African, female-owned, and psychologist-led, The Space Between Us was born out of an ideal to connect more people to the right mental health resources, to equip our workspaces with proactive mental health skills, tools, and insights, and to make conversations about mental health a lot less intimidating. And so, every day, we bring the unspoken to light. We harness our passion, our collective clinical expertise, and our intimate understanding of Africa’s unique challenges to manifest this ideal into a living reality.
We are here to provoke thought, inspire action, and challenge the status quo.
The status quo is overwhelmed, trying to support the countless people experiencing emotional or psychological distress, and so, we believe it’s a vital calling of our shared humanity to be more proactive, to nourish the space between us, to give leaders and teams the psychological support systems and wellness practices they need to flourish naturally – before the crises emerge. Just as we have shifted towards a more preventive mindset for our physical health, so must we shift towards a preventive mindset for our mental wellbeing.
Our Vision
We believe in a world where mental health is a collective journey; a story we all partake in.
The future we envision is a world where every individual, every team, every leader, and every organisation are collectively, consciously building mental health as the foundation for holistic wellbeing and sustainable success. This is why we focus our intention on the workplace: it’s where we can reach the most people.
Africa might never have enough resources to provide one-on-one psychological support to every person in a mental health crisis, but at The Space Between Us, we can bring entire groups of people together into one room. We can proactively equip our leaders, the true influencers of our society. We can empower individuals to be resilient, create teams who have each other’s’ backs, and inspire leaders who create the foundations of genuine trust and become true pillars of guidance in times of uncertainty.
Whether you’re a JSE-listed giant or a growing startup, we’re here to help unlock the human potential in every organisation.
Why Now?
Never before has there been a greater push for people to perform, to innovate, to compete, to rise, again and again in response to the ever-changing challenges and demands of a world that seems to become more complex by the day.
High functioning individuals are not immune to an unrealistic work culture that once prized the notion of overworking as a badge of honour. Nobody is.
While mental illness has long been an unspoken, underfunded, and underestimated contributor to lost productivity, the cracks are showing; even in the most “successful” organisations. According to Investec, health economists estimate that unaddressed mental health conditions cost our economy an estimated R161 billion per year.
Individuals with unaddressed mental health conditions can struggle to bring their full selves to work, if at all. They can become disengaged, unmotivated, have difficulty concentrating, making decisions, and solving problems. Even their work relationships can become strained.
It is clear: the wellbeing of the people affects the wellbeing of the company. In fact, researchers say that “positive mental health is associated with a faster, slicker runway toward creativity and innovation”.
Mental health is no longer something to be “handled outside of office hours”. And it is certainly not something to be ignored. Top talent is mobile and demands mental health friendly workplaces. In the words of our founder, clinical psychologist Linda Mthenjane, “It is urgent that we act.”
Do you know the resilience levels of your team? Do you know the mental health spectrum of your organisation? Find out now with our Organisational Baseline Assessment.
Meet our Founder
Linda Mthenjane is the founder and managing director of The Space Between Us. She is a registered clinical psychologist, writer, and mental health activist who brings together her experience as a practicing relationship therapist and human capital executive specialising in organisational design and leadership development to drive innovative workplace mental health solutions in tune with the African psyche.
She believes that the space between us, when consciously cultivated, is what holds society together.
Our Network of Psychologists
We are a growing collective of African psychologists and mental health professionals who span the continent and combine our lived experience with our diverse clinical expertise to bring high-impact interventions into the workplace.
We have psychologists who specialise in stress, burnout, leadership resilience, diversity and inclusion, relationships, neurodiversity, trauma, grief, and men’s mental health. We have psychologists who resonate specifically with our youth, and some who instinctively hold a safe space for women.
In essence, there is no aspect of mental health that we don’t address with our diverse talent and tailored solutions. Whether in-person, virtual, or a blend of both – we’ve got you, no matter where in Africa you are.