By Geeta Ramakrishnan, Ontological Wellness Whisperer & Co founder of Seven Doors To Heaven
By Divya Malik, Integrated Energy Healing Artisan & Co Founder of Seven Doors to Heaven
Q 1. :-What are the top two mental health issues you’ve personally encountered or observed among startup founders?
A:Two of the most common mental health challenges I’ve observed among startup founders are:
1. The Fear of Uncertainty:
Founders often carry a persistent anxiety around the unknown — whether the business will succeed, funding will come through, or the market will respond as hoped. This constant unpredictability can result in emotional fatigue and isolation, especially when there’s no space to openly process these fears.
2. The Pressure to Overdeliver Without Boundaries:
Many founders feel the need to give endlessly to their teams and customers, often without sustainable strategies in place. This can lead to burnout, frustration, and a sense of inadequacy — especially when quick results aren’t visible. Often, this stems from perfectionism or deeper self-worth struggles.
As someone working in the mental health and coaching space, we’ve also witnessed a quiet paradox: the belief that those who support others shouldn’t face the same struggles themselves. But being a therapist or healer doesn’t mean being immune to pain — it means learning to move through it with awareness. Some of the most authentic healing comes from those who’ve lived what they teach.
There’s a subtle pressure in this field to appear unshakeable. But true connection is born from honesty, not perfection. Our lived experiences allow us to serve with greater empathy and depth.
At this stage, the challenge isn’t doing the inner work — it’s reaching more people who need it. The demand for real, human-centered support is growing, and our focus is on making that support more accessible.
Q.2:- On a scale of 1–10, how prevalent are anxiety and/or depression in your network of founders?
A:I would place it at a 9 out of 10. Most of the founders in our network are silently carrying immense anxiety. They’re constantly juggling the demands of running a business — managing employees, sustaining the P&L, and keeping the vision alive while also trying to be present for their families.
What’s often overlooked is the deep sense of personal disconnection that grows over time. In staying connected to the world – clients, teams, markets, many founders gradually lose connection with themselves. There’s very little space left for self-reflection, emotional processing, or simply being. This internal split can lead not only to anxiety but also to prolonged phases of burnout and depression, especially when left unspoken or unsupported.
Q.3:- How do founders typically cope—alone or with professional support?
A:While many founders initially try to cope alone, we’re witnessing a positive shift. In the past, seeking professional help was often seen as a last resort, but today more founders are recognising the value of early intervention. The emotional and psychological pressures of leadership are real, and professional support is no longer a luxury — it’s a necessity.
At Seven Doors to Heaven, we offer safe, confidential, and highly customised sessions designed specifically for individuals in high-responsibility roles. Our aim is to create a space where founders can process their challenges without fear of judgment — and gradually move toward clarity, resilience, and well-being.
Q.4:- Can you share a brief example of how mental health affected decision-making or performance?
A:We once worked with a startup founder who was in the middle of raising funds but found himself constantly second-guessing his decisions. Despite having a solid business model, he struggled with performance anxiety and a fear of rejection. This led to delays in communication, missed opportunities, and tension within his team.
Through our sessions at Seven Doors to Heaven, we uncovered that his anxiety was rooted in unresolved self-worth patterns from earlier failures. Once he had a safe space to process those emotions, his confidence returned not as performance, but as presence. He began leading from clarity, pitched with ease, and eventually secured the funding.
This is what we see time and again: when mental and emotional well-being are ignored, performance suffers. But when addressed, founders make better decisions and lead with authenticity, courage, and clarity.
Q.5 :- Have you noticed the stigma around discussing mental health in the startup community?
A:The stigma is definitely fading. While mental health used to be a taboo subject in the startup world, today more founders are recognising that emotional and psychological challenges are a shared human experience not a weakness. At Seven Doors to Heaven, we’ve seen a shift: people are more open to seeking support, especially when they realise that many of their external struggles stem from unhealed internal patterns or past traumas.
Our approach blends modern neuroscience with ancient Vedic wisdom, working at the subconscious level to bring about deep transformation. We don’t follow a clinical narrative, we offer a holistic, confidential space where founders can heal, realign, and grow. Mental health is no longer just about fixing something; it’s about evolving into your most authentic self.
