Welcome therapists and group practice owners! I’m Nicole McCance, a psychologist turned business coach for therapists. I recently asked you to send in your burning questions about scaling your practices, and the response was incredible.
I’m going to answer three of the most common questions I receive from therapists who are in the growth phase: When should you move to a bigger office? Who should you hire next? And can group therapy help you scale?
These questions come up again and again because they represent critical decision points that can either accelerate your growth or create unnecessary stress.
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!
Question 1: When Should I Move to a Bigger Office?
This question came from Brad in Ontario, Canada, and I know many of you are asking the same thing. The short answer is, probably not as soon as you think.
Before you start looking at bigger office spaces, let’s talk about what you already have. Most therapists dramatically underutilize their current office space, and you might be sitting on a goldmine without realizing it.
The Math Behind Growing Your Office Space
One therapy room can run for 10 hours per day with two therapists sharing it. Each therapist works a five-hour shift, seeing five clients each. Here’s how the math breaks down:
- Daily capacity: 2 therapists × 5 clients each = 10 sessions per day
- Weekly capacity (Monday-Friday): 10 sessions × 5 days = 50 sessions
- Weekend capacity: 5 sessions Saturday + 5 sessions Sunday = 10 sessions
- Total weekly capacity: 50 + 10 = 60 sessions per week
Now let’s look at revenue. If you charge, for example, $175 per session:
- Weekly revenue: 60 sessions × $175 = $10,500
- Monthly revenue: $10,500 × 4 weeks = $42,000
That’s $42,000 per month in revenue from a single office before you pay your therapists or any other expenses!
So before you move to a bigger space, I want you to look at your current utilization rate.
How many rooms do you have, and are they actually full? You might not need to expand at all. You might just need to fill what you already have to capacity.
Hot Tip: I have a Youtube video where I go more in-depth on when to expand your therapy office space.
Calculate Before You Commit
Moving to a bigger office comes with significant upfront costs: first and last month’s rent, increased insurance, furnishing (with the waiting room being the most expensive space), and a professional front desk setup.
The key is understanding your break-even point. Do a cost-benefit analysis. Calculate what the new office will cost monthly (rent, utilities, insurance, furnishing), then calculate the revenue those additional rooms will bring in.
I suggest making the move only when you’re already generating that break-even amount from your current location. When I expanded, the revenue from my existing office already covered the new space costs. The expansion felt manageable because I wasn’t operating from scarcity or pressure to fill rooms immediately.
Question 2: Who Should I Hire Next?
This question came from Nama, a psychologist in New York: “Can you talk about hiring clinicians who provide services I don’t, such as couples therapy? My first hire was a mini me, but who do I hire next?”
This is one of my favorite questions because the answer can dramatically impact your revenue.
Here’s my answer: Hire therapists who see multiple populations.
When you hire someone who only sees individual adults, it’s slower to get them busy because they’re only attracting one type of client. But when you hire someone who sees couples AND individuals, or children AND families, or adults AND teens, you’ve got double the referral funnels coming in.
Hot Tip: Listen to my podcast episode all about who to hire first (or next) in your group practice!
Why Couples Therapy Is Your Moneymaker
Couples therapy was always my moneymaker. This is because a couple comes in for therapy, but almost always both partners have their own childhood issues or trauma.
The therapist would often suggest that each partner also seek individual therapy. Now that one couple isn’t just one client. It’s three clients: the couple’s sessions plus two individual therapy clients.
But wait, there’s totally more!
What about their eight-year-old who’s being impacted by the family stress? Now they’re coming in too, and you’re supporting the whole family. So you’ve gone from one inquiry to four ongoing clients, all from that initial couples therapy call.
Hot Tip: Speaking of initial calls, DM me “CONSULT CALL SCRIPT” on Instagram, and I’ll send you my free consult call script that actually converts clients!
Three Ways to Decide Who to Hire Next
Use these data-driven approaches:
- Track your inquiries. Get your admin to document what people are asking for. Are clients requesting teen therapy? ADHD support? Family counseling? This data tells you exactly what the market needs.
- Use Google Keyword Planner. This free tool shows you what people in your area are actually searching for. You might discover people are searching heavily for child therapy or EMDR in your specific location.
- Review your referral reports. If you’re using practice management software like Jane App (click here to try Jane App FREE for 2 months!), check where people heard about you. This data informs both marketing and hiring decisions.
Question 3: Can I Scale with Group Therapy?
This question came from April in Utah: “Can I scale by making group therapy great again?” I love the enthusiasm, but here’s my honest business answer: group therapy was not a moneymaker for my practice.
It required significant admin work coordinating schedules, cancellation rates were high, and clients expected lower rates than individual therapy.
Plus, clients who came for group therapy often stopped their higher-paying individual sessions. The exceptions are mandated attendance or billing third parties like Veterans Affairs.
Instead, consider niche packages. I had a 10-week ADHD Brain Training Program structured like group therapy but for individual clients. We charged the full therapy rate, had better attendance, and clients completed the entire program.
Hot Tip: Click here to read my blog article all about creating niche therapy packages!
Key Takeaways for Scaling Your Group Practice
These three questions represent some of the most common scaling challenges I see. Here’s what you need to remember:
- Before expanding your office: Calculate your current utilization rate first. One room can generate $42K monthly, so maximize what you have before adding more space.
- When hiring your next therapist: Choose clinicians who serve multiple populations, with couples therapy being your best moneymaker due to the ripple effect of referrals.
- About group therapy: It’s typically not worth the administrative headache. Consider niche packages for individual clients instead.
When emotion is high, logic is low. Don’t expand from panic or scarcity. Make strategic moves when your current space is full, your data supports it, and the numbers clearly show growth potential.
Want even more strategies for sustainably scaling your therapy practice? Follow me on Instagram or listen to my podcast, The Business Savvy Therapist!
Your Business Bestie,
Nicole
