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
Hacked! Data Security, Ethics, and Venture-Backed Platforms: an Interview with Kim Kabar, LMFT
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In this episode of Therapists Unchained, host Sivie Suckerman, LMHC, ACS sits down with Kim Kabar, LMFT, to discuss the hidden dangers of the "uberification" of mental health care.
The conversation highlights a harrowing security breach where Kim’s deactivated Psychology Today account was hacked and altered, raising urgent questions about HIPAA compliance, data retention, and the vulnerability of private practice clinicians. Drawing on her background in investigative journalism, Kim exposes ethically concerning policies at venture-backed platforms like Grow Therapy, including requirements for client reviews and unauthorized management of therapist profiles.
Sivie and Kim conclude by discussing the necessity of legislative advocacy and how therapists can reclaim their autonomy through direct networking and independent contracting.
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Kim Kabar is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in California and Arizona specializing in trauma, attachment issues, and gender identity. An EMDR and ketamine-assisted psychotherapy provider, Kim is also a second-generation therapist. Her mother, now 87, is a practicing Jungian analyst in Chicago. Growing up immersed in conversations about mental health, trauma, and the therapeutic process profoundly shaped Kim’s reverence for the sanctity of the therapeutic relationship. Before becoming a clinician, Kim spent over a decade as a
journalist, a background that continues to shape her insistence on truth-seeking, pattern recognition, and asking uncomfortable questions about power, systems, and whose interests are really being served. Her current advocacy work focuses on how venture-backed mental health platforms and insurance-driven systems are reshaping therapy—often at the expense of client privacy and clinical integrity. When she’s not working, Kim loves to cook, go on bike rides, and play with her dog, Babette.
Kim also maintains a blog where she explores the ethical, emotional, and systemic realities of modern mental health care. Drawing on both her clinical work and her background in journalism, she writes about privacy, platform power, trauma-informed practice, and what happens when therapy is shaped by corporate and technological forces rather than human need.
Website: https://www.kimkabar.com
Blog: https://kimkabarlmft.wordpress.com
This episode was produced and edited by Sivie Suckerman, MA, LMHC, ACS
