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Headspace (company)

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This article is about the UK-US healthcare company. For the Australian youth mental health organization, see Headspace (organisation). For the now-defunct audio technology company formerly named Headspace, see Beatnik (company). For the web design agency formerly known as Head-Space, see Head New Media.
Headspace
Company typePrivate
IndustryHealthcare
GenreMental Health
FoundedMay 2010; 14 years ago (2010-05) in London, England
Headquarters2415 Michigan Avenue,
Santa Monica, California
,
United States
Number of locations
3 (2024)
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
  • Tom Pickett (CEO, Board Member)
  • Andy Puddicombe (Headspace Co-Founder)
  • Karan Singh (COO, Ginger Co-Founder)
  • Rich Pierson (Headspace Co-Founder)
ServicesOnline therapy
Mental health coaching
Guided meditation and mindfulness
Revenue100+ million
Number of employees
1000+
ParentHeadspace Health
Websitewww.headspace.com
Headspace
Available inEnglish, French, German, Portuguese and Spanish[1]

Headspace, a subsidiary of Headspace Health, is an English-American healthcare company specializing in mental health.[2] It was incorporated in May 2010 in London, England by Andy Puddicombe and Richard Pierson. It is headquartered in Santa Monica, California, with offices in San Francisco and London.

The company mainly operates through its online platform, which provides online counseling and mental health coaching services as well as guided meditation through a paid subscription service model.

History

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Andy Puddicombe, co-founder of Headspace.

Headspace was founded in May 2010, by Andy Puddicombe and Richard Pierson.[2] Puddicombe is a former Buddhist monk.[3] In 2004, he returned to the UK "to make meditation accessible, relevant, and beneficial to as many people as possible".[4] Pierson had a background in marketing and brand development.[5][6]

Headspace began as an event company, holding mindfulness talks in and around London.[7] In 2012, Puddicombe and Pierson developed a mobile app, with the first version of the Headspace app launching in 2012.[8] Headspace employs over 1,000 staff, working between the Los Angeles, San Francisco, and London offices.[9]

In June 2017, Headspace hired Ross Hoffman as Chief Business Officer.[10]

In June 2018, the company launched Headspace Health, a subsidiary aimed at developing FDA-approved meditation tools that would be prescribed to help treat a range of chronic diseases.[11] In January 2021, Puddicombe and Pierson stepped back from leadership of the company, remaining on its Board.[12] In June 2021, Headspace announced Dora Kamau, a meditation teacher and former psychiatric nurse, as an in-house teacher.[13]

In August 2021, Headspace merged with online mental health platform Ginger in a deal valuing the combined company at $3 billion.[14][15] In May 2022, Puddicombe announced on Twitter and Instagram that he and Pierson had left the Board, ending their engagement with the company, though Puddicombe's historical content remained on the platform. [16][17]

In July 2024, Headpace announced their new Chief Executive Officer, Tom Pickett.[18]

Products

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Meditation and Mindfulness

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Headspace provides guided meditation resources online, accessible to users through the company's website and via a mobile app on the iPhone and Android platforms.

In June 2014, Headspace launched version 2 of its platform.[19] Content in version 2 of the app focused on four areas once users have completed the Foundation Stage: health, performance, relationships, and Headspace Pro.[20] The app uses gamification to encourage users to complete and master a level of meditation before moving on to a more advanced section. Each session is about ten minutes long, usually in audio format.

In April 2022, Headspace released a Star Wars themed mindfulness series in collaboration with Lucasfilm. The series included content with characters from the Star Wars media franchise, and was guided by Headspace meditation teacher Samantha Snowden. [21]

In September 2022, Headspace acquired Shine, a mental health and wellness platform focused on inclusive mental healthcare. The acquisition resulted in the creation of the Shine Collection, which featured a selection of original Shine content on the Headspace platform, and the discontinuation of the Shine app.[22]

Later that month, Headspace withdrew its voice-operated apps for Google Home and Alexa smart speakers.[23][24]

In September 2023, Headspace released a kids and family animated series in collaboration with Lilly Singh and YouTube TV. The series was titled The Mindful Adventures of Unicorn Island and teaches mindfulness-based emotional regulation skills guided by Kamau and Snowden.[25]

In March 2024, Headspace launched Headspace XR, a mindfulness-based virtual reality game for the Meta Quest.[26]

Coaching and Therapy

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Headspace provides mental health coaching and therapy services online under the brand Headspace Care, accessible to users through its mobile app.

In October 2023, the Headspace-Ginger merger resulted in the combination of Ginger's mental health coaching and online therapy services under the Headspace brand.[27]

In November 2023, Headspace introduced the first program on its platform with a clinical focus. The program, titled Finding Your Best Sleep, used principles of Cognitive Behavorial Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) and was guided by Headspace psychologist Eric Prather and Kamau.[28]

In January 2024, Headspace combined the company’s guided meditation content with its clinical coaching and therapy services.[29]

Research

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See also: Research on meditation

Headspace has been used in several of clinical trials investigating the effects of mindfulness training. In one such study, researchers from UCL,[30] funded by the British Heart Foundation, examined the impact of mindfulness on workplace stress in two major multinational corporations, using the Headspace app as the intervention. The study found a significant increase in well-being, reductions in anxiety and depressive symptoms, significant reductions in diastolic blood pressures, significant increases in perceived job control, as well as a significant reduction in sleeping problems.[31]

Publications

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Three books by Headspace founder Andy Puddicombe are published by Hodder & Stoughton.[32]

  • Get Some Headspace (2011)
  • The Headspace Diet (2013)
  • The Headspace Guide to... a Mindful Pregnancy (2015)

Netflix shows

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Poster for Headspace Guide to Meditation.

Headspace signed a three-series deal with Netflix, with each show being produced by Vox Media. The first series, Headspace Guide to Meditation was released in January 2021 with Headspace Guide to Sleep released in April 2021. The third title, Unwind Your Mind, was released in June 2021.[33]

Media attention

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Headspace has been featured on both UK and US television, appearing on The Today Show,[34] BBC Breakfast News,[35] ABC News, and The Dr. Oz Show.[36] It was also featured on the BBC Two science documentary Horizon, which tested the efficacy of mindfulness using the Headspace app over 8 weeks.[37] The product has also been mentioned on NPR[38] and in publications such as Martha Stewart[39] in the US.

In November 2012, Headspace founder Andy Puddicombe gave a TED Talk, entitled "All It Takes Is 10 Mindful Minutes",[40] outlining the benefits of taking time out each day to practice mindfulness.

Controversy

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In July 2023, former Headspace therapists affected by a round of layoffs accused the company of canceling patient appointments and severing relationships with clinicians without advanced notice, potentially violating ethical standards of care.[41][42]

References

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  1. ^ "Headspace: Meditation & Sleep". 18 July 2023.
  2. ^ a b "Paris Le Web". Paris Le Web. Archived from the original on March 19, 2014. Retrieved March 19, 2014.
  3. ^ "Smart Planet". Smart Planet. Retrieved March 19, 2014.
  4. ^ "Do Lectures". Do Lectures. Archived from the original on March 19, 2014. Retrieved March 19, 2014.
  5. ^ "Rich Pierson interview in the Huffington Post". Huffington Post. Retrieved March 19, 2014.
  6. ^ "Rich Pierson profile from Paris Le Web". Paris Le Web. Archived from the original on March 19, 2014. Retrieved March 19, 2014.
  7. ^ "Time Out". Time Out. Retrieved March 19, 2014.
  8. ^ "Headspace launch blog". Headspace. Archived from the original on January 10, 2012. Retrieved March 19, 2014.
  9. ^ "Headspace feature in The Times". The Times. Retrieved March 19, 2014.
  10. ^ Lynley, Matthew (20 June 2017). "Meditation app Headspace hires a new chief business officer". TechCrunch. Retrieved 22 June 2017.
  11. ^ Brodwin, Erin (2018-06-07). "A meditation app loved by Wall Street and Silicon Valley wants to unveil a prescription-strength version with FDA approval". Business Insider Australia. Archived from the original on 2019-09-30. Retrieved 2019-09-30.
  12. ^ "Headspace Announces Leadership Transition". Business Wire. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
  13. ^ Hill, Zahara. "There's Finally A Black Woman Meditation Teacher On Headspace And It's Kind Of A Big Deal - Blavity". Blavity News & Entertainment. Retrieved 2024-04-15.
  14. ^ Heater, Brian (2021-08-25). "Headspace and Ginger are merging to form Headspace Health". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2024-03-10.
  15. ^ Forrester. "Ginger And Headspace Merge: Looks To Build Mental Resilience In All Employees By Giving Them More Choice". Forbes. Retrieved 2024-03-10.
  16. ^ @andypuddicombe (9 May 2022). "Fourteen years ago, my dear friend and fellow co-founder Rich Pierson and I, started work on a little project called @headspace. Having stepped back from the company last year and now from the board, it's time for us to bid @headspace a very fond farewell". Retrieved 9 May 2024 – via Instagram.
  17. ^ Andy Puddicombe [@andypuddicombe] (9 May 2022). "Fourteen years ago, my dear friend and fellow co-founder Rich Pierson and I, started work on a little project called @headspace. Well, having stepped back from the company last year, and now from the board, it's time for us to bid @headspace a very fond farewell. THREAD" (Tweet). Retrieved 9 May 2024 – via Twitter.
  18. ^ "Headspace Announces Appointment of Tom Pickett as Chief Executive Officer". Businesswire. 2024-07-16. Retrieved 2024-10-08.
  19. ^ Barol, Bill (2015-01-28). "The Monk And The Mad Man Making Mindfulness For The Masses". Fast Company. Retrieved 2019-03-08.
  20. ^ Collins, Katie (2014-05-31). "Headspace version 2 and the mindfulness revolution". Wired UK. ISSN 1357-0978. Retrieved 2019-03-08.
  21. ^ KENT, MICHELLE (2019-07-01), ""You Die! You Know That, Right? You Don't Come Back!"", Disney's Star Wars, University of Iowa Press, pp. 221–236, doi:10.2307/j.ctvmx3ht7.19, retrieved 2024-04-17
  22. ^ Malik, Aisha (2022-09-09). "Headspace Health acquires inclusive mental health and wellness app Shine". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2024-04-15.
  23. ^ "Can I play my Headspace meditation via my voice activated speaker? - Help Center". Headspace. Retrieved 2022-09-24.
  24. ^ Headspace [@Headspace] (18 September 2022). "Unfortunately, as of September 1st, 2022, the Headspace Google Home and Alexa apps are no longer available. We sincerely apologize for any trouble this may have caused. This decision was made to ensure that our team can focus on further improvements to the app and website" (Tweet). Retrieved 24 September 2022 – via Twitter.
  25. ^ Fishman, Scott (2023-09-25). "Lilly Singh on What 'The Mindful Adventures of Unicorn Island' Says About Mental Health". TV Insider. Retrieved 2024-05-07.
  26. ^ Song, Victoria (2024-03-06). "Headspace XR made me forget how much I hate meditation tech". The Verge. Retrieved 2024-04-15.
  27. ^ "Headspace Unveils Refreshed Brand and Expands Offerings for Lifelong Mental Health Support". organizations.headspace.com. Retrieved 2024-04-15.
  28. ^ "Headspace offers cognitive behavioral therapy to help workers sleep better". Employee Benefit News. 2023-11-21. Retrieved 2024-05-07.
  29. ^ Bursztynsky, Jessica (January 10, 2024). "Headspace begins rolling out all-in-one mental health offering following 2021 Ginger merger".
  30. ^ "Clinical Trials application". Clinical Trials website. Retrieved March 19, 2014.
  31. ^ Bostock, Sophie; Crosswell, Alexandra D.; Prather, Aric A.; Steptoe, Andrew (2019). "Mindfulness on-the-go: Effects of a mindfulness meditation app on work stress and well-being". Journal of Occupational Health Psychology. 24 (1): 127–138. doi:10.1037/ocp0000118. PMC 6215525. PMID 29723001.
  32. ^ "Hodder & Stoughton". Hodder & Stoughton. Archived from the original on March 19, 2014. Retrieved March 19, 2014.
  33. ^ "'Unwind Your Mind' With Netflix's Latest Interactive Show". HYPEBEAST. 2021-06-04. Retrieved 2021-06-09.
  34. ^ "Monk turned circus performer reveals how to relax". TODAY.com. 2014-12-19. Retrieved 2024-05-30.
  35. ^ "Can we change the way the brain deals with stress? - BBC News". BBC News. Retrieved 2015-08-30.
  36. ^ "Web Exclusive: Guided Meditation With Andy Puddicombe". www.doctoroz.com. 2 December 2014. Retrieved 2015-08-30.
  37. ^ "TV review: Horizon: The Truth about Personality, BBC2". The Independent. 2013-07-11. Archived from the original on 2022-05-09. Retrieved 2019-03-08.
  38. ^ Kurwa, Nishat. "In Silicon Valley, Paying For Access To Peace Of Mind". NPR.org. Retrieved 2015-08-30.
  39. ^ "4 Meditation Techniques for Beginners to Try". marthastewart.com. Archived from the original on 2017-04-07. Retrieved 2017-04-06.
  40. ^ "Andy Puddicombe speaking at TED". TED. Retrieved March 19, 2014.
  41. ^ Torrence, Sonam Sheth, Rebecca. "A Headspace therapist says he was laid off a day after one of his patients came out for the first time. Now the patient can't contact him". Business Insider. Retrieved 2024-04-17.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  42. ^ "Santa Monica's Headspace Health laid off dozens of therapists. Their patients don't know where they went". Los Angeles Times. 2023-07-07. Retrieved 2024-04-17.
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