Nonprofit makes peer-led mental wellness support accessible to all—online

October 14, 2025

By Laurie Hanson

With therapy often expensive and hard to schedule, there is real demand for approachable support—Totem answers with free, peer-led “Spaces” online.

Totem, a Los Angeles nonprofit, offers free, peer-led support sessions to make mental wellness more accessible and affordable. Launched in 2021, Totem’s sessions—called “Spaces”—are running now. People who struggle to afford traditional therapy or to find a good fit can turn to this online format for the kind of hope that comes from human connection. Each 60-minute video group has up to eight participants and is guided by a trained facilitator, or “Keeper,” who leads discussion and ensures everyone can share without interruption using a virtual talking stick. Sessions are designed as an alternative to, and/or an adjunct for, traditional therapy.

Totem was also experimenting with in-person events and recently hosted Talk Human To Me – A Happy Hour Social on Oct. 3 at Shim Sham, 3123 Beverly Blvd. in Los Angeles. “It’s about mixing casual connection with the kind of meaningful conversations Totem is built on by providing in-person opportunities for open conversations about mental health,” said Founder and CEO Bo Lopker, 38, of Santa Barbara. “Totem promotes community-driven and non-clinical support for those seeking connections. Our hybrid model of virtual and local events is designed to make mental wellness support feel approachable.”

An engineer by training, Lopker conceived Totem during the pandemic while living in San Francisco and began active development shortly thereafter. “I have been building systems in the health space since I was in grad school, at first with UCSB’s Bioinformatics Lab,” he said. “After that, I worked at 23andMe bringing health insights to millions of people.” Totem is personal to Lopker; when his father died suddenly of cancer in 2018, his family drew closer in some ways, but each person grieved differently. “I felt like I had to be the rock people could rely on,” he said. “It took a global pandemic for me to actually start healing.”

He began where most people begin—looking for a traditional therapist. “Therapy can cost hundreds of dollars a session, and I know from personal experience how hard it is to find the right person,” Lopker said. “Totem is free and accessible to anyone. It does not replace therapy, but it works really well alongside it. For people already in therapy, it gives them extra space to reflect between sessions.” Many participants are introduced to Totem by their therapist, but Totem also provides meaningful connection for those without access to therapy or who seek alternatives.

Finding a therapist proved difficult for Lopker. Though sessions had moved online, options were limited, availability was low, and costs remained high. He eventually found a therapist but wanted someone who truly understood him—not just a sounding board—leaving him frustrated. He sought alternatives and found “Circle,” an old community practice. Totem was created to modernize Circle as a tech platform, making it widely accessible through technology. “With a ‘Space’ as our take on ‘Circle,’ the small, 60-minute online gatherings usually have three to eight people and are designed to feel like a digital campfire,” Lopker said. “They offer a slower, more thoughtful pace.”

Each Space consists of multiple sessions, typically one per week. Different Spaces have broad themes (for example, Motherhood), and each session digs deeper into that experience. By design, Spaces are peer-led, not therapist-led. Totem’s Keeper training was co-created and reviewed by therapist advisors, but Keepers are facilitators, not clinicians. “Spaces are moderated by a Keeper, who prepares questions and models participation by example,” Lopker explained. “Keepers are participants too, sharing their stories and learning from others.”

Each session begins with the Keeper passing a virtual “Totem” so participants can share in turn. Everyone gets a chance to speak or pass, without interruptions. The format is structured yet relaxed, similar to a private podcast. “People come to Spaces for all kinds of reasons: stress, anxiety, grief, loneliness, burnout,” Lopker said. “It is not therapy, but it is a supportive place to process what’s going on in your life. A lot of folks join out of curiosity or for self-exploration and end up staying because of the community that forms.”

Though based in L.A. County, Totem offers virtual sessions open to anyone, anywhere. It is available to individuals over 13 and is particularly popular with young adults, parents, and professionals. Many youth and students use the service to manage stress during the school year. According to Lopker, Totem works especially well for introverts. “You can listen first and share when you’re ready,” he said. “There is no pressure to talk if you don’t want to, and there’s no small talk, as conversations go deeper. And since it’s online, you can join from the comfort of home.” He added, “A lot of participants say it’s the first time they’ve felt truly listened to without being interrupted. Totem gives people hope through connection.”

“For me personally, Totem is the kind of space I wish I’d had when I was struggling—a respectful, structured community where you can be yourself, share at your own pace, and know you’re not alone,” he said. “We already have solutions for people with serious mental health struggles. I think Totem can serve the many people who don’t feel like they have ‘mental health issues’ and could just use a place to talk and explore themselves more fully.” He added, “Sadly, there will never be enough therapists. We need ways to safely support people without relying only on direct therapist interactions. Totem is made to be approachable and affordable, while still being safe and structured. It’s not meant to be clinical therapy; it’s human support.”

If you or someone you know is interested in Totem, sign-ups are available here.