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My Mission
Every day, millions of people face mental health struggles, yet too many don’t receive care that addresses the root of their pain.
That’s why we’re building a new way to receive support—a tool that enables anyone to have access to individualized care.
The traditional mental healthcare system often defaults to a combination of medication and monthly therapy sessions. While these tools can be valuable, they’re just part of the solution. What’s missing is the critical ongoing support between sessions.
That’s why we’re reimagining healthcare. Our vision is to create a system where any practitioners – a therapist, nutritionist, coach, mentor – are provided the tools and are rewarded for helping clients build lasting behavioral changes. We focus on evidence-based behavioral interventions that can help reshape thought patterns, regulate the nervous system, and address root causes—not just symptoms.
By supporting both practitioners and clients between sessions, we’re working to bridge the gap between understanding and action. Because true healing doesn’t just happen in the therapist’s office—it unfolds in the small choices and victories of everyday life.
Because meaningful healing doesn’t just happen in therapy sessions—it happens in everyday moments.
As the founder of Journey Nudge, I want to share why this mission is deeply personal to me, and how my own experiences shaped the problems we’re solving today.
Growing Up in a First-Generation American Household
I grew up in a household where emotional pain was ever-present. My parents, Italian immigrants, worked tirelessly to build a new life in America.
But mental health wasn’t something we talked about at home. If my sister or I struggled, the response was usually, “It could be worse,” or “Just push through.”
Well-meaning, but ultimately, it felt like something was wrong with us for feeling the way we did. This was the mindset I grew up with—one that many first-generation American kids can relate to.
Soccer: My Escape
For years, soccer was my escape. I’d played since I was young, with dreams of going pro. It gave me control, an outlet where I felt like I could shape my own path. But when I got injured, those dreams fell apart.
I spiraled into depression, as many athletes do when their bodies give out. My uncle stepped in at my lowest point and helped me focus on my health, reminding me to take it one step at a time. With his help, I started rebuilding—physically and mentally.
Piece by piece, I regained my confidence. But just as I found my footing, life took another turn.
The Turning Point
In 2008, during the financial crisis, my uncle lost his job. Depression set in, followed by a car accident that led to a painkiller addiction.
A year later, he took his own life.
The person who saved me from my own darkness fell into his own.
That moment changed everything for me. I realized just how broken our mental health system is—it treats symptoms but rarely addresses root causes.
This became my mission: to fix it.
Finding Help
In the aftermath of my uncle’s death, my mental health suffered. I tried finding help for myself and my sister, who had developed severe OCD.
But we quickly learned how difficult it was to find a therapist who resonated with us. Even when we did, there was no clear guidance on how to apply what we learned in therapy outside the session.
Therapy seemed confined to that 60-minute window, with no reinforcement in the moments that really mattered—when we were alone with our thoughts and habits.
I kept wondering:
“What do we do when life gets tough again? When the old patterns resurface, and the therapist isn’t there to guide us?”
Building Journey Nudge
Journey Nudge was born from my own struggle with therapy. After each session, I’d leave full of insights and motivation, only to watch them slip away as life rushed back in. The same old patterns would creep in, and those breakthrough moments from therapy would feel distant and hard to grasp.
What I really needed was my therapist’s voice throughout the day—someone to step in during crucial moments and ask, “Remember what we talked about? How can we handle this differently?”
So I built a simple solution: a platform that sent text reminders of my therapy insights. Nothing fancy—just gentle nudges to keep me on track. But those small prompts proved surprisingly powerful in turning awareness into action.
In 2016, while working as a personal trainer, I started using these nudges with my clients for nutrition, exercise, and sleep. The results were remarkable. One simple text—”It’s okay to go over your macros sometimes”—could prevent a single cookie from becoming a whole sleeve. When I adapted the platform to send faith-based messages to my sister, she told me something I’ll never forget: “Some days the nudges are what give me hope.”
That’s when I knew we had stumbled onto something bigger than just habit tracking. People needed support between their therapy sessions—in those quiet, everyday moments when change feels hardest.
Today, Journey Nudge serves thousands of people—leaders, students, athletes—helping them stay connected to their growth journey, one small reminder at a time.
Legacy
I’ve seen firsthand the devastation caused when mental health care fails. My family’s struggles, my journey through injury and depression—it all drives me to build something better.
Today, my (1) love for coaching, (2) experience with business building, (3) commitment to mental health and making changes to how we use technology have brought me to Journey Nudge.
This is me sharing my story, because I know I’m not alone.
Journey Nudge is for people like my uncle, my sister, and the millions who feel stuck in patterns they can’t break.
If this story resonates with you, please reach out and let’s see what we can build together.
With Love,
Lorenzo