Bershan Shaw was given three months to live when she received a breast cancer diagnosis. It was a challenging time both physically and mentally and there was no place that offered her refuge.
She defied the odds and nearly 20 years later, that fight is what inspired her to create URAWARRIOR, an inclusive mental health community app that provides a safe space for people in need of mental health services and therapy.
“I didn’t see a safe space online […] where you could get peer-to-peer support,” Shaw tells BLACK ENTERPRISE. “If you would post issues such as drug addiction, dealing with low libido or bankruptcy in a Facebook group, [I noticed] there was a lot of bullying, trolling, and people coming after you.”
URAWARRIOR, pronounced “you’re a warrior,” pays homage to Shaw’s breast cancer fight and the healthy head space that led her to heal what was supposed to be a death sentence. It offers peer-to-peer support and live group coaching sessions. Users can choose between getting help with grief and loss, substance abuse, depression, and stress, burnout, and more. Prerecorded sessions are also available for people who miss the live sessions.
Shaw says she was intentional about creating a space where people could be vulnerable and free of judgement. In order to use the app, users first have to abide by the rules and pledge to not bullying. URAWARRIOR is based on four pillars: personal development, self-improvement, motivation and support.
“I wanted to make a cool and hip app that didn’t feel so clinical,” says Shaw. “Most people don’t just run to therapy and it’s been taboo in Black communities forever. We always say, ‘Keep your issues at home, or don’t air your dirty laundry.’ We’ve been living in the shame and embarrassment.”
Bridging The Gap While Mental Health Resources Remain Limited
Therapy can be expensive but URAWARRIOR bridges that gap along with the wait times to see a therapist. Shaw says it’s great for people already working with a therapist who is ready to put their healing goals into action with its expert coaches.
“Therapists right now around the country are booked up. I know people who have three or four month waits,” says Shaw. “We are very intentional about our team. They have to have years of expertise and coaching, certified.”
Shaw is allowing people to sign up for 60 days for free to join in on the daily challenges and mood tracking the app offers. There are more than 356 days of challenges, one for each day of the year, something that Shaw has also put into writing with her book, URAWARRIOR 365 Ways to Challenge You to a Better Life.
“If you go to an app and people are posting positive things, people are doing positive things, then you change,” says Shaw. “What I want to do is change how people interact and change what people see […] because you are what you think, you are what you feel, and you are what you see. You start seeing positive you start hearing other people’s stories, [then] you realize you’re not alone. We’re in this together.”
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