many sufferers give up and stop looking for help. Oliva is trying to change that by connecting more people with the right support sooner.”

Q. WHAT DO THE NEXT 12 MONTHS HOLD FOR YOU?

» “Oliva is currently active in over 30 countries in the world, helping thousands of employees navigate everything from anxiety and depression to PTSD. Over the next 12 months, we want to continue to grow and support even more workers.

“I am also setting up a residential intensive therapy service that is aimed at founders and senior leaders. The idea is that people get away from their home and working lives to access intensive therapy in a beautiful country setting, while also spending time on things they enjoy doing, like physical activities, creative activities or just relaxing in a wood-fired sauna. Quite simply, the idea is ‘come on holiday and get better’.”