In an era where artificial intelligence and chatbots are increasingly common in healthcare, Thriveworks is taking a distinctly different path. While digital tools and technology are central to the company’s future strategy, Thriveworks’ leadership is adamant that chatbots will have no place in their care model. Instead, the focus is on using technology to enhance human-to-human interactions, streamline clinician workflows, and track patient-reported outcomes with precision — all in support of clinician-focused mental health care.
Leadership Driving a Provider-First, Patient-Centered Mission
Will Furness, who became Thriveworks’ CEO in April, is steering the company with two ambitious goals: to make Thriveworks the ideal career destination for mental health clinicians and to sharpen the company’s focus on patient-reported outcomes. These twin priorities reflect a broader commitment to clinician-focused mental health care and evidence-based practice.
Furness succeeded Anthony “A.J.” Centore, the company’s founder and former CEO, who built Thriveworks with a foundation rooted in mental health clinicians’ experiences. With Furness at the helm, that provider-focused ethos remains core, now amplified by strategic investments in technology designed to improve everyday work life for clinicians and enhance the patient experience.
“We are building our own technology,” Furness said. “Largely, it’s to make the therapist’s ‘everyday’ better and to make the client experience better. The actual care delivery, in my view, is the best when it’s human-to-human care; it’s not a bot or a chat.”
Investing Heavily in Custom Digital Tools to Support Clinicians
Thriveworks is rolling out an array of custom-built digital tools that simplify and optimize administrative and clinical workflows. These include a new digital booking and intake management platform designed to make scheduling seamless for patients and clinicians alike. Other therapist-focused tools will help with schedule management and reduce the paperwork burden that often frustrates clinicians and pulls them away from patient care.
These technology investments reflect Thriveworks’ dedication to clinician-focused mental health care, ensuring that therapists can spend more time doing what they do best — caring for patients. Behind these ambitious tech initiatives is more than $340 million in equity funding raised in 2021, with notable investors such as Boston-based Wellington Management Co. LLP, Fidelity Management & Research Company LLC, and others.
Embracing a Hybrid Model of Care: Flexibility for Patients and Providers
The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated a massive shift to telehealth across behavioral health, and Thriveworks was no exception. Before the pandemic, only about 3% of the company’s sessions were conducted virtually; during the height of pandemic restrictions, that figure jumped to nearly 100%. Today, telehealth still represents around 80% of sessions, though Furness expects that number to decrease to a more sustainable 30%–40% range as in-person visits regain popularity.
“What’s unusual compared to many providers is that our clients tend to shift back and forth between in-person and telehealth care,” Furness explained. “They might start with telehealth but then decide they have something sensitive they want to discuss in person, or vice versa.”
This flexibility is especially important for younger patients and their families, who often prefer the nuances of face-to-face therapy. Thriveworks’ model allows patients to seamlessly move between virtual and in-person care without disruption, providing a patient-centric experience that adapts to evolving needs. This adaptability is a hallmark of Thriveworks’ clinician-focused mental health care approach.
Despite the high volume of telehealth visits, Thriveworks is expanding its physical office footprint to meet ongoing patient demand. Telehealth also helps the company operate more efficiently: a clinic that traditionally housed 6 to 10 providers can now support about 15 clinicians due to the flexibility virtual care provides.
A Winning Strategy for Clinician Recruitment and Retention
With approximately 3,000 employees—about 75% of whom are clinicians—Thriveworks faces the industry-wide challenge of recruiting and retaining qualified mental health professionals. Furness views the company’s investment in technology and clinician support as a powerful differentiator in the competitive behavioral health labor market.
“All our clinicians are W-2 employees,” Furness noted, underscoring Thriveworks’ commitment to stability and support rather than contractor or gig models. The company also invests heavily in clinician training, mentorship, and ongoing professional development, reinforcing its clinician-focused mental health care culture.
One standout program is a telehealth certification offered to clinicians, covering best practices for virtual care delivery, HIPAA compliance, and optimizing their home clinic setup. This training, combined with wraparound coaching and educational opportunities, helps therapists feel supported and able to grow their careers within Thriveworks.
“When we talk to clinicians about who we are, why we started, and our ethics—and then say, ‘We’re investing in technology to make your everyday experience better so you can focus on practicing and helping your patients’—we have great conversations,” Furness said.
Reducing paperwork and administrative burden is a key part of this effort. A National Council on Mental Wellbeing survey found nearly all clinicians cite administrative overload as a major barrier to meeting the pandemic-driven rise in behavioral health demand. Thriveworks’ technology investments directly target this challenge, allowing clinicians to spend more time with patients and less time on documentation — a critical component of clinician-focused mental health care.
Elevating Patient Care Through Outcomes Measurement and Value-Based Care
A central pillar of Thriveworks’ future strategy is its rigorous focus on patient-reported outcomes. Since last year, the company has implemented standardized measures such as the GAD-7 (Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale) and PHQ-9 (Patient Health Questionnaire) to monitor anxiety and depression symptoms. These outcome measures not only satisfy payer requirements but also provide clinicians with vital data to track progress and tailor care.
This emphasis on measurable outcomes aligns with Thriveworks’ movement toward value-based care, where reimbursement is linked to clinical effectiveness rather than sheer volume. Though the company currently does not have active value-based care contracts, Furness anticipates putting agreements in place by year-end.
“I want to have such a rigorous approach to collecting the client’s experience that any new customer coming in knows upfront this is the best place to get care,” Furness said. “Value-based care is an important step to reorient how healthcare dollars are spent and ensure they truly help patients.”
Tracking patient-reported outcomes is integral to Thriveworks’ clinician-focused mental health care philosophy — ensuring that care decisions are informed by real, measurable progress and patient feedback.
Expanding Access via Strategic Employer Partnerships
Thriveworks is broadening its reach beyond individual patients by building a growing B2B business serving self-insured employers and municipalities. These partnerships aim to provide employees and community members with expedited access to mental health services through a “white-glove” experience.
One notable example is Thriveworks’ recent partnership with the City of Joliet, Illinois, and Silver Cross Hospital. The collaboration increases mental health service access for uninsured and under-insured residents, supported by a potential $400,000 city investment. Such initiatives reflect Thriveworks’ commitment to community impact and innovation in service delivery.
“We noticed we were routinely helping large numbers of patients from single employers,” Furness said. “Now we can create more thoughtful partnerships rather than waiting for patients to bounce around from provider to provider.”
By streamlining access to care for employees, Thriveworks also supports employers’ goals around productivity, absenteeism reduction, and managing total healthcare costs — all part of their broader vision for clinician-focused mental health care.
Putting People First: Technology as an Enabler, Not a Replacement
At its core, Thriveworks’ strategy centers on preserving and enhancing the human element of mental health care. While the company enthusiastically embraces technology to reduce clinician workload, improve patient convenience, and track outcomes, it firmly rejects the notion that bots or chatbots should ever replace human interaction in therapy.
The goal is clear: empower therapists with better tools so they can devote themselves fully to patients, while giving clients easy, flexible access to care that fits their lives.
Thriveworks is crafting a future where smart digital tools and compassionate clinicians work hand in hand — a future where technology serves people, never the other way around. This is what true clinician-focused mental health care looks like.
