Tips for New Therapists
If you found this blog and are considering either becoming a therapist, finishing school as a therapist, or maybe even starting your own private practice- welcome! We will probably never have enough helpers in the world, and so every person who can do this job & do it well is so essential to what shapes our communities.
When I started interning as a therapist, it was the beginning of the pandemic. There was so much chaos and questions about what life was going to look like. A lot of the tips, tricks and skills we teach people require things we did not have during the pandemic- like going outside, meeting with friends, hot girl walks, leaving the house… it was definitely a crazy time to begin this career.
There are a few general pieces of advice I would like to share in this blog. Keep in mind that this might not pertain to everyone, and that working with a supervisor or career coach can be helpful to identifying what is going to work authentically for your own life balance.
Tip #1: Have A Long Term Goal In Mind
Did you know some studies show that therapists have a turnover rate of 30-60%? That one study showed that 39% of therapists left their job within the first YEAR and financial stress was a key factor in predicting their turnover rate. If you love this job, and you want to do this job for a long time- keep a long term goal in mind.
If your long term goal is financial based, you might be disappointed at how long it takes to build a healthy, rhythmic, thriving practice because no matter where you work taxes take chunks out of all that hard work. Additionally, depending on the economy, time of year, and area you live- if you are still an Associate while you launch your practice you may not have access to adding insurance plans. This can also limit the demographics of clients who you can have access to work with.
An example of a long term goal in this field is: “Navigating Life balance while maintaining work boundaries.” Granted, balance is not the only key, because even as recently as 2023 studies showed 36% of psychologists who were participating in wellness balance with their practices were still feeling burnt out due to the increasing needs of mental health services.
Maintaining hopefulness and dedication to your career in the ups and downs takes practice with discomfort. There are a lot of benefits to being in private practice, but it does not give the false sense of security a group practice might provide. (*I saw false sense because unless you work for a massive group practice, they also will be relying on how many clients are inquiring which is out of our control- so the potential to earn less than you want is still there.) If you need help filling time while you are still building your caseload, check out my blog on Side Quests for Therapists: Ways to Earn Additional Income.
Tip #2: Network Your Heart Out
A lot of therapists use the metaphor ““planting seeds”. Well, just like actual gardening, some seeds are going to be dead, and others are going to thrive. Networking is just like this gardening metaphor. The more people you connect with and who learn about your services, the more potential there are for referrals.
Try to network within your niche groups if you have any. The more specific you can get, the more likely your referrals will align with the services you provide. For example, in my internship I trained mainly with polyamorous relationships. Since then, I have networked with many of our LGBTQ+ organizations, and created connections with other poly-informed therapists who can rely on me to be an educated form of support for individuals and couples navigating poly relationships.
Additionally, I would warn not all conferences are created equal. If you can find more niche conferences versus the larger organizations if I could go back in time I would have invested in those instead. Conferences can be expensive, and starting with smaller orgs means you are more likely to have authentic networking moments with people who align with your therapy style.
Tip #3: Get Your Marketing Correct!
If you are like me, and the last thing on your mind is marketing… My Canva Marketing Templates for Therapists might be a great place to start! Having over 206 templates is going to get you pretty far.
Even if marketing is not your cup of tea, it is part of what makes a successful practice. While there are many ways to do this, and social media is NOT the only way to market yourself- it is a huge net of opportunity. So experimenting with what platforms work well for your demographics and creating streamlines of marketing campaigns can be great ways to take marketing off your plate.
Tip #4: Get a Hobby
One of the things they don’t teach you in grad school is how to stop work bleeding into your personal life. Therapy is so interpersonal, and yet we do need those hard lines of when the work day is over. Having a hobby, or two or three if you are like me… are great ways to step out of “therapist brain” into “self brain”.
If you are a ruminator, and get stuck in spirals about past conversations, or skills you have gone over in the work day- having a hobby can help distract & step away from those mental spirals. Especially early on, if your schedule is not full, and you are just hoping to build your caseload- balance is still necessary.
What else?
If you are still feeling stuck and want more 1:1 guidance with your practice, consider investing in a mentorship! Contact me if you are looking for a private mentoring session this fall.
Building, managing and growing a private practice is only one option out there. If it is truly where you want to be and what you want for your career path, being consistent is the most important key to a long term career in private practice. Consistency with life balance, boundaries, marketing, case management, bookkeeping, etc. If you are new to this, and are feeling discouraged- talk to other therapists around you! They might be the best form of support you need at this time.
