Welcome therapists and group practice owners! I’m Nicole McCance, a psychologist turned business coach for therapists. I know exactly how overwhelming it can feel trying to grow your income without burning out in your practice. When I became pregnant with twins while running a busy solo practice, I knew there needed to be a better way. In just three years, I scaled to a group practice with 55 therapists and multiple 7-figures, and I want to help you do the same.
If you’re an ambitious therapist who’s ready to make more money fast (without working more hours), keep reading! I’m going to show you exactly how to do that by leaning into the bold decisions most people avoid.
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!
The Growth Strategy Most Therapists Overlook
One of the fastest ways to increase your income is to STOP doing what everyone else is doing. Most therapists look at barriers in their business (i.e. a policy, a tech limitation, a challenge with marketing) and say, “That’s a wall. I guess I can’t go there.”
But let me ask you an important question.
What if that wall is actually a door to something big?
What if the gold mine is BEHIND the wall?
In a recent coaching call I was speaking with a therapist who specializes in addiction and wanted to run Google Ads. But Google restricts certain words like “addiction,” making it tough to advertise. Her options were:
- Do nothing.
- Change all the language on her website from “addiction” to “substance use” and hope Google would approve it.
- Pay $5,000 to become certified by Google to run restricted ads.
The group leaned towards doing nothing, because it was the easy solution. But the hard reality is that easy won’t grow your practice fast.
I encouraged her to go the hard route and invest the $5000. Why? Because if she’s the only one in her city running ads for addiction therapy, she could literally own the market.
Hot Tip: Looking for more guidance on Google Ads? Check out this post on Instagram where I share my 3 must-know tips!
Why Standing Out (and Taking Risks) Pays Off
Therapists who scale quickly are the ones who are willing to do what others won’t. They look for the walls and bring a hammer!
I’ve built three companies to over a million dollars, and I can say with absolute confidence that the key is always the same:
Don’t follow the herd.
Social psychology calls this groupthink – our human tendency to conform. But the herd is rarely wealthy, rarely fulfilled, and rarely pushing the limits of what’s possible.
If your competitors aren’t doing something because it’s hard, that’s probably your sign to look closer. What wall you feel like you’re facing might just be the very thing that sets you apart and helps you make more money fast.
The Math: Small Risks and Big Returns
Let’s go back to the earlier scenario I mentioned about Google Ads and do the math.
If that therapist invested $5,000 to get certified by Google, and charged $175 per session, they could make that money back with just a few new clients.
Let’s say one new client books weekly sessions for a month: 4 sessions x $175 = $700.
Now multiply that by all the people searching for addiction support in their area who now see their ad because no one else is running them. The reality is that most people won’t take that risk. But those who do will stand out and scale their practice faster.
Listening to the Right People and Taking Bold Steps
Even the people closest to you can unintentionally feed you fear. When I told my husband I wanted to start coaching therapists, his first response was, “Do you think there are enough therapists?”
The thing is, he wasn’t being negative. He loves me and wanted to protect me. But that’s exactly why you shouldn’t always take advice from people who aren’t walking the same path as you. If I had listened to that fear-based response, I might never have created the Clinic Growth Map, which has now helped almost 1,000 therapists (YAY!!) scale their group practice sustainably and with ease.
When I was growing my group practice, I didn’t follow the typical path either.
Most practice owners open a small office and slowly expand. But in true Nicole fashion, I went all in!
- 24 rooms
- 7,000 square feet
- 55 therapists under one roof
I also launched niche packages no one else was offering, like a 10-week ADHD Brain Training Program that combines therapy, parenting coaching, and neurofeedback.
Were these decisions a little risky? Totally. But they created some serious momentum and drastically set us apart from the crowd.
Those bold steps worked not because where were the norm, but because they weren’t. I didn’t follow voices rooted in fear, I followed strategies aligned with growth!
Where Are You Playing Small?
The strategies that grow your therapy practice fast aren’t usually revolutionary, they’re just outside your comfort zone. For example, maybe you’ve avoided:
- Reaching out to family doctors because you assume they don’t refer to couples therapists
- Creating niche packages because you’re not sure clients will pay for them (Hot Tip: I have a podcast episode all about niche therapy packages, click here to listen!)
- Working with a marketing expert because it feels expensive
These are all walls that I want you to pay attention to. Because on the other side of these walls are more clients, more income, and more freedom!
Taking Your Practice to the Next Level
Yes, I’m about to give you some homework.
This week, I want you to identify one wall in your business. Something you’ve previously written off as “too hard” or “not worth it”. Then ask yourself this question:
Is this really a dead end or is it a gold mine waiting for me to bring a hammer?
I’d love to hear how this exercise goes for you! You can tell me all about it by sending me a DM on Instagram.
For more actionable strategies, follow me on Follow me on Instagram or listen to my podcast, The Business Savvy Therapist!
Your business bestie,
Nicole
