Interview with Jodie and Chance - Founders of Self Space

This week we caught up with Jodie and Chance, the Founders of Self Space to talk about the inspiration behind Self Space, why it stands out from the crowd and more.

What inspired you to start Self Space, and what gap in mental health services were you aiming to fill?

[Jodie] When we first launched as two qualified therapists we knew there was nothing in the wellness space that reflected a proactive approach and that the landscape in general needed a radical overhaul.

As a culture, we tend to look to therapy in the face of crisis and instead, we wanted to create something that progressed us towards supporting people to unlock their full potential and give people the opportunity to find glimmers of light, joy and meaning. 

Self Space offers a walk-in, “on-demand” approach to therapy which is incredible, can you share some of the positives from this approach? 

[Chance] The on-demand approach is a step towards helping more people build mental maintenance and covers the full mental health spectrum. We want to help people add everyday practices into their routine which promotes better mental health and gives them the tools to build resilience.

People can choose their own time, location and therapist and the power on when they come and how often is with them, which speaks much more to self-care than the old-school approach to therapy. We are here to unblock barriers created by the constant demands of life. Our Kings Cross site is the newest of the four in-person, amazing spaces we have in London - somewhere that people actually want to come to and can relax in.

What have been some of the most rewarding moments since starting Self Space and the challenges?

[Jodie] Self Space has evolved so much since we started. What began as a small workshop in Shoreditch with a handful of therapists has grown into something magical. We have sites across the UK, virtual therapy, a team of over 120 qualified therapists, and now help individuals and businesses with mental health training too.

[Chance] Earlier this year we raised funding from a purpose-driven VC meaning the potential impact we can have in 2024 and beyond is incredible. I’m sure any founder would tell you the same, raising funds is tough and we’ve contended with some wider challenges out of our control, from the pandemic to the cost of living crisis meaning we’ve needed to pivot along the way.

Is there anything you are working on that you can share with us?

[Chance] We want to help millions of people across the UK. Since we started we’ve delivered over 80,000 therapy sessions and we’re only just getting started. We want to continue to bring Self Space to more high streets and help businesses fix the root cause of employee disengagement and support their own people. We are so proud to be expanding this and to be working with over 80 businesses across the country.

[Jodie] We are working on crafting a brand that everyone can access in different ways and all get something useful or positive from their interaction with our brand - maybe that’s our newspaper, a social post, a talk or a workshop. We intend to open more branches and hope to reach more communities and people. 

Best piece of advice you have been given?

[Jodie] Be courageous, be kind, marry your words with your actions and own your mistakes. Not everyone’s going to like you or what you do, but you can be humble, open and honest and in that, you’ll like yourself and that’s all that really matters. 

If you had one day off in London, where would you like to visit / explore? 

[Jodie] I love vintage finds, we have loads of my personal things in the Self Space branches and I find so much meaning in old objects and beautiful things, stories of where they might have come from or who they belonged to. 

I’d do some type of experience, I like yoga at BLOK or a spin class at Psycle, coffee and cheese on toast with my bezzie Maxine at the tram store, a mooch around Brick Lane and Spitalfields Market and then dinner at somewhere like Manteca and a film at the Castle Cinema Clapton with my kids Elvis and Biba, followed by a walk home.

For more information on Self Space visit https://theselfspace.com/

Portraits by Nyla Sammons

Interior photos courtesy of Self Space