If you know Wirth, you know the story began in Europe. Jakob Wirth was from Austria, Philipp Altenburg was from Germany, and the three of us (myself, Ben) met in Copenhagen, Denmark. After finishing school in Copenhagen, I moved back home to Vancouver, Canada, and reintroduced Wirth in 2018 after Philipp passed away from suicide.
A few years ago, I was on a call with someone wanting to order a large batch of Wirth Hats. He told me, “I love that Wirth is an international brand.” At first I wasn’t sure what he meant. Then he continued: “Your story has touched so many places, and it all started in Europe.”
I think about that conversation fairly often. I remind the Wirth team that Wirth has never been just Canadian. Some of our earliest and strongest supporters are in Europe. And when I made the first 25 Wirth Hats after Jakob passed in 2014, every single one went to his closest friends and family across Europe.
Today is a full-circle moment. We’re returning to Europe in a meaningful way, and we couldn’t be more excited to announce our partnership with It’s Complicated, an organization committed to helping individuals find the right therapist. They offer in-person and online counselling, available in more than 60 languages, helping people access support in the way that’s best for them.
From day one, Wirth’s mission has been to reduce the barriers to receiving mental health care, especially the stigma around reaching out, and the financial cost. To date, Wirth has sponsored over 8,500 therapy sessions for individuals who otherwise wouldn’t have been able to access support. And now, we’re excited to extend that impact further into Europe.
Mental health has no borders. It doesn’t matter where you live, every person, in every corner of the world, can be affected in big or small ways. At Wirth, we believe deeply in being proactive with our mental health. We want everyone to have at least one therapist they’ve met with, because none of us know when life might knock us down. Having an existing relationship makes it easier to reach out for help when it matters most.
Our hope is that It’s Complicated will help connect even more people across Europe with the support they deserve. Our partnership will begin soon, with more details to come. If you’d like more information, please reach out to info@wirthfoundation.org.
Wirth exists to make a meaningful impact in the mental health space and shift the culture around reaching out for support. We believe this partnership brings us one step closer.
Ben Miller (Wirth cofounder)
