News

Cindy Nie, a Chapter Organizer for the Toronto Chapter, was shocked after discovering how overburdened the health system is. One of her friends was diagnosed with depression, yet told Nie she needed to wait two months to see a therapist. 

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Nie reflected on that conversation often and, in 2019, launched the social enterprise One Healing Space as a response. Through One Healing Space, individuals can request a counseling or therapy session and get connected with a licensed therapist based in Ontario, Canada, in as little as two hours.

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When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Nie developed a peer support program, called Peer Support Call, to help those feeling isolated. Through the program, a trained host leads a group of 10 to 20 people in a discussion about a mental health-related topic. One Healing Space has also offered additional free, livestreamed events to create community and provide a wider range of resources.

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As Nie grows the organization, she’s starting to apply to MBA programs. To help her prepare, she enrolled in HBS Online’s Credential of Readiness (CORe) program to get a feel for HBS and take the course the School offers to incoming students to get ready for the MBA classroom.

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After completing CORe, she volunteered to lead the Toronto Chapter and has held various meetups, speaker series, book clubs, and other events to engage fellow HBS Online learners around the Toronto area.

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To learn more about Nie’s journey, read the full story on HBS Online’s Business Insights Blog.

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Click here to see the original article on Harvard Business School Online Community

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