My name is John Grohol and I've been running online communities first in the 1980s in local BBSes (in northern Delaware, where I grew up), and then in the 1990s on Prodigy and the Internet. I got my start on the Internet in 1991 when I was looking for a depression support group online to help me deal with the suicide of my childhood best friend. I was surprised and relieved to have found one, but it took far more trouble and research than I thought most people would bother with. So I began to index whatever Internet support groups I could find (most of which were either on mailing lists or on the newsgroups). I published such lists throughout the early 1990s and then on my website, Psych Central, in 1995.

After graduating with my doctorate in psychology in 1995 from Nova Southeastern University in Ft. Lauderdale, FL, I developed and built the first mental health information portal, Mental Health Net, and a Web-based mental health support community. I left that position in 1999 to join drkoop.com and built their mental health center. After that, I was involved in a number of startups, including an online therapy startup which brought me up to the Boston area. After selling that service (and taking a job in an unrelated field for a time), I did a one-year consulting gig for Steve Case's Revolution Health. I helped them understand the unique needs of mental health users, as well as trying to teach them about how an online health support community differs from many other online communities. I left that gig in Aug. 2006 to focus full-time on Psych Central, my own personal mental health website and community.

I'm married, live and work north of Boston these days, and have no less than 6 cats. Yes, you read that right (there's a story there, but I'll save it for another day). My dad also has had to cope with Parkinson's for many years now, so neurological disorders hold a special place in my heart and mind.

I'm glad you found us and hope you tell others you know if you find our community helpful...

John