Case Study
Washington University School of Medicine
How Caralyst achieved 88% therapist retention and 97% user satisfaction helping medical and graduate students find mental health providers.
The challenge
Healthcare workers are in crisis. 27% of medical students worldwide report depression or depressive symptoms. Only 15% of those who screen positive seek treatment. 30–40% of residents experience burnout during training.
The problem isn't that healthcare workers don't want therapy — it's that finding the right therapist is unreasonably hard. Existing resources — insurance directories, EAP referral lines, Psychology Today — dump hundreds of results with no way to filter for what actually matters.
The result: healthcare workers give up looking, burn out, and leave. Each physician departure costs an institution $500,000–$1,000,000 to replace.
What Caralyst does differently
Caralyst matches users to vetted therapists across ~200 compatibility factors:
Therapy style
CBT, psychodynamic, EMDR, and more
Identity & culture
Race, gender, LGBTQ+ affirmation, faith
Healthcare-specific needs
Burnout, moral injury, shift work, training stress
Practical factors
Insurance, availability, location, telehealth
Every therapist is curated and vetted — and Caralyst can remove providers based on user feedback, ensuring quality control that no directory offers.
The results
From the WashU White Paper, 2024 — based on surveyed users who matched with a therapist through Caralyst.
Therapist Retention
Users continued seeing their matched therapist
Easier Than Alternatives
Said Caralyst beat every prior method
Conversion Rate
vs. 3–10% industry benchmark
Higher Engagement
Compared to the previous system
Would Recommend
To a colleague or loved one
Met/Exceeded Expectations
Among users who met their therapist
Real-world impact: April 2025 email blast
When Dean Eva Aagaard sent a promotional email to WashU medical students about Caralyst, the results were immediate:
unique visitors in a single month
site visits on day one
appointment requests
Hear from WashU Medicine students
Finding a therapist who meets your unique needs and aligns with your preferences can be so incredibly hard and yet so important. The algorithm developed by Caralyst is designed to help make that process easier, and I look forward to seeing how it can impact the health and wellbeing of our students.
Dr. Eva Aagaard
Vice Chancellor & Senior Associate Dean for Education
Washington University School of Medicine
The ROI case
The cost of Caralyst is comparable to a single student's annual tuition — and retaining just 1–2 students who would otherwise have taken a leave of absence more than covers the annual investment.
Independently modeled: University of Tennessee system
projected net annual benefit
or 8 staff to break even
proposed annual investment
Getting started
Onboard
Caralyst learns your population, insurance networks, and existing wellness resources.
Curate
We vet and recruit a therapist network tailored to your region and population.
Launch
Platform goes live. Your team adds a link to your existing health portal.
Fully web-based. Your team provides institutional email access and adds a link to your existing health portal.
Ready to see what Caralyst can do for your institution?
Or email us at contact@caralyst.io