Whatcom Therapy Alliance

When I talk with colleagues about my idea to create a therapist co-working space in Bellingham, one question I frequently get is, “You only need an office part time, why not just sublet?” Subleasing is a common way to not rent a whole office.  Basically, you are renting days in someone else’s office; on days they aren’t in the office anyway.  So, it can be a win-win for everyone, right?  Of course, subletting is a completely valid option.  I have been on both sides of subleasing over my career so far – renting out my own office and renting an office from another therapist a couple days a week.  And it has worked OK, BUT, in my experience, subleasing has some serious limitations.  Limitations I am setting out to solve with Whatcom Therapy Alliance.

• Subleasing is limited:  This is a big problem.  I see ads all the time … office available on the weekend, or Monday, or Friday.  Rarely are office spaces available in the middle of the week. And the thing about subletting is that you can use the office ONLY on those days.  If you need to see a client another day in the week, you might be able to negotiate it, but it’s likely you won’t.  Whatcom Therapy Alliance offers FLEXIBILITY.  A membership with WTA allows you to go on the calendar and secure office space when YOU need it, not when someone else dictates it. And it can be for a day, an afternoon block, or an hour.  Membership provides the flexibility of having your own office without the full time expense.

• Subleasing can be unpredictable.  I have sublet another person’s office three times during my career so far, and two of those times the therapist moved offices, causing me to have to move.  Of course, a big reason to sublet, especially now that many of us are working from home, is to have a business address.  Insurance companies, licensing boards, the NPI office – they don’t like residential addresses or PO boxes (not that I’d want to give out my home address anyway).  And as you know if you’ve done it, changing addresses is a pain, and can take a lot of time!  So, you go through all that work, and then, bam, the person you are subletting from moves, leaving you in the lurch to do it all again.  And I don’t blame the people I was subletting from, life happens, but it can be frustrating and causes a lot more work.  Whatcom Therapy Alliance offers STABILITY.  We offer different tiers of membership, whether you only need a business address or if you need hours or days to see clients in an office.  And as your needs change, you can change your membership level to accommodate your needs.  We are here for you, consistently.

• Subleasing and telehealth don’t always mix: Slow internet has been a constant struggle for me when subletting. When the office has internet, it has been slow, unreliable, and out of my control. I started looking into getting business internet at one place I sublet. I had not looked at business internet plans in the past and I thought it would be fairly straight forward and affordable, like it was at home. … It’s not!  I don’t know why, but as soon as you click on the “business” tab of the internet company, you get shot into an alternate universe where internet is 2-3 times more expensive for half the speed.  It boggles the mind.  And of course, now with telehealth, high speed internet is a necessity.  Perhaps you need to see an online client right after an in-person session. Or perhaps you want to get out of the house for the afternoon and do your telehealth sessions at an office.  Whatcom Therapy Alliance is committed to maintaining FAST, RELIABLE INTERNET when you need it, and like all the other utilities, maintenance, cleaning, etc., it is included in the membership price, so you don’t have to worry about it.  It’s easy! 

• Subleasing can feel impersonal:  When I have sublet from others, I felt very aware that I was in someone else’s personal office. Perhaps I am sensitive (kinda goes with the profession) but in some ways I felt a little like I was trespassing on someone else’s space.  Whatcom Therapy Alliance is a SAFE, WELCOMING COMMUNITY where the space belongs to all members.  When you are a member, your needs, desires, and esthetics are important to us.  As a member, you have a voice in this community.