David Berg, a longtime Chestnut Hill resident who taught psychology at Community College of Philadelphia and had a private practice for 30 years (now retired), contacted us recently to urge us to do an article about Damian Salas. Along with his wife, Aimee, a psychologist, and a staff of 20, Salas manages Open Minds Psychological in Plymouth Meeting.

"I only knew Damian peripherally through mutual music-performing friends until recently," said Berg. "I questioned him about the changes in psychotherapy services for the general public, and his answers were eye-opening... To tell the truth, I was impressed and glad that I had retired from the field, leaving it for those like Damian who could do their good works with all of the difficult societal changes."

According to a survey of 4,129 adults in the U.S. over 20 years, as reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association, "There has been a decrease in the stigma regarding mental illness, which ... appeared to be largely associated with age and generational shifts."

Open Minds Psychological deals with a wide range of mental and emotional disorders affecting people of all ages. One mother, whose name we are not permitted to use because of privacy rules, wrote, "My son had the most amazing experience with Open Minds Psychological. The therapists there were so communicative and understanding. They knew exactly how to help my 8-year-old son, who was struggling ... This practice also offered group sessions for him, and he was able to meet with peers who were going through something similar."

What sets Open Minds Psychological apart is that it specializes in therapy for entrepreneurs who may have mental health issues, something that successful managerial professionals are generally loath to admit. According to one major study reported in Inc.com, 22% of top executives in the U.S. have sought therapy from a psychotherapist or psychologist at least once.

Their coaching and therapy program for entrepreneurs is called GREW (Growing Resiliency and Entrepreneurial Wellness). "My role is to develop a program of therapy for entrepreneurs," said Salas. "I also want to present this idea to post-doctoral psychological studies. Research shows that entrepreneurs are impacted by what happens with the company. The science tells us that mental health is affected. We all need a healthy work/life balance."

Brianna Matey, Psy.D., is the founder of Open Minds Psychological (in 2018) and a licensed clinical psychologist. She works with individuals to support needs around emotional regulation, anxiety, depression, trauma, etc.

The pandemic caused so many people who had lost their jobs to start their own businesses that in 2021 the U.S. Small Business Administration reported that 5.6 million new "microbusinesses" had started in the previous year, many of whose owners undoubtedly experienced serious stress and other mental health symptoms.

Dr. Michael A. Freeman, of the University of California at San Francisco, has a national reputation as a researcher into the psychological issues facing entrepreneurs. In a study of the personality, mood and human factors that are common among entrepreneurs called "Are Entrepreneurs Touched with Fire," he wrote: "In this study, 242 entrepreneurs and 93 demographically matched comparison participants took an anonymous online self-report survey to assess their engagement in entrepreneurship and their individual and family mental health history.

"Entrepreneurs reported significantly more symptoms than the comparison participants, as 49% reported having one or more lifetime mental health conditions, 32% reported having two or more lifetime mental health conditions, 18% reported having three or more lifetime mental health conditions, and 23% reported being asymptomatic members of highly symptomatic families. The entrepreneurs were significantly more likely to report a lifetime history of depression (30%), ADHD (29%), substance use conditions (12%) and bipolar diagnosis (11%) than were comparison participants."

Because of Salas' experience with Open Minds Psychological, he is not surprised by these findings. "I have a friend," he said, "who just exited a big company. He told me he was lost. What does he do now? People don't talk about that. Imagine building a big company with thousands of employees and then leaving.

"The mental health community is beginning to embrace this as an important topic. Your former employees are telling you that you ruined their lives. You caused their problems. And female entrepreneurs have a unique challenge with so much more limited funding. Some have what's called the 'Imposter Syndrome.' In other words, they may feel, 'I'm not competent enough to be in this room.'"

For more information, visit openmindspsychological.com. Len Lear can be reached at lenlear@chestnuthilllocal.com