The Heart and Tech of Admirra: Wendy McSparren and John Mihalik’s Mission to Empower Therapists

Wendy McSparren and John Mihalik are the kind of founders who exude both passion and practicality when discussing their work. The duo behind Admirra, a platform simplifying business operations for therapy practices, has embarked on a mission to tackle the complexities of mental health access and improve how practices manage their administrative headaches.  

From Chaos to Clarity 

“So many practices fly blind and are overwhelmed and just doing the best they can,” McSparren says, explaining the pain point that first inspired Admirra. Therapy practices, after all, are often founded by professionals trained to listen and heal—not necessarily to juggle spreadsheets, business logistics, or operational workflows. McSparren’s deep understanding of this challenge came from years of engaging with strained practices trying to manage clients and insurances through cumbersome, overly fragmented systems. 

But where most people would see insurmountable complexity, McSparren and Mihalik saw an opportunity. Admirra was born as a pre-built, ready-to-go solution for therapy businesses, outfitted with curated workflows and templates drawn from real-world scenarios and feedback from users. 

"It all comes pre-built with the experience that Wendy and the team and other practices provide,” Mihalik explains. “It’s kind of like, this is the way you should do psychological testing scenarios. You have this stage, this stage. Talk to clients about this. Do insurance benefit checks at this point—not before.” Admirra offers a map for practices to begin implementing effective workflows out of the box while still allowing flexibility for customization. 

By automating steps—such as benefit checks or streamlined client onboarding—the platform empowers practices to focus on delivering care rather than getting bogged down by tedious back-end logistics. 

Listen to Learn More About Wendy, John and Admirra

 

Keeping It Simple 

Unlike bloated tools or intimidating CRMs, Admirra stands out because of its simplicity. “There’s so much we’ve added to our platform, but above all, the first thing—the most important thing—is to keep it simple so that folks can use it,” says Mihalik. 

With many customer relationship management (CRM) tools on the market, therapists often find themselves frustrated by overly complicated systems. Admirra flips the script, prioritizing tools that are intuitive and easy to master, even for people with little tech background. “You shouldn’t have to go into a manual to figure it out,” Mihalik emphasizes. “Anyone should be able to log in and just start using it.” 

This approach reflects McSparren and Mihalik’s philosophy: tools should empower, not overwhelm. Admirra delivers not just features, but solutions. Clients can log in and immediately take advantage of fully built workflows, email templates, and best-practice tips for managing therapy businesses. 

“It’s not just a tool—it’s a solution,” McSparren adds. 

A Personal and Professional Partnership 

At the heart of Admirra’s success is the unique partnership between its founders. Building a company as a couple is no small feat; relationships and businesses each carry their own complexities, but the two have learned to balance their roles and lean on each other’s strengths. Their personal dynamic translates into a deep level of trust and collaboration, with McSparren bringing an empathetic understanding of customer needs and Mihalik lending his expertise in fine-tuning the technology that powers Admirra. 

“There’s so much we’ve added to our platform, but above all, the first thing—the most important thing—is to keep it simple so that folks can use it,” says Mihalik. 

In reflecting on their ability to connect as both life and business partners, their shared sense of humor clearly lightens their load. “We’ve learned to challenge each other without taking ourselves too seriously,” Mihalik laughs. He credits McSparren’s ability to step into the shoes of their users and advocate for simplicity, while she attributes Mihalik’s technical foresight as critical for Admirra’s success. 

The result is more than just business chemistry—it’s a shared purpose in creating something meaningful that helps others. 

Growth and the Road Ahead 

Since its inception, Admirra’s growth has mirrored the evolving mental health landscape. As practices adjust to higher demand and increasing pressures, solutions like Admirra will continue to play a key role in bridging the gap between care delivery and operational efficiency. 

“If you keep listening, you’ll hear how we highlight key features of our product and what the automation provides. It’s all about onboarding clients quickly and efficiently,” McSparren mentions, hinting at the ongoing enhancements they’re building into their product. Admirra is constantly iterating, learning from practices, and expanding its capabilities to help tackle new challenges. 

“We’ve learned to challenge each other without taking ourselves too seriously,” Mihalik laughs.

Looking to the future, the founders are laser-focused on how technology can further impact and reshape access to mental healthcare. With visions for future acquisitions and continued refinement of Admirra, the pair recognizes they’re in it for the long game. 

“We’re building more than technology,” Wendy says. “It’s a platform that practices can trust to improve their operations, reduce the overwhelm, and focus on what they’re here to do—help people.” 

Admirra’s Impact and the Legacy of Its Founders 

McSparren and Mihalik are an inspiring duo, channeling their complementary skills into a product that is transforming operations for mental health professionals. Through their experiences, they’ve built Admirra to be approachable, high-impact, and innovative—all without losing sight of their core belief: technology should serve to make things better and simpler for people. 

As Mihalik reflects, “It’s about finding what truly matters—then delivering just that.” 

Admirra is more than a platform; it’s a testament to the power of collaboration, simplicity, and the belief that better tools can lead to better care. In the hands of McSparren, Mihalik and their team, it feels like just the beginning.