Press Kit

About Help Texts

Help Texts is a Seattle-based Software as a Service (SaaS) company that delivers grief, caregiver and mental health support via text message. Launched in 2018, the company was the first in the world to publish data on text-based grief support, and is demonstrating the power of text as an effective mental health intervention. Help Texts delivers asynchronous text support customized based on age, relationship, diagnosis, cause of death, and more. Subscribers receive two texts per week for 12 months with additional texts on important dates and holidays. Texts are evidence-based and written in collaboration with world-leading bereavement and caregiving experts and are available in 23 languages. Additionally, each subscription allows subscribers to add two supporters to increase social support and grief literacy.

Emma's short bio:

Emma Payne is a seasoned technology entrepreneur and MIT graduate who started building online communities before Netscape was born. She is the founder and CEO of Help Texts, a game-changing SaaS business that delivers ongoing, accessible, expert grief and mental health support globally, via text message. Every single day, Emma combines her personal grief experience and her more than 25 years in the tech space to provide people with thoughtful, practical support that really works. Straight to their phones.

Emma's long bio:

Emma Payne is a seasoned technology entrepreneur, MIT graduate, and award-winning change-agent, who started building online communities before Netscape was born. Her 25 year career leading online and mobile projects has included building tools to register young people to vote, creating online networks of support for families facing health challenges, and launching North America’s first online crisis intervention line. She also founded a scrappy, action-oriented, national non-profit focused on women & technology, that broke boundaries and developed leaders for 17 years.

Help Texts combines Emma's passion for mobile technology and engagement, with her deep commitment to making sure everyone gets the support they need, when life gets hard. Founded in 2018, Help Texts was the first in the world to publish data on grief-informed texting and is now delivering support in 44 countries and 24 languages.

Help Texts Logos:

Bubble White
Bubble White
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Bubble Green
Bubble Green
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Bubble Grey
Bubble Grey
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Text Color
Text Color
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Circle Color
Circle Color
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Sample Help Texts messages:

  • Hi, Maria. There may come a pointin your grieving process where youfeel relief over your mom's death,and you might feel strange orshameful about that. Rest assured:Experiencing relief is normal.Knowing that your mom no longerhas to live with cancer is acomforting, if complicated, thought.
    Maria's mom died from cancer
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  • Hi, Bosa. Grief after any loss ishard, but grief after a murder is ahorror and an injustice that very fewhave to bear. You're probably angryand overwhelmed by how unfair itis, that someone took Zaye out ofthis world. Remember that it'scompletely understandable andnormal to feel this way. Anyone inyour situation would feel the sameway.
    Bosa's twin sister was murdered
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  • Hi, Chelsea. Sharing the story ofyou mom's early COVID-19symptoms and the treatment shereceived before she died, may helpyou to process her death. Hopefullyyou can find a few people who willbe empathetic listeners as youshare the story, knowing that insharing your story, you are helpingyourself heal.
    Chelsea's mom died from COVID-19
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  • Hi, Lori Ann. When a person dies bysuicide, many survivors reportfeeling labeled by their loss. Theyfind it hard to attend events theyused to enjoy because others onlysee the suicide and not the persongrieving. If there are events you feeluneasy about attending, considerasking a friend to go with you. It willbe easier to walk through the doorwith someone who understandswhat you're going through.
    Lori Ann's son died by suicide
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  • Hi, Marcus. Particularly after asudden or accidental death, it iscompletely normal to be in a stateof shock and to feel as thoughyou're only "going through themotions." If there are people youthink would be willing to help youwith day-to-day tasks, please ask. Itis hard to do even the simplestthings when something like thishappens.
    Marcus's wife died in a car accident
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  • Hi, Naomi. Many parents find itcomforting to have physical thingswith them that help to keep theirchild’s memory alive. Perhaps youhave an ultrasound photo you'd liketo frame or you could have a pieceof jewelry engraved with Erica'sinitials. These types ofremembrances can be healing.
    Naomi's daughter was stillborn
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  • Hi, Isabella. Caring for someonewho had dementia can be a lonelyexperience. Self-isolating couldhave been a coping strategy,especially if your grandfather'sbehavior started to decline orbecome unpredictable. Considerfinding small, manageable ways tore-enter social settings, like going tothe movies, attending an exerciseclass, or meeting a friend for coffee.
    Isabella's grandfather died from dementia
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  • Hi, Deepti. Questions about thecircumstances of your nephew'sdeath can feel invasive. The nexttime someone asks you forinformation, you can let them knowyou're not ready to share thosedetails right now but you are opento telling them how you're doing.Shifting the focus from whathappened to your well-being couldhelp you both connect.
    Deepti's nephew died from drug-related causes
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  • Hi, Rochelle. Know that it's normalto feel overwhelmed byadministrative tasks and papersright now. One thing you can donow to help yourself in the future isto take pictures of everything thatmight be important. There are manyservices including phoneapplications and online servicesthat can help you scan and keeptrack of important documents.
    Rochelle is caring for her father with a terminal diagnosis
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