5 Benefits of a Flex Office / Coworking Space for Your Therapy Private Practice

Launching a private therapy practice is an exciting step towards professional autonomy. But between finding clients, managing paperwork, and ensuring patient confidentiality, securing the right office space can feel like a daunting task. There’s a growing trend, however, that offers therapists a unique blend of flexibility, affordability, and professional atmosphere: the flex office or co-working space.

Here, we’ll go over 5 benefits of choosing a flex office/co-working space like Expansive for your therapy practice, including affordability, safety, and more.

Affordability

Many therapists choose to join a flex space like Expansive, rather than an independent office, because of the relative affordability compared with renting a typical office space. It can be much more cost-effective to join a flex space, especially for those who are just starting in private practice. 

Being an independent practitioner can require a high initial investment and overhead; costs like malpractice insurance, billing support, and CEUs can add up quickly. Leasing an independent office space can make launching your practice even more expensive; you’re typically required to sign a year lease, as well as take on costs like Wi-Fi on your own.

Unfortunately, this means that launching a private practice can become cost-prohibitive for many, which is a shame — we need more therapists in today’s world, not less.

Expansive’s solution: Choosing a flex space means you get access to a furnished, move-in-ready office space as soon as you sign up. We offer rental agreements that work from you, starting at only 3 months, which is helpful for many new therapists who don’t feel certain about what the economic future holds. All utilities, including a blazing fast internet connection, are included – which means you don’t have to shoulder those costs alone.

Fight isolation with community

Many therapists choose a flex office space for their private practice because they want to surround themselves with community. Working in private practice can be lonely, especially if you see your clients remotely. As a therapist, you provide empathy and guidance for your clients through the worst, and best, moments in their lives. 

You carry a heavy load – and when you’re in a typical office by yourself, this can start to feel isolating. You may have a supervision group that you can consult with on occasion, but this may not be helpful to combat the loneliness you feel day-to-day between sessions.

Expansive’s solution: When you set up your private practice with a flex space like Expansive, you can surround yourself with a supportive network of people, if and when you want to. Of course, HIPAA prohibits mental health professionals from sharing information about clients with others, but simply being in the presence of others during the short breaks you get between sessions can be helpful to combat isolation. 

Expansive’s co-working community provides shared spaces, including lounges, kitchen space, and more, where you can ground yourself in the “real world” when you’re not with clients. Whether you choose to chat with fellow coworkers or not, many of our therapist clients say that it’s helpful simply to have the option to be surrounded by people rather than isolated in your office.

One therapist who rents a space in our Wauwatosa location says, “It’s so nice to have people around. Therapy can be a little bit isolating, but after my 50 minute sessions, I have 10mins in between to go out into the common spaces. I can’t always stop and chat, but I at least see other people, which is a nice mental break.”

Safety and privacy for you and your clients

One of the main questions therapists have when deciding to join a flex coworking space is: is it secure? Are there any HIPAA violations to consider, and can I keep my clients’ information confidential?

Independent offices often can’t guarantee safety for you or your clients. You may be in an office building where anyone can walk in the front door, which threatens security and confidentiality. You may feel like you’re the only tenant in the building sometimes, which can make you feel isolated and nervous for your safety.

Some traditional therapy clinics make it very obvious that they offer mental health treatment even from the outside. This can be a problem for clients dealing with privacy issues or community stigma, and don’t necessarily want the public to see them walking into a therapy office.

Expansive’s solution: All of our buildings are completely secured and monitored by a 24/7 keyless entry system. No one can enter the building unless you (or another tenant) buzz them in – our doorman app makes it simple to open the main doors for your clients immediately with your smartphone. This means that the only people in the building are tenants and their clients, so you can feel safe even when working late nights.

In terms of confidentiality, we help our therapist tenants meet all HIPAA requirements when setting up their offices. Options include frosted glass and noise machines, which make your office private from the rest of the building. Plus, 24/7 security means that there is added protection for client files even if you leave them locked in your office overnight.

Dynamic lobbies and amenities

Typical therapy offices don’t come with amenities. You may need to use your own funds to stock the waiting room, if there is one, with some magazines. Some independent therapy offices don’t have a designated waiting space at all, which means that your client may be waiting out on the street if you’re running a bit behind. 

Having no waiting area also means that you are relegated to your one-room office between sessions, which can become claustrophobic for some.

Expansive’s solution: Expansive’s buildings come with large, beautiful lobbies where your clients can wait for you in comfort. All lounges include bottomless coffee, espresso, tea, and filtered water for Expansive clients and their visitors. Every Expansive building also comes with a Mother’s room; if you’re a new mother, this gives you a quiet, private space to pump. Almost all of our buildings come with bike storage, and many have outdoor patios or balconies. You’re also welcome to access shared kitchen space, rentable conference rooms, and larger meeting spaces for group therapy. 

A personal touch

In some group practices, you’re made to use office space that you didn’t decorate or furnish yourself. If you’re lucky, you may love the decor — but many find it lacking, and not representative of the vibe they want to create in their therapeutic environment. But changing the included furnishings and decor is often prohibited, leaving you to feel like you’re borrowing someone else’s office for your sessions.

Expansive’s solution: While our offices are furnished for your benefit, they’re also completely personalizable. Use what you like — if you don’t like any of it, we’ll help you take out these pieces of furniture and bring in your own. You can personalize your space as much as you’d like — feel free to bring in your own lighting, paint, and more. We understand how important setting the right tone is in these types of environments.

Co-working space for therapists in a city near you

Are you ready to launch your private practice with Expansive’s support? Inquire for more information today, and one of our team members will reach out to you ASAP.