Nadia Osei
Co-founder & CEO
Former clinical social worker. Spent a decade watching people fall through the cracks of a system that wasn't designed for them. Built LANTERN to change that.
Our story
A little light, when you need it.
LANTERN was founded in 2022 with a belief that feels simple, but isn’t: that every person who needs a therapist should be able to find one — quickly, affordably, and without the luck of geography or the weight of privilege.
We’ve built a platform that takes matching seriously, that never sacrifices clinical quality for scale, and that treats the privacy of your mental health with the seriousness it deserves.
The name comes from something one of our founders’ clients once said: “Therapy felt like someone handed me a lantern. I still had to walk. But I could finally see.”
What we stand for
Human-first
Technology serves the relationship, not the other way around. Every product decision is held against one question: does this help someone feel more supported?
Honest, always
We don't overpromise. Therapy is not a quick fix — and we never say it is. We're honest about what it can and can't do, and we believe that honesty builds real trust.
Access as a value
Good mental health care has too long been the province of the privileged. We price fairly, accept FSA/HSA, and maintain a financial assistance program because access is not optional.
Leadership
The team
Dr. Ryan Cho
Co-founder & Chief Clinical Officer
Licensed psychologist with 18 years of practice. Leads therapist vetting, credentialing, and clinical standards. Believes the tech-therapy divide is a design problem.
Ines Martins
Head of Product
Designed care experiences at two previous health startups. Obsessed with reducing friction between a person who needs help and the person who can provide it.
Our clinical standards
Every LANTERN therapist holds active licensure in their state — no exceptions. We credential each therapist independently, run background checks, and verify malpractice insurance before they see a single client. Our clinical team conducts ongoing quality reviews, and we have a zero-tolerance policy for boundary violations.
We also believe in therapist wellbeing — our own providers maintain reasonable caseloads and have access to consultation and peer support. We cannot deliver good care through exhausted people.