No matter what you do, having your own space to work is important. Find out how a unique office in Erie County is also providing mutual support to all the office mates.

Plants fill window sills, representing the growth of this office space and how it's thrived so far.

Thrive Therapy stands out because it's a co-working space specifically for wellness professionals.

"The co-working space movement is an international movement, but it's mostly aimed at business people. And so, this is one of the few aimed at wellness professionals," said Penny. 

Penny Mechley-Porter is the founder. The licensed clinician and former Peace Corps volunteer opened Thrive in 2019 after being in practice for years.

Thrive Therapy is located off Caughey Road, right in Millcreek Township. Everything's offered upstairs on the second floor. 

There's a hallway of offices for members of the co-working space. Different memberships offer access to different sized clinics.

Licensed Professional Counselor, Regina Tarver, specializes in patients dealing with trauma. She says Thrive Therapy has helped her open her own practice: Resilience Counseling.

"I have a dedicated office here. Some of the offices they can sign out for hours," said Regina Tarver, Licensed Professional Counselor. "Because I'm full-time, I kind of needed the flexibility of having a more open-ended schedule and not worrying about conflicting with others."

Everyone at Thrive has their own practice. That includes Registered Dietitian Jessy Bringling.

"You're able to accelerate your business in a way you're able to connect with other healthcare practitioners and be a team rather than just an individual. You're much more successful as a team," said Jessy. 

And she's only two months into her membership, providing up-close nutrition counseling through telehealth and virtually.

There are now more than 40 members and 13 offices. Plus, there's a yoga studio on the same floor.

Privacy is a priority at Thrive for patients. Sign-in is done on an iPad in the waiting room.

A seven-day-a-week operation, providing flexibility in scheduling, and: The soil for clinicians to grow.

Feeling connected and supported – that's what Penny, the founder, says is most important at Thrive.