Today we’d like to introduce you to Jennifer Kim, LMFT.

Hi Jennifer, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Several years ago, I was a newly licensed therapist eager to start my own private practice. As I embarked on the journey, I quickly learned of the many roadblocks therapists run into while trying to start a private practice as well as the struggles they face while maintaining a private practice.

Never did I imagine that I’d be able to take my own experiences – both the successes and the struggles – to co-found a collaborative co-practicing/coworking space specifically designed for mental health and wellness professionals. But here we are and I can’t be more grateful to be on this adventure.

Ethera was born from organic conversations and connections – which is something we strive to foster here in our space because we believe deep connection is essential. Our value of meaningful connection is weaved into our organization from top to bottom and all throughout. In the little daily moments to the big plans, we have for our company, we stay deeply rooted in our values and our mission to support therapists to be the best therapists they can be so they can continue to provide the best care for their clients.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The road has been pretty darn bumpy! Launching during a global pandemic (literally the same week of the statewide lockdown) was not something anyone could have foreseen. How long the pandemic would last was also not something we were prepared for. As we continue to crawl out from that deep dark pit that was 2020, we hold onto the hope that now, more than ever, our space is necessary in supporting both clinicians and clients in the mental health arena. We are growing rapidly and we know that our service is a very needed one.

And yet, the road has been pretty smooth in that we have steadily been growing in spite of the pandemic and we feel even more grounded our mission to support therapists and clients as we see the need grow exponentially.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Ethera is the first co-practicing space for mental health and wellness professionals here in Southern California. Our office space is thoughtfully designed with both clinician and client in mind – from our soundproofing to the layout of our space to the safety measures implemented, we paid attention to every detail so that clinicians don’t have to and they can just focus on providing the best care for their clients. We have also integrated technology into our space and our community to shift therapy into a more modern experience without having that technology take over completely. Our technology complements the therapeutic experience rather than hindering it.

Both clinicians and clients comment that they have never seen such a nicely and thoughtfully designed therapy office 

But we are SO much more than office space for therapists – we provide the community and support that is necessary for a therapist to thrive in private practice. We are a collective of independent private practice therapists and wellness professionals who deeply value collaboration and growth. I am so proud of this amazing community of clinicians who do such good work.

Ethera also provides a client-therapist matching service because we know how important finding the right therapist is. Our matching system is unique in that instead of getting an instant filtered list of a directory, an actual human takes the time to consider the information you provide and personally make the matches.

How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
If you are a therapist looking for office space and/or community, please visit www.myethera.com.

If you are a client looking to get matched with a therapist, please visit www.ethera.org.

For those who would like to reach me directly, please feel free to email me at jen@myethera.com.

Contact Info:

• Email: hello@myethera.com
• Website: www.myethera.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/my.ethera
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/my.ethera