TL;DR
Originally published: June 23, 2023 // Last updated: October 31, 2025
When part-time therapists are looking for an affordable and comfortable place to build their practice, the traditional lease just doesn’t make sense.
Because of this, most mental health practitioners are forced to either share their office with someone else (a logistical nightmare) or be subject to expensive, inflexible leases they can barely afford.
That is, until coworking spaces for therapists came along.
Here at Optix, our client list of coworking spaces for therapists is growing rapidly. In fact, we predict it will be one of the fastest growing coworking niches in the next 3 years.
In this article, we’ll walk you through exactly what a coworking space for therapists is, why it’s so popular, and what you need to know before starting your own.
A coworking space for therapists (shared offices for therapists, therapy coworking space) is a shared workspace designed specifically for mental health professionals including therapists, counselors, and psychologists. It is usually made up of several private, sound-proof rooms outfitted for therapists (think: soft couches, cozy pillows, and low lighting).
In these shared spaces, professionals can conduct therapy sessions, hold meetings with clients, and engage in other work-related activities in a private and comfortable setting.
Traditionally, therapists with private practices would rent an office in a mixed-use building on a full-time basis with a long-term lease. The challenge is, these leases were typically inflexible and required a significant investment of time and capital.
In contrast, flexible offices can provide mental health practitioners with a fully equipped private office or consultation room on a monthly, daily, or even hourly basis. There is no long-term commitment, no expensive furniture to purchase, and no up-front investment required.
This is a radical and welcomed change from how offices traditionally worked for therapists.
Deborah Schoenblum and Rachael Berezin, co-founders at therapist-centered coworking space Brooklyn Hourly Offices, experienced a lot of these difficulties themselves when trying to find a part-time office to fit their schedule. This led them to create on-demand offices specifically for mental health professionals where they charge practitioners on an hourly basis.
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The first coworking space for therapists opened in 2018. Since then, shared workspaces for mental health professionals have opened up all over the world, with a boom in growth over the last 4-5 years post COVID. Here’s why.
One of the biggest reasons why therapy coworking spaces are becoming more popular is because of the rise of mental health professionals and mental health care.
According to CNN, mental health jobs are expected to grow by 12% over the next 10 years which is approximately 3x the average of all other jobs in the US. This translates to over 100,000 more people entering the mental health profession in the next 10 years – and these people will need some place to work.
According to the American Psychological Association (APA), COVID-19 forced many mental health practitioners online. As it turned out, virtual therapy was more affordable, more accessible, and much preferred for many individuals.
This means that instead of a therapist needing an office to see patients full-time, they can work from home a few days a week and go into an office once or twice a week as needed. Niche coworking spaces can fulfil this flexible need where traditional spaces fall flat.
The main offering in a shared workspace for therapists is private rooms or offices, anywhere from two or three to 15+. In addition to private rooms, therapist-centered coworking spaces usually offer other amenities including:
Some spaces even use technology as an amenity for members, like a digital community in Optix or a mediation app free of charge.
Center You offers shared offices for therapists in Pasadena, California. They provide their community with a long list of amenities and perks including a monthly happy hour event, library of books for use, and a collection of children’s books and games.
This helps therapists feel like they’re really joining a community, not just purchasing an office.
As any therapist will tell you, coworking spaces are key in helping to start and run their own private practice. Here are a few of the benefits of therapy coworking spaces we hear most often from our clients.
By far, the greatest benefit to the coworking and 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.
Brooklyn Hourly Offices charge just $40/hour to use their space. This allows therapists to access high-quality facilities and resources at a fraction of the cost.
Another benefit we often hear from operators is greater flexibility for therapists, both in terms of lease agreements and office size. In a shared workspace, therapists can choose their membership plan and access the space as needed 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.
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Not only do therapists renting their own offices need to think about the cost of renting the physical coworking space, they also need to think about the cost and logistics of furnishing it.
Therapy coworking spaces come fully furnished, from couches to lamps, providing a professional environment without the hassle.
Four out of ten healthcare professionals struggle with loneliness post COVID-19 according to one study. Deborah and Rachael share that although you’re always in contact with people as a therapist, 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.”
If you’re designing a coworking space specifically for therapists or other mental health professionals, here’s what you’ll need.
By far, your biggest priority should be creating therapy rooms and offices that are aesthetically pleasing, calming, and comfortable. The APA recommends:
These design elements focus on promoting relaxation and creating a safe space for both therapists and their clients.
One thing to consider is if you will design all of your private offices the same. While not common, Alma Therapy designed all of their private offices in exactly the same way as it has been shown to be beneficial for patients if they have a consistent therapeutic setting.
They wanted to limit disruption to patients if therapists had to switch rooms, hence they designed them all to be exactly identical.
Privacy and confidentiality are a top priority in shared spaces, especially in a therapeutic setting. Ensure the privacy of members by providing soundproof rooms, sound masking technologies, and secure access control 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 coworking 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.”
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 including comfortable waiting areas for clients and reception services.
It may also be nice to have a meditation room or an event space where you can host larger therapeutic-centered events, like sound baths, or learning events like a keynote speaker.
Here at Optix, we are proud to support a number of coworking spaces for therapists. Below are some examples of Optix clients who are among the best coworking spaces for therapists in North America.
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. Today they are one of the most well-known coworking spaces for therapists in the US.
“Having a full-time office really doesn't work for a lot of therapists. We solve that problem because there's no commitment, no lease, no money down.”
Center You is a shared office space designed to support the unique needs of mental health professionals. They offer fully equipped and flexible spaces for therapists, counselors, and other alternative wellness professionals, along with community-driven events and a network of other therapists supporting you along the way.
Founded by husband and wife duo Nicholas & Eliza, the space is designed to help therapists build their practice while being supported by a community of like-minded individuals.
“The other aspect of it is the community aspect. Our customers are therapists and mental health professionals. And we create a community where they can kind of unload together, hang out, and be with other therapists.”
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.”
Most coworking spaces offer different tiers of membership plans. As the tier increases, so does the price and so does everything that is included. A membership plan might include:
Price your plans accordingly so that there is an incentive and a discount to purchase a more expensive plan. For example, The Therapy Commons in Ontario, Canada offers a Flex Membership Plan as well as a Fixed Membership Plan with a reduced rate for hourly bookings the more hours you commit each month.
You can take a look at the table below for three examples of membership plan pricing in a coworking space.
| Basic Membership | Premium Membership | VIP Membership |
| $400/mo | $700/mo | $1,500/mo |
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|
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Coworking technology can be a vast and overwhelming world, but it doesn’t have to be. When it comes to choosing technology for your therapy coworking space, here’s what we recommend:
One of the most important things to keep in mind when it comes to technology and running your therapist-forward coworking space? Automation.
Most coworking spaces for therapists are started by therapists themselves. It makes sense because they know the business so well. However, it also poses a challenge – how do you run a successful coworking space and your own private practice all on a budget?
That’s where automation comes in. Think of automation as another member of your team, helping you take care of all of the manual, redundant day-to-day tasks so you have more time to focus on the things you really care about.
With automation, you can:
Optix is the only coworking software that delivers end-to-end automation, meaning it can automate across the entire member journey from lead to member and beyond. It’s one of the reasons why Optix is the preferred software amongst coworking spaces for therapists.
The US coworking space market is booming, with a growth of 24% in the last five years. If you’re looking to take advantage of this boom by opening a coworking space for therapists, here’s how to start.
Our team has helped a number of coworking spaces for therapists open their doors, from Brooklyn Hourly Offices in New York to Center You in California to The Therapy Commons in Ontario.
These spaces choose Optix because it’s sleek, automation-forward, and can actually help you get more done with less resources.
Interested in how Optix can help your coworking space for therapists thrive? Get in touch with a member of our talented team – we’d love to make your dream a reality!
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Many therapist-focused coworking spaces include wellness practitioners, coaches, or creative freelancers who value calm, private environments. The key is zoning spaces so therapy rooms stay soundproof and client-focused, while shared lounges and coworking areas remain welcoming to all members.
Therapist coworking spaces usually offer flexible, membership-style leases rather than long-term commercial contracts. Most operate on hourly, daily, or monthly credits for private room bookings, giving therapists freedom to scale their practice up or down. This flex structure attracts both new practitioners testing private practice and experienced clinicians looking for part-time space without traditional lease obligations.
Ensuring confidentiality in a therapy coworking space starts with smart design and clear policies. Private rooms should have solid-core doors, sound insulation, and white noise systems to prevent overheard conversations. Access should be controlled so only booked members can enter rooms, and client waiting areas should offer privacy and minimal traffic.
Meet them where they are: target graduate programs, supervision groups, and local therapist associations, and offer first-session credits. Content about starting a private practice in a coworking space could perform well, especially local SEO techniques to rank high in Google.
A similar look across rooms reduces client disruption when therapists switch spaces, which matters in a flex environment where availability changes. Simple, consistent décor helps a coworking space deliver predictable comfort clients can trust.
