Coworking + Therapy: The Rise of Coworking for Therapists
Learn all about the rapidly growing niche of coworking spaces for therapists
July 31, 2024
Blog
You’re a part-time therapist looking for an affordable and comfortable environment to build your practice out of.
When you go to look for the perfect space, you find that most offices are offered full-time with a minimum one-year lease. Given that you only need the space for a few hours a week, it’s impossible to justify the cost.
This is the predicament that many therapists find themselves in, and this is the predicament that is fuelling the rapid growth of niche coworking spaces made just for therapists.
What is a coworking space for therapists?
Coworking spaces for therapists are shared workspaces specifically designed for mental health professionals, like therapists, counsellors, and psychologists to see patients.
Here, professionals can conduct therapy sessions, hold meetings with clients, and engage in other work-related activities in a private and comfortable setting.
Why does the coworking model work for therapists?
Traditionally, therapists with private practices would rent an office in a mixed-use building to see patients. These leases were typically inflexible and required a significant investment of time and capital.
Deborah Schoenblum and Rachael Berezin, Co-founders at therapist-centered coworking space Brooklyn Hourly Offices, recall the difficulties of trying to find a part-time office to fit their schedule.
“When we started, there was an hourly therapist/office rental space, but you had to talk to somebody to book and you had to do a tour,” says Rachael. “Then, all the offices had other people’s degrees on the wall and were personalized to other people.”
This is what led them to create on-demand offices specifically for mental health professionals in Brooklyn, New York.
Coworking spaces for therapists, like Brooklyn Hourly Offices, provide practitioners with a private office or consultation room fully equipped with the necessary amenities for conducting therapy sessions on-demand on a monthly, daily, or even an hourly basis.
This is a radical and welcomed change from how offices traditionally worked for therapists.
Grow your coworking space for therapists with Optix
The rise of coworking spaces for therapists
The first reported opening of a coworking space for therapists that we could find was in 2018. Alma Therapy as it was called was a “membership-based community for mental health providers” that charged therapists a monthly fee for access to their services and amenities. Though this particular space has since closed, the trend has stuck.
Since then, more and more coworking spaces for therapists have opened up all over the world, with a boom in growth over the last 2-3 years. As flex spaces continue to gain popularity and as more therapists look for more flexible ways of working, we expect this trend to continue.
Amenities in shared workspaces for therapists
Therapist-targeted shared workspaces are designed to create a calm and comfortable atmosphere, ensuring confidentiality and privacy for both the therapist and the client.
The main offering in this kind of space is a collection of private rooms, as few as two or three, or as many as fifteen or more. At Alma Therapy, they designed each of their rooms to be exactly the same, down to the books on the bookshelves and the painting on the walls. This is because consistent experiences are known to be supportive in someone’s therapy journey.
In addition to private rooms, therapist-centered coworking spaces may offer other shared amenities such as:
- Waiting areas
- Reception services
- Administrative support
- Access to tools and resources
- Networking events
- Professional development
Some spaces even choose to leverage technology as an amenity for members, offering meditation apps that members can use while waiting for their appointment.
Benefits of coworking spaces for mental health professionals
As any therapist will tell you, coworking spaces are hugely beneficial in enabling them to start and run their own private practice. Here are a few of the benefits we hear most often from therapists in coworking spaces.
They are cost-effective and affordable
By far, the greatest benefit to the Coworking + Therapy model is affordability. In a major city like Vancouver, renting a private office space can easily cost as much as $1,000/mo or more. This is costly, especially for therapists just starting out or those with limited financial resources.
In contrast, Brooklyn Hourly Offices charges $40/hour to use their space. If you’re only seeing patients for an hour or two a week, that’s a lot of money saved. This allows therapists to access high-quality facilities and resources at a fraction of the cost.
They offer greater flexibility with lease agreements and office size
Another benefit that we often hear from therapists working from a coworking space is greater flexibility, both in terms of lease agreements and office size.
In a shared workspace, therapists can choose the duration of their membership according to their needs, whether on a monthly, weekly, daily, or hourly basis.
As their practice grows, they can easily scale up their space requirements without the hassle of relocating or negotiating new leases. This is huge, especially for those used for fluctuating levels of work in their day-to-day.
They offer a professional, fully-furnished environment
Not only do therapists renting their own offices need to think about the cost of renting the physical space, they also need to think about the cost and logistics of furnishing it.
Coworking spaces specifically for therapists come fully furnished, including desks, chairs, couches, lamps, decor, and more. This kind of professional environment can enhance the credibility and reputation of the therapists who use it, without them needing to take on that additional work themselves. If you are looking for decor inspiration, you may enjoy this deep dive into coworking furniture to help you get inspired.
They unlock unique collaboration and networking opportunities
As any coworking operator or dedicated coworker will tell you, community sits at the heart of the best coworking spaces.
By bringing mental health professionals from various disciplines together in one place, these third spaces can present powerful opportunities for collaboration, networking, and learning from peers. This enables therapists to connect with like-minded professionals, share experiences, seek advice, and collaborate on projects or referrals, all initiatives that contribute positively to their professional development.
They offer opportunities for resource sharing
The target demographic of a coworking space for therapists is really those looking to operate their own private practice with a turn-key service. One way that these spaces serve this need is through providing shared amenities and resources, such as waiting areas, administrative support, access to therapy tools and resources, and sometimes even technology infrastructure.
This eliminates the need for individuals to invest in these resources on their own, making their work far more efficient and far more cost-effective.
They can reduce isolation amongst mental health professionals
Working as a counsellor can sometimes be isolating, especially for those in private practice. Deborah and Rachael share that although you’re always in contact with people, you’re often working by yourself, with little to no support from other therapists or professionals.
Coworking spaces for therapists offer community and social interaction, where practitioners can interact with colleagues and create meaningful connections. This can help combat professional isolation, provide a support system, and reduce feelings of loneliness.
“When you work for yourself, whether it’s as a therapist or a freelancer, it can be a very isolating experience because you’re not going into an office and seeing other people or having meetings with your coworkers.”
Design and features of therapist-centered coworking spaces
If you’re designing a coworking space specifically for therapists or other mental health professionals, then there are a few unique aspects that you’ll need to pay specific attention to.
If you’re looking for more general guidance on how to design a coworking space, then this is the article for you.
1. Well-designed therapy rooms and offices
By far, your biggest priority should be creating therapy rooms and offices that are aesthetically pleasing, calming, and comfortable. The American Psychological Association recommends:
- Using light colored walls featuring blues and grays
- Opting for wooden furniture over glass
- Allowing for lots of natural light and soft lighting
- Incorporating earthy elements like plants or nature-inspired artwork into the space
These design elements focus on promoting relaxation and creating a safe space for both therapists and their clients.
2. Privacy and confidentiality considerations
Privacy and confidentiality are of utmost importance in therapy settings. You’ll need to ensure the privacy of members by providing soundproof rooms, sound masking technologies, and secure access protocols.
These measures are in place to prevent the risk of eavesdropping or accidental breaches of confidentiality.
One benefit to these stringent privacy considerations is they can also broaden the target audience of your space. For example, despite being targeted to therapists, Deborah and Rachael from Brooklyn Hourly Offices found that professionals who need extreme privacy, like lawyers, enjoy using their space as well.
“We’ve had lawyers use our office on an as needed basis. Tutors. Somebody who has an Etsy business. A few HR people to interview. It’s all people who need that level of privacy.”
3. Amenities and resources tailored to therapist needs
While a typical coworking space may feature amenities like a ping pong table or gym, coworking spaces for therapists are likely to include more targeted amenities for their members. This includes:
- Comfortable waiting areas for clients
- Reception services
- Scheduling software
- Administrative support
- Access to therapy-related resources such as books, assessment tools, and therapeutic materials
It may also be nice to have a meditation room or an event space where you can host larger healing events, like sound baths, or learning events like a keynote speaker.
Examples of coworking spaces for therapists
Here at Optix, we are proud to support a number of coworking spaces for therapists. Below are two examples of beautiful coworking spaces for therapists (and Optix clients!) that are reinventing what work as a mental health professional can be.
Brooklyn Hourly Offices
Brooklyn Hourly Offices is a coworking space located in Brooklyn, New York that caters to therapists, coaches, and any professionals seeking a private office space on an as-needed basis.
It was started by two therapists, Deborah and Rachael, who saw a need for flexible affordable spaces for practitioners to see patients. As a result, they decided to build the perfect environment for mental health professionals.
The space is designed as a serene alternative to the traditional coworking space, complete with keyless entry, soundproof rooms, beautiful artwork, comfortable seating, and more.
“Rachael and Deborah both love helping people expand their businesses, grow their practices, and hold events at Brooklyn Hourly Offices and elsewhere that build community and provide private practice building strategies.”
This Human Thing
This Human Thing is an inspiring brand that is on a mission to rehumanize mental health. They organize therapeutic groups and workshops, host an accessible therapy program, and operate a coworking space for mental health professionals known as The Heart Center.
The Heart Center features three beautifully decorated and fully furnished therapy rooms, as well as an event space complete with yoga gear, meditation props, and instruments for industry professionals to access on- demand as needed.
“At This Human Thing, our aim is to re-humanize mental health by helping each other navigate and normalize the human experience. We seek to challenge the notion of 'normal' when it comes to mental health.”
What does a membership for a therapist-centered coworking space look like?
Although membership plans can vary widely from space to space, it can be helpful to see an example of a real-life membership plan to get a sense of what the pricing structure could possibly look like.
Below is one example of a membership plan and pricing structure for a coworking space for therapists.
| Basic Membership | Premium Membership | VIP Membership |
| $400/mo | $700/mo | $1,500/mo |
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Coworking space software for coworking spaces for therapists
Many coworking spaces for therapists rely on technology and software to help them automate their operations and run a successful business.
Optix coworking space automation software is flexible enough to fit a variety of niches in the coworking and flex space market, from micro-gyms to co-warehousing spaces and more.
With a number of clients operating coworking spaces for therapists, Optix is designed to help coworking and flex space operators automate, optimize, and grow their business.
If you’re looking for the best coworking space software for your business, you may want to consider adding Optix to the mix. Connect with a member of our team today to learn more.
Automate your coworking space for therapists with Optix
Shared workspaces for therapists have emerged as the future of running a private practice. In the next ten years, we predict these spaces will be the norm for most therapists.
In opening your coworking space for therapists, consider how software like Optix can help you automate all of your manual daily tasks and grow your business. That way, you can spend more time building relationships with your members and less time managing cumbersome tasks.
Learn more about how to manage your coworking space for therapists with Optix.
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