Welcome therapists and group practice owners! I’m Nicole McCance, a psychologist turned business coach for therapists. If you’re reading this, you’re probably wrestling with one of the biggest decisions in your career: should you start a group practice?
I know exactly where you are right now. You’ve probably been thinking about this for a while, maybe you’ve been researching, following other group practice owners, listening to podcasts about scaling. Some mornings you wake up energized and ready to take the leap, but other mornings, the idea feels completely overwhelming.
That back-and-forth is totally exhausting. I know this because I spent 2 long years doing the back and forth myself. Which is why I want to help you decide if moving from solo practice to group practice is the right move for you.
P.S. Not a huge fan of reading blogs? (I’m more of a podcast girl myself.) You can listen to my podcast episode all about this topic by clicking here
Sign #1: You Have a Wait List or You're Constantly Referring Out
This is the biggest indicator that you’re ready to scale. If you have a wait list, you’re leaving money on the table. We both know that.
I didn’t have a wait list because I was coming from a place of scarcity. I said yes to almost every client, and as a result, I was working way too much (more on that in a minute).
But I was referring out constantly. I saw individuals and couples, and I was referring out:
- All my teens
- All my kids
- All my families
When you see couples, depending on what model you use, you sometimes can’t even see them individually. So you’re constantly referring out.
And then one day, I was talking to one therapist I trusted with everything, who I gave all my referrals to. And she told me she was starting a group practice.
AKA: I built her group practice with my referrals. Oops!
Are you building anybody’s group practice right now?
Even though I knew I was building her practice, I was too busy on the hamster wheel. I would work Sundays, Saturdays, and there would be days I’d get up at 5 a.m. to get my solo practice ready, and I’d work until 7 p.m.
And guess how I dealt with that deep exhaustion? I wasn’t even a mom yet at this point (I found out what real exhaustion was later). But this burnout exhaustion? The only way I could get through the day was adrenaline. I wouldn’t take breaks because I was afraid I would fall asleep. I wouldn’t stop running because I knew if this engine stopped, the exhaustion would hit me like a punch in the face.
Is that what you’re living right now? If so, it might be a sign that you should scale from solo to group practice.
Sign #2: You're Sick of Hitting the Ceiling in Your Income
I became absolutely exhausted and sick of hitting the ceiling in my income. I wanted compound interest, I wanted to replicate myself and work less while making more.
But this is what was actually happening: I would come home to my husband with nothing left in me. We’d be at the dinner table (we didn’t have kids yet), and he’d ask “How was your day?” All I could say was “Good.” That’s it.
I’m admitting this now because I’m not doing it anymore, but near the end I would be in therapy sessions dreaming of watching television (literally dreaming about watching something easy like The Kardashians). Easy listening only.
I needed to not think, not listen, and definitely not talk.
The thing is that I had a good life! We had a townhouse by the water, it was beautiful, but the amount I had to work to have that life was not sustainable. What’s the point of living by the water if you’re in your office inside, resentful because it’s another beautiful day but you’re not on the water?
And then the twins came when I was 35. Suddenly, we needed money for:
- Two cribs
- Two high chairs
- Two car seats
- A double stroller (which is double the money)
I was burnt out. I had no conversation left for one person. How was I supposed to be the mom I deeply wanted to be? That’s when life made me ready. There was no more fence sitting.
Your ticket to freedom is a group practice, but only if you work with somebody who’s going to help you build the systems.
Sign #3: You Know Deeply That Your Vision is Bigger Than Just You
You know in your gut you’re meant for more.
I didn’t start my group practice for two years after the twins were born. I kept managing being a new mom with two baby boys and just kept doing what I was doing.
Have you been doing that? Two years go by and you think “oh my gosh, I meant to start this group practice two years ago, but life just keeps happening.”
Then one fateful day, I will never forget it. I pulled in and my baby boys (they were two years old at the time), Jackson and Lucas, were looking out the window and banging while waiting for mama. It was 7 p.m. again.
I broke down and walked in and told my husband Dan, “I’m hiring. I don’t know what I’m doing but I’m going to hire.”
Within three years, I scaled to 55 therapists and multiple 7-figures.
It was the best decision I ever made, but it was because I surrounded myself with the best of the best. I invested $100,000 in business coaches. Unfortunately, none of them worked with therapists specifically – which I desperately needed…
So I took everything I learned and applied it into the Clinic Growth Map. I created the program I wish I had when I was scaling my practice.
What I’m really proud of is that it was automated.
Because of that – when we got a cottage shortly after when the money started coming in – we could go to the cottage, be on the boat with the kids playing on the beach, and be fully present.
This was completely different from two years earlier when I was on the hamster wheel, afraid to stop running.
Why Group Practice is the Right Move for Therapists
What I love about our industry is that there are very little startup costs and a low barrier of entry.
For example, this is what I did:
- The people I hired covered my group practice costs
- Then it snowballed – I hired more and kept a portion for myself
- Eventually I was seeing 80% fewer clients
- Eventually, no clients at all
- I stepped into my CEO role with supervisors, operations managers, and an admin team of six running the show
All so I could enjoy being a mom.
So yes, there’s a low barrier of entry, and very little startup costs. But the best part is that there’s no ceiling! You can build a multimillion-dollar company. There’s literally nothing stopping you.
Are You Ready to Scale to a Group Therapy Practice?
Time for a quick recap!
You’re ready to scale from solo to group practice if:
- You have a wait list or you’re constantly referring out
- You’re sick of hitting the ceiling in your income
- You know you’re meant for more
I love the Clinic Growth Map community because I attract versions of me. If you want to join us, book a strategy call. It’s a 45-minute free business call with one of my advisors where they’ll chat with you about your bottlenecks, your goals, and what’s stopping you.
Want even more strategies for building your group practice? Follow me on Instagram or listen to my podcast, The Business Savvy Therapist!
Your Business Bestie,
Nicole
