The Ripsy Story

RipsyTech CEO Tom sitting in front of a computer wearing a shirt that says Bay Area Children's Association

RipsyTech began with the challenges of running a mental health practice.

Our founder, Dr. Tom Tarshis, is a psychiatrist and former software engineer who started Bay Area Children’s Association, a nonprofit mental health clinic.

After struggling to find an EHR that fit the clinic’s needs, he began building one himself. He founded RipsyTech in 2014.

Built in a working clinic

A man standing behind a table at an informational booth for the Bay Area Children's Association (BACA), displaying brochures and a sign with information and promotional messages about mental health care.

By 2015, Tom was sharing a working prototype with colleagues at psychiatry conferences. By 2016, the system was part of his clinic’s daily work.

That experience continues to inform our approach: understand how a practice works, then build tools and support around its needs.

The clinic is now Bay Children’s Services, continuing its work in California’s Bay Area

Why “Ripsy”?

Ripsy the dog lays on the couch in the style of an oil painting

We’re named after Ripley, Tom’s family dog, who brought comfort to patients and clinicians as an emotional support animal until her passing in 2019.

She lives on in our name and logo, a reminder of the people and relationships behind our work.

A woman and a man sit at a table having a conversation at a conference. The woman is facing left and the man is facing right, wearing glasses and a blue hoodie. The table has a notebook, pen, smartphone, a small cow-shaped robot, and a laptop. They are surrounded by white curtains with booth signs above.

Your practice growth partner

Today, our work extends beyond software.

We help mental health practice owners plan new businesses, strengthen insurance contracts, understand their finances, and improve daily operations.

Business guidance, billing support, EHR software, and practical educational resources give owners support at different stages of building and running a mental health practice.