Welcome therapists and group practice owners! I’m Nicole McCance, a psychologist turned business coach for therapists in the Clinic Growth Map. I scaled my group practice to 55 therapists and multiple 7-figures in three years (with toddler twins at home) and I didn’t do it by posting on Instagram all day. Instead, I used effective marketing strategies for therapists that I initially overlooked. Here are my top marketing strategies for therapists that are working right now.
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 or by watching my YouTube video below!
1. Turn Your Website Into a Client-Converting Machine
Let’s start with something most therapists assume is “fine” but is actually quietly leaking clients every single day.
Your website.
If your website isn’t a 10 out of 10, there’s a good chance you’re losing out on people who would have booked with you.
Think of it like this – In a market that feels oversaturated with therapists, your site is your virtual handshake. As much as I love to look at a beautiful website, it needs to stand out and convert, not just look nice.
And now I bet you’re thinking “Ok Nicole, cool. But how do I actually do that?” Glad you asked!
Make your therapy website aspirational (not depressing)
One of the biggest shifts I made with my own clinic website was moving from “meet them in their pain” imagery to aspirational imagery. I used to have photos like:
- An anxious man pulling at his hair
- Sad, stressed faces
- Dark, moody imagery
Whoops! My bad. Eventually, my marketing expert very lovingly said:
“Sell them where they want to go, not where they are now.”
Think of those Sandals vacation commercials where everyone looks relaxed, happy, and sun-kissed. THAT is aspirational. Your website should do the same for your ideal client:
- Swap sad faces for hopeful, connected, calmer faces
- Show couples laughing together instead of arguing
- Show parents engaged with their kids instead of checked out
On my clinic website, the first hero image became happy parents connecting with their child. Because that is what people actually want!
Hot Tip: Here are some action steps to get you started! Go through your site and remove:
- All “distress” stock photos (crying, anxious, head-in-hands, etc.)
- Empty couches, random rocks, vague beach shots, and mountains
Then, replace those photos with warm, relatable, and hopeful images featuring actual people.
Optimize the pages that clients actually click
Most people assume the homepage is the most important page. And it IS important, but in reality the most clicked page on a therapy website is usually the team page. Here’s what people want to see:
- Faces
- Overall vibes
- Confirmation that they’d feel safe with this person
So, to make your team page a priority (and optimized):
- Use clear, professional but friendly photos
- Write bios that sound human (not like a CV)
- Make it easy to click “Book” or “Request an appointment” right from that page
And if you’re running Google Ads, make sure your ads send people to specific service pages (like “Anxiety Therapy” or “Couples Therapy”), not just the homepage. The landing page you’re sending them to should match the keyword they searched.
Hot Tip: Check out my free resources for therapists story highlight on Instagram to get my free guide “8 Steps to a High-Converting Specialty Page”!
Make your website copy scannable
Most therapy websites are way more overwhelming than they should be. They either have way too many dense paragraphs, or barely say anything at all.
The key is to land in the middle. Your website copy should include:
- Short sections
- Lots of white space
- No more than 2–3 sentences per paragraph
If you get my emails, you’ll notice I write in short, breathable lines. You should be doing the same on your site! Because the reality is that we live in a scroll culture, and walls of text will make people bounce.
Choose the right website platform for your stage
Here’s how I think about it:
- Gold standard long term: WordPress (especially with a good designer and strong messaging)
- If you need something fast and affordable: Jane Websites (previously known as Clinic Sites)
Jane Websites will give you:
- Therapist-specific templates
- Fast setup
- An easy way to get a professional website up now while you grow into a custom WordPress site later
Hot Tip: You don’t need to use Janeapp to use Jane websites. If you’re looking for an affordable platform to build your website, click here to try it out with one month free make sure you enter the promo code MCCANCE1MO when setting up billing.
2. Use Email Marketing to Fill Your Caseload Faster
Seriously, don’t sleep on email marketing! Social media might seem like where you should be, but the reality is that email quietly out performs social media for bookings again and again and again.
For example, when I promote a live event, one email to my list can easily bring in approximately 80 registrations in a few minutes. But a social post to a similar sized audience gets far fewer sign ups.
Why? Because:
- Inboxes = action mode (paying bills, replying, booking, planning)
- Social feeds = entertainment mode (scrolling, zoning out)
This is clear when you consider that roughly 10% of your followers will actually see a social post, but a solid email list will often see 30% open rates. So for roughly the same size audience, email gets your message in front of way more people who are actually ready to click and book.
Start your email list with people who already know you
If you’re worrying about how to fill up your email list, I’ve got you. You don’t need a giant list to begin. Start with:
- Past clients
- Current clients who want tools between sessions
- People you’ve worked with through workshops or groups
With consent and in line with your local laws, invite them to join with a message like: “Would you like a free Daily Dose of Calm? I send short, supportive emails with tools for anxiety, stress, and better sleep.”
Whatever you decide to write, make sure it’s:
- Specific
- Helpful
- Easy to say yes to
You can use tools like Mailchimp, which integrates beautifully with Jane App and is free up to a certain number of subscribers.
Add an opt-in right inside your client intake flow
If you use Jane App for online booking (or a similar practice management system), clients create a profile before they book. At the bottom of that form, edit the checkbox text from “Receive service updates” to something more compelling, like:
- “Get a free Daily Dose of Calm”
- “Yes, send me mental health tools and resources”
The reality is that most people struggling with anxiety, stress, or low mood WANT helpful resources. This is a simple, ethical way to grow your list!
Hot Tip: You can try Janeapp FREE for 2 months by clicking here!
Send simple, helpful emails with clear calls to action
Your emails don’t have to be long or fancy. For example:
- “How to Sleep Better This Winter”
- “3 Quick Grounding Exercises for Stressful Days”
- “What to Do When the Sunday Scaries Hit”
Inside, you might share things like:
- A short story or example
- 1–3 practical tips
And a clear CTA, like:
- “Click here to book a session with our team”
- “Reply with SLEEP if you want help building a plan”
One of my members in the Clinic Growth Map sent a single email to her email list… and had 5 clients book sessions from that alone! Because sometimes people have been “meaning to” come back to therapy for months, and your email is the exact nudge they need.
3. Turn Family Doctors Into a Steady Therapy Referral Source With Progress Reports
This strategy right here is one of my absolute favourites (and most powerful)! And it’s the one that’s most often overlooked.
Think about where people typically go when they’re struggling:
- A trusted friend
- Their family doctor
Most practice owners focus heavily on Google and (sometimes) friends through word-of-mouth. But family doctors see dozens of patients a day and are often desperate for trusted mental health referrals (that’s you!).
So, instead of cold-calling doctors over and over (which can work, but fades over time), I recommend using progress reports!
Step 1: Ask for consent up front
Build something like this into your intake and consent forms:
“With your permission, we can send brief progress updates to your family doctor or psychiatrist so your care is coordinated.”
You’ll find:
- Many high-symptom clients want their physician looped in
- Some couples or more private clients may say no – and that’s totally okay
But a good percentage will say yes, especially when things like meds, sleep, or diagnosis are being explored.
Step 2: Send short, focused updates
Progress reports don’t have to be long or clinical. After all, you’re busy enough as it is. Think:
- Current concerns (brief)
- Focus of treatment
- General progress/response
- Any relevant risk/medication notes
Your therapist can draft the clinical piece, and your admin can help track:
- Who has consented
- Which doctors receive which reports
- When the last update was sent
Over time, this builds a clear, professional connection.
Step 3: Stay top of mind (without re-introducing yourself every month)
When you’re sending consistent, helpful updates:
- Doctors see that their patients are improving with your clinic
- They learn what you do (EMDR, trauma, couples, ADHD, etc.)
- Your name stays top of mind in a very busy brain
So when their next patient says, “I can’t sleep and I’m yelling at my kids… I think I need help.” Who do they think of? You!
And unlike a one-time phone call, this relationship stays warm as long as your clients continue to work with you and you keep sending updates.
You can even do this with psychiatrists as well, which is especially important when you’re doing deeper work like EMDR, IFS, or somatic work, and medications are being adjusted. Collaboration protects clients and supports retention.
Your Next Step in Marketing Your Group Therapy Practice (With Ease)
You don’t have to overhaul your marketing overnight. In fact, I’d rather you pick one strategy and do it consistently, rather than dabble in ten things at once.
Because you don’t need more hustle, you need the right systems pointed in the right direction. These three strategies helped me grow a multi 7-figure group practice without living on social media, and they can absolutely work for you too.
Want even more tips on growing your practice? Follow me on Instagram and listen to my podcast for all the best support for growing your therapy practice and attracting more clients!
Your Business Bestie,
Nicole
