In Conversation with Dr Martina Paglia: Why I Founded Mind a Porter

Mind a Porter now connects clients with more than a hundred qualified therapists across London and online, matched by language, culture, and clinical need. It is one of the few platforms in the UK that accepts health insurance alongside self pay, offers a £1 discovery call so you can meet a therapist before you commit, and was built around a matching questionnaire designed by its founder, Dr Martina Paglia.

But the company began somewhere quieter: with Martina herself, sitting in waiting rooms that didn't feel right, and walking away from sessions that should have helped.

We spoke with her about the search that shaped a company, the matching she built so no one else would have to settle, and why she believes the right therapist should be within reach for everyone, insured or not.

The search that started it all

You're a clinical psychologist. You know this field inside out. So why was finding a therapist difficult for you?

"Knowing the field made it harder, in a way. I knew what good therapy looked like, so I couldn't talk myself into a fit that wasn't there. I needed someone who understood my language, my culture, the particular shape of what I was carrying. And I couldn't find them."

What was missing?

"Everything that matters after the credentials. The right letters after a name don't tell you whether someone will understand the silence in your sentences. I met accomplished clinicians, and I still felt unseen. That gap between qualified and right is enormous."

Did you nearly give up?

"I did what most people do. I settled. I told myself it would be fine, that I was being too demanding, that therapy is therapy. It wasn't fine. And that's the moment that matters, because settling is how people leave therapy altogether and conclude it doesn't work. It does work. It just has to be the right therapist."

From frustration to a platform

At what point did the personal frustration become something larger?

"When I realised it wasn't only me. Clients were settling for whoever had availability, for whoever was closest, for the first name on a list. Therapists with the exact specialism someone needed were invisible to the people who needed them. The matching was broken, not the care."

So you built Mind a Porter.

"I built the match I wished I'd had. Language, culture, clinical need. The things that decide whether therapy lands. Not a directory. Not whoever answers first. The right therapist."

You personally designed the matching questionnaire. Why not just buy an off the shelf one?

"Because the matching is the product. If the questions are generic, the matches are generic, and we're back to a directory with extra steps. I wrote the questionnaire the way I assess a client in the room. What are you carrying, what language do you think in, what culture do you come from, what do you need the therapist to understand without you having to explain it from zero. Those questions are the whole point."

What makes Mind a Porter different

There are therapy directories. There are apps. What is actually different here?

"Three things. First, we match. We don't list. You answer a short set of questions and we put you in front of therapists who fit, not therapists who happen to be free. Second, we accept insurance. Most platforms in this space are self pay only, which means therapy stays a privilege. Third, our therapists are never cheaper outside the platform. We set the rates, so there is no incentive to bypass us, and no reason for a client to shop around and wonder if they're overpaying."

Let's take those one at a time. The matching first. How does it actually work in practice?

"You start with a few questions about what you need. Language, culture, the kind of support, whether you want to be seen in person or online. We show you therapists who fit those answers, and you can read their profiles, watch their introductions, and book a discovery call before you decide. You are never assigned a stranger."

And insurance. Why was that important to you?

"Because cost is the single biggest reason people don't start therapy, or stop too soon. If your health insurance can cover your sessions, it should be simple to use. We work with the major providers, we handle the authorisation, and we keep the pricing transparent so there are no surprises. A client with insurance and a client paying privately should both be able to find the right therapist, not just the one they can afford."

You mentioned therapists are never cheaper outside the platform. Why does that matter?

"It matters because trust matters. If a client thinks they might get a better deal by going direct, the relationship starts with suspicion. We remove that. The rate is the rate. The therapist is paid fairly, the client pays a fair price, and nobody is quietly wondering if they're being overcharged."

The discovery call

You offer a £1 discovery call. That's unusual. What is it for?

"It's fifteen minutes to meet the therapist before you commit to a full session. You can ask questions, get a sense of their style, and decide whether you want to go forward. It costs almost nothing because it shouldn't cost anything to find out if someone is right for you. The most expensive part of therapy is starting with the wrong person."

Doesn't that just add a step?

"It removes the worst step, which is committing to a full session with someone you've never spoken to. We'd rather you spend £1 and ten minutes and feel confident, than spend ten times that and feel unsure."

Online and in person

You offer both online and in person sessions. Do you have a preference?

"I have a preference for whatever the client needs. Some people need to be in a room with someone. Others are more comfortable at home, or they travel, or they live somewhere with fewer options. We have therapists across London for in person work, and we see clients online throughout the UK. The therapy is the same. The format follows the client."

And languages and cultures. How central is that?

"Central. You cannot do good therapy through a language barrier, and you cannot do it through a cultural one either. We have therapists who work in dozens of languages, and who understand the cultures their clients come from. That's not a nice extra. It's the foundation."

A note to anyone still searching

The platform's line is "The right therapist is worth finding." What does that mean to you?

"It means the questions are worth asking. Therapy works when you feel understood, and you cannot feel understood by someone who doesn't speak your language, and I don't only mean the literal one. The right therapist is the one who meets you where you are."

What would you say to someone reading this who hasn't found their therapist yet?

"Don't settle. The right fit changes everything, and it exists. You may have to answer a few questions first, but that's the point. The questions are how we find them."