Therapists Unchained
Therapists Unchained is about opening a dialogue about the state of mental health in the United States as seen through the eyes of the clinicians and the role of tech platforms in shaping access to care, the consequences of VC-backed therapy models, the intentional complexities of dealing with insurance companies, and building a community of mental health providers to support, mentor, educate, and empower each other. You’ll hear real talk about what’s happening behind the scenes in our field and what it means for providers and clients alike.
Why It Matters:
As the mental health field becomes increasingly shaped by corporate interests and algorithm-driven care, clinicians are being left out of critical conversations — and often critical decisions. This podcast is our space to educate, connect, and organize.
Join the Movement:
If this conversation resonates with you, we invite you to subscribe, share with your networks, and start the conversation in your communities. Together, we can unchain the future of mental health care.
Connect With Us:
If you'd like to be on the show or collaborate with Therapists Unchained, please get in touch with Sivie Suckerman, MA, LMHC, ACS, at sivie@therapistsunchained.com
THANK YOU!
Therapists Unchained
Behind Enemy Lines: What VC Middlemen Are Really Doing to Mental Health Care - An Interview with Michael Clifton
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
Tell us what you think! You could be featured on a future show!
In this episode of Therapists Unchained, host Sivie Suckerman, MA, LMHC, ACS sits down with Michael Clifton, MA, LPC, LAC, NCC, a brave clinician willing to speak openly about what it’s actually like to work inside the very VC-backed mental-health platforms this podcast has been warning about. Drawing on what he calls “footage from behind enemy lines,” Michael walks us through the shifting terrain of corporate-controlled therapy, including the parts that have helped clinicians survive, the parts that have trapped them, and the parts that should concern every future counselor entering the field.
With a decade of private-practice experience, a long history of publicly challenging unethical business practices (including a notorious 2017 dispute with BetterHelp’s founder), and his 2025 open letter to Psychology Today about the rise of venture-capital middlemen, Michael offers a rare and nuanced perspective. He breaks down the defining features of these platforms, names some of the unexpected benefits, and talks frankly about why some clients treat therapy like “McTherapy” when they believe they’re interacting with a corporation rather than a practitioner.
Throughout the conversation, Michael emphasizes compassion for therapists navigating this landscape. He refuses to condemn any clinician who turns to VC platforms to survive. Instead, he names his own daily wrestling with the ethical, economic, regulatory implications of working within systems he critiques.
Michael lives and practices in Colorado. The majority of his private practice clients are disabled veterans like him. He explicitly does not endorse or condemn any company or service discussed in this episode. He likes poetry, flowers, and long walks on the beach.
This episode was produced and edited by Sivie Suckerman, MA, LMHC, ACS
