Online Therapy Unit

What Online Therapy Unit does

Online Therapy Unit (OTU) is a non-profit research initiative founded in 2010 and operated out of the University of Regina in Saskatchewan, Canada. It delivers free, therapist-assisted online Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) courses exclusively to Saskatchewan residents aged 18 and older. The organization runs a portfolio of evidence-based digital mental health programs — the flagship Wellbeing Course (for general depression/anxiety) and specialized variants for new and expecting parents, chronic health conditions and pain, post-secondary students, and public safety personnel (PSPNET), plus an Alcohol Change Course, a Sleep Course (launched 2024), and single-session lessons. Courses are structured as 5–8 week curricula with secure messaging and optional telephone therapist support, automated email reminders, and longitudinal outcome tracking via baseline, weekly, post-course, and 3-month follow-up questionnaires. Course content was originally developed by the eCentreClinic at Macquarie University in Australia and adapted for the Saskatchewan context in collaboration with the University of Zurich.

Name

Online Therapy Unit

Legal name

Online Therapy Unit

Website

https://onlinetherapyuser.ca

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Online Therapy Unit is a non-profit University of Regina initiative providing free, therapist-assisted online Cognitive Behavioural Therapy courses exclusively to Saskatchewan residents, covering depression, anxiety, sleep, alcohol use, chronic conditions, and population-specific mental health needs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Regina

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Free Research-Funded Services: Courses are offered free of charge to the public as part of research funded by government and academic partners including the Government of Saskatchewan, Canadian Institutes of Health Research, and Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Online Therapy Unit provides free, therapist-assisted online cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) courses to Saskatchewan residents aged 18 and over. Courses are typically 5-8 weeks long, delivered through a web platform with secure email messaging and optional phone support from assigned therapists, with automated progress questionnaires at baseline, weekly, post-course, and at 3-month follow-up.

Product overview

Online Therapy Unit provides a portfolio of free online cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) courses for mental health concerns. The core offering is the Wellbeing Course platform, available in multiple specialized versions targeting different populations: general mental health, chronic health conditions and pain, new and expecting parents, post-secondary students (UniWellbeing), and public safety personnel (PSPNET). Additional courses include the Alcohol Change Course and The Sleep Course. Single-session lessons such as 'The Things You Do' Lesson and 'How Can I Help?' Lesson are also offered as standalone modules. All courses are therapist-assisted via secure messaging and optional phone support, typically structured as 5-8 week programs with automated email reminders and progress monitoring through brief questionnaires.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Wellbeing Course for Mental Health A free online cognitive behavioral therapy course designed to help Saskatchewan residents manage symptoms of depression and anxiety through 5 lessons completed over 8 weeks, with therapist support via secure messaging and optional phone calls.
• Wellbeing Course for Chronic Health Conditions Including Chronic Pain

Quantifiable outcome

• 94%+ of Wellbeing Course completers felt it was worth their time and would recommend it
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Government of SaskatchewancoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary funder and strategic partner for mental health services. Action Plan for Mental Health and Addictions 2023-2028 outlines the need for accessible mental health treatment, supporting OTU's mission to provide free online therapy courses.
• Saskatchewan Health AuthoritycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClinical partner providing therapist-assistance for online therapy courses. Some clients are assigned to therapists working directly with the Sask Health Authority.
• Macquarie UniversitycoreTechnology or IntegrationOriginal developer of the online therapy courses through the eCentreClinic. Conducts effectiveness research including preliminary studies on Sleep Course showing 39% improvement in insomnia.
• University of ZurichcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic research partner contributing to the development and validation of online therapy programs.
• Saskatchewan Centre for Patient-Oriented ResearchminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner supporting patient-oriented research approaches in the development and evaluation of online therapy courses.
• University of ReginacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHome institution of Dr. Heather Hadjistavropoulos and the Online Therapy Unit. Provides academic infrastructure and research oversight.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/559403597483463
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/online-therapy-unit

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Online Therapy Unit