From Academia to Entrepreneurship: My Journey to Reinvent Mental Health Hiring

For years, I lived in the world of textbooks, research, and clinical theory. While my college friends launched their careers and climbed corporate ladders, I was still buried in coursework, pursuing a doctorate in clinical psychology. I had spent nearly a decade preparing to care for others—but when it came to navigating the professional world outside of academia, I was completely unprepared.

That reality hit hard when I transitioned from academia into the digital mental health space. I imagined myself seeing patients, making a difference, and putting my training to good use. But instead, I found myself in an under-resourced system—overworked, unsupported, and managing a relentless stream of challenging cases with little time to breathe.

Eventually, I made the leap to private practice. It felt like a fresh start, one where I could create the kind of supportive environment I had always envisioned. But when it came time to hire a team, I hit another wall. Despite years of clinical experience, I had no idea how to build a strong hiring process. I turned to platforms like Indeed and ZipRecruiter, and while I was excited at first, my enthusiasm quickly faded.

The applications rolled in—but so did sloppy CVs, underprepared candidates, and drawn-out interviews that led nowhere. I found myself thinking: There has to be a better way.

One evening, I shared my frustration with my husband—a seasoned biotech recruiter. He listened, nodded, and then said something that would change everything: “What if we built a solution together?”

And that’s how MndLnq was born.

We envisioned a recruiting firm that did more than just fill positions. We wanted to connect purpose-driven clinicians with the organizations that needed them most—places where they could thrive, grow, and feel fulfilled. For us, it’s not just about filling roles; it’s about building futures.

Drawing from my personal experience on both sides of the hiring process—as a job seeker and as a clinic owner—I could see what was missing. Candidates deserve transparency, guidance, and human connection. Clinics deserve carefully vetted professionals who align with their values. That’s why at MndLnq, we use AI-driven tools to find the best clinical talent, but we never lose the human touch. Every placement is personal. Every match is intentional. I wanted to bring the insights from my experience of building a team and share them with the market to make a difference one person at a time.

We aren’t just another staffing or recruiting firm—we’re people who genuinely care. We’ve seen what happens when clinicians are placed in the right environments: they flourish, and so do the clients they serve.

My journey from academia to startup life has been anything but easy. It’s been filled with fear, doubt, long nights, and moments of vulnerability. But it’s also been deeply rewarding. I think about that every time I talk to a candidate who’s standing at a career crossroads—uncertain, hopeful, and brave enough to take a leap.

Change is hard. Reinvention is hard. But the future of mental health depends on clinicians who feel supported, valued, and passionate about the work they do. That’s what drives us at MndLnq—creating a better system, one placement at a time.

Because when people are in the right place, everything changes.