Why the BYOU Impact Foundation is Needed in the US and the Netherlands

When I created the BYOU Impact Foundation, it was not out of luxury but out of necessity. I had been through the healthcare systems in both the United States and the Netherlands. In both places I found the same painful truth. If you break your leg, the system helps you immediately. But if you break inside, if your mind is in pain, you are told to wait. Weeks. Months. Sometimes years.

In the US, people pay hundreds of dollars per hour for therapy, while insurance often refuses to cover it. In the Netherlands, one of the wealthiest countries in the world, patients wait twelve weeks or more just to see an approved therapist. Systems that should protect us are leaving people behind. That is why the BYOU Impact Foundation exists.

The Crisis of Mental Health Access

United States

According to the Harvard T H Chan School of Public Health study in 2023, nearly 60 percent of adults in the US who wanted mental health care reported that cost or lack of providers blocked them from receiving it. Insurance companies decide who gets care, and millions fall through the cracks.

The Netherlands

In the Netherlands, waiting lists are a national crisis. According to the Dutch National Healthcare Institute, patients seeking mental health treatment wait on average 14 weeks before their first appointment. Youth mental health is even worse, with teenagers waiting months for basic support.

Global perspective

The World Health Organization estimates that depression and anxiety cost the global economy over 1 trillion dollars every year in lost productivity. Yet investment in accessible care remains too low.

Why Systems Are Broken

The problem is not a lack of need. It is structure.

• In the US, insurance companies profit by limiting coverage. Therapy is classified as optional rather than essential.

• In the Netherlands, strict gatekeeping and bureaucracy create endless waiting lists, even though trained professionals are available.

• Worldwide, healthcare budgets prioritize physical over mental health, despite overwhelming data that mental health drives overall wellbeing.

The result: people suffer silently while systems argue about policy.

How the BYOU Impact Foundation Creates Change

The BYOU Impact Foundation was born from frustration but also from vision. We refuse to wait for broken systems to fix themselves. We bring solutions now.

1. Free access to wellbeing experts

Through donations and grants, we fund free sessions with BYOU therapists, coaches and holistic professionals. This removes the financial barrier immediately.

2. Global credit system

Credits can be donated in the US, UK and the Netherlands. One credit equals one session. Corporates can buy credits for their employees, and foundations can gift credits to communities in need.

3. Youth clubs and peer support

We build BYOU Impact Clubs in schools and universities. Young people learn leadership, start conversations about mental health, and create peer-to-peer support networks.

4. Community driven impact

Unlike top-down healthcare, the foundation works grassroots. Local leaders decide what their community needs most, whether that is therapy, coaching, yoga or stress relief workshops.

Why This Matters Now

In the United States

Mental health challenges among teenagers have reached historic highs. The CDC reports that in 2023 more than 40 percent of high school students felt persistently sad or hopeless. Suicide is now the second leading cause of death among young people aged 15–24.

In the Netherlands

Dutch newspapers report daily about “wachtlijst ellende” – the tragedy of waiting lists. Families are desperate while their children deteriorate. Even GPs feel powerless.

The gap is clear. Governments and insurance companies are too slow. People need help today.

Community Story

One student in the Netherlands told us: “I was told to wait three months for help. I felt hopeless. Then I found BYOU Impact and got a session in days. It gave me strength to keep going.”

A young man in the US shared: “I was paying $175 for therapy sessions I could not afford. When BYOU Impact funded my sessions, I finally felt like someone cared enough to help.”

These are not statistics. They are lives.

Expert Insight

"Healthcare systems have focused on acute physical illness while ignoring chronic mental health needs," explains Dr Christian Jacobs MSc. “Foundations like BYOU fill the gap by mobilizing communities, funding immediate access, and reducing stigma. This is not charity, it is survival.”

Harvard researchers emphasize that community-based models are critical. A 2024 Harvard Health study found that community-led mental health programs reduced depression symptoms by 30 percent compared to those stuck on waiting lists.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does the BYOU Impact Foundation fund free sessions?

Through corporate wellness credits, private donations, grants and partnerships. Every credit equals one expert session for someone in need.

Is BYOU Impact only active in the US?

No. The foundation works in the United States, the Netherlands and is expanding globally.

Can I donate credits directly?

Yes. Individuals and companies can purchase BYOU credits which are then given to people who cannot afford care.

How are experts vetted?

BYOU only works with certified and licensed professionals who are reviewed and monitored for quality and safety.

Why not just fix the healthcare system?

We believe in structural reform, but people cannot wait years for governments to act. BYOU Impact provides solutions now.

Final Thoughts

Healthcare systems in both the United States and the Netherlands are broken when it comes to mental health. People pay too much, wait too long, or receive nothing at all. The BYOU Impact Foundation exists because we cannot wait for slow systems while lives are at risk.

Our vision is simple. One world, one credit system, free access to wellbeing for everyone.

For personal advice or to support our mission connect with a BYOU professional through the BYOU app available in the US and the Netherlands.