For 40 years, Andrea Wichman has shown up for her employer, Baylor Scott & White Health. As a member of the payroll and travel departments, she’s the kind of person who gets things done—someone who once powered through her days fueled by seven cups of coffee and sheer determination.
But in recent years, she’s experienced more than even the most resilient person could manage alone. Her path back to herself came through an unexpected source: a virtual mental health care program available to her right through her employer.
When worry turns to anxiety
Andrea’s anxiety didn’t happen all at once. It crept in quietly during the COVID-19 pandemic, when she became increasingly concerned that her elderly mother would be hospitalized and left alone.
“I started itching all over,” Andrea said. She was prescribed an anti-anxiety medication by her primary care physician and tried to keep moving forward, the way she always had.
Then, in August 2023, everything changed. Andrea’s 90-year-old mother fell and experienced a traumatic brain injury.
Without hesitation, Andrea and her identical twin sister began rotating caregiving shifts, three days on, three days off, learning to help their mom shower, use the bathroom and relearn how to walk.
The hardest part was the first six months after the accident.
“She didn’t recognize me,” Andrea said. “That was very hard.” Watching her vibrant mother, who was nearly 92, struggling with dementia was a grief unlike any she had known.
“I mourned the life that my mother had lost.”
The weight of it all—caregiving, grief, work, her life with her husband and three dogs—eventually became too much to carry. The anxiety Andrea had managed for the last couple of years soon moved in to depression.
Mental health care, just a call away
Andrea learned that through her employer she had access to mental health support. After looking into the program, the response to her query was almost immediate.
By that same week, Andrea had her first video visit with a psychiatrist, on Monday and met with therapist, on Tuesday. For Andrea, that meant she wasn’t left to navigate medication, therapy and follow-up care on her own. She had a coordinated team around her—one provider focused on finding the right medication support, another helping her process grief, anxiety and depression and build tools for everyday life.
One of the most meaningful pieces of guidance she’s received was rooted in her identity as an artist. Her therapist pointed out to Andrea that the brain cannot process anxiety and creativity at the same time. For Andrea, who holds a degree in art, that insight was a revelation.
“I always have a sketchbook by my desk now,” she said. Andrea also attends art classes at a friend’s house, something she considers an additional form of therapy.
“I feel like myself again. I don’t feel like a zombie. I can feel my emotions, and I can cry if I need to. I can function and not be so tired that I don’t want to get out of bed” Andrea said.
The numbers tell part of the story too. Andrea’s PHQ-9 score—a clinical measure of depression severity—has dropped from 20 to 12 since she began treatment in March 2025, a meaningful improvement that reflects what she feels in her daily life.
Virtual care that meets you where you are
One of the things Andrea values most about Mental Health Care is the accessibility. She knows support is never far away.
For an employee who has spent four decades dedicated to a healthcare organization, finding that same level of care available to her—virtually, quickly and compassionately—has meant everything.
“I feel like myself again,” she said. And that has made a world of difference in her outlook.
Mental Health Care connects you with licensed therapists and psychiatrists through convenient video visits and allows you to track your progress through one app.
Learn more about the Mental Health Care program.
