Pros
I was a full-time clinician and a network (part-time clinician) for two chairs. I have since left and worked for two different companies (one similar to two chairs—fully remote practice/tech start-up) and then another at a more traditional counseling center. In retrospect, I learned a LOT at Two Chairs. I’m much more comfortable with and skilled at addressing the therapeutic alliance and using feedback-informed care than perhaps any other clinician that hasn’t worked at Two Chairs. I think the weekly data we get re: client measures and the fact that we had to address these and document to any clinically significant changes at each session definitely gave me an ease in addressing outcomes even outside of two chairs. I also think two chairs was definitely a progressive place to work. While things are frequently changing at Two Chairs, the benefit of this is what people often gripe about in more bureaucratic work settings where changes take forever to implement. I would recommend working at Two Chairs if you want to strengthen your clinical skills, witness directly through client data how you’re impacting your clients, and become exposed to a work environment that’s progressive and forward-thinking.
Cons
I wouldn’t stay at two chairs longer than 2 years. While they do prioritize the clinician experience, they definitely have high expectations of their clinicians. I also think they do a pretty decent job with hiring and have noticed that most therapists with Two Chairs are of high caliber—so if you got hired with two chairs, you’re probably a strong candidate to be hired elsewhere too. The work is unsustainable due to the constantly changing expectations and the caseload. Also, having stepped away from Two chairs, I realized how much time and mental space I was spending on documentation while at two chairs due to the requirement to address clinically significant changes to client outcomes on progress notes…. To do this for 25-30 client notes per week is just mentally exhausting in a way that I didn’t even realize until I stepped out of it. Also, receiving 25-30 survey results from clients on a weekly basis (one of which addresses the therapeutic alliance) takes a mental load. How many of you can handle that much feedback about yourself on a daily basis? It all adds up—and these are with clients we need to continue working with and developing relationships with (not like a car service center survey where you only see the customer once). It’s just additional emotional and mental labor. They also don’t pay well for what they expect of their clinicians. Other places pay higher and also offer better benefits. So—tldr: good place to work for experience, but don’t undersell yourself by staying there too long Two chairs is a good place to work—managers care, company culture is overall healthy (at least in my experience), and I truly did feel that I worked at a place that was thoughtful and intentional about providing care to clients.