Welcome therapists and group practice owners! I’m Nicole McCance, a psychologist turned business coach for therapists, and I want to talk about the anxiety that comes when your therapy practice is slow. Whether you’re just starting a group practice or you’ve been at it for a while and things have ebbed, that panicky feeling is real. And I want you to know it’s 100% normal.
I felt it too. Early on in scaling my clinic, I hired a neurofeedback technician and put them on the schedule. When they said, “I expected it to be busier,” I remember thinking, am I failing? What’s normal? Am I doing something wrong? I scaled my group practice to 55 therapists and multiple 7-figures, and I can tell you that every practice owner goes through this.
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 watching the video below.
Why Is My Therapy Practice Slow?
If your practice feels slow right now, there are usually two reasons.
The first is that you don’t have momentum yet.
Picture a parked car. Pushing it from a standstill is so hard, but once it starts rolling and picks up speed, eventually it’s speeding down a hill.
When you look at someone whose practice is thriving, you’re watching the downhill season. They used to be in the parked car season too. If you’re just starting your group practice, everything takes a bigger push right now than it will later.
The second reason is you haven’t found what works yet.
You’re trying all the things: calling family doctors, investing in SEO, running Google ads, email marketing, strategic networking. But you haven’t found what clicks for your exact location and your ideal clients. Part of growth is failing at some of those things. Think of any athlete. They don’t score every time.
How to Find Out What's Actually Working in Your Marketing
When anxiety hits, the best thing you can do is go to the data. And I mean that literally.
Open your practice management software and look at the numbers. When I felt anxious about my practice, leaning on systems and data pulled me out of the emotional, spiralling part and into the confident, problem-solving part.
Here’s what I see in coaching all the time. A member will say,
- Nothing’s working.
- My Google ads are broken.
- Psychology Today is broken.
- Everything is broken.
And then I’ll ask, “How long has it actually been slow?” And they’ll say, “It’s been six long days.” Six days. (Can you see how anxiety makes everything feel bigger than it is?)
And sometimes the real issue is actually a systems problem, not a marketing one.
Something broke on your website, your online booking is off, a therapist booked off and you didn’t even know it, so they’re not getting consults. Before you panic, check your systems first.
Hot Tip: Looking for a great practice management software? Click here and try Jane App FREE for 2 months!
Why Your Marketing Is Never Wasted (Even When It Feels Like It)
Jot this down: your marketing is never wasted.
If you’re investing in SEO, updating your website, writing blogs, or running ads and the clients aren’t coming yet, it’s not for nothing. Here’s why.
We sell something that takes people a minute to realise they need. Therapy is basically saying, “Sit with your pain.” That’s hard. People don’t jump on that immediately. They see your ad, they read your blog, they check out your website, and then they might take two weeks or four months before they actually book.
I’ll give you a personal example.
I recently found a clinic for psychedelic assisted therapy (I love trying new experiences). I filled out their contact form, they responded the next day, and then I just haven’t responded yet. In that clinic owner’s world, they’re probably thinking it’s not working. But I will book. I’m just sorting out the logistics, talking to my husband, thinking it through. And if it’s amazing, I’ll tell everyone about it.
Those people are all around your practice right now. They’re just not booking yet. Tell that to your anxious part. (Do you feel a little better?)
The Formula for Growing Your Therapy Practice Through a Slow Season
Here’s the formula: try the things, find out what’s working, and then only do that. Double down on the one thing that works and stick with it consistently. Stop doing the ten things that aren’t producing results.
I recently watched the Janet Jackson documentary and she talked about what it takes to reach the top of any industry. She said three things:
- Practice. In our world, that means keep doing the things that are working consistently, even when you’re tired and even when you’re bored.
- Self-confidence. Believe in yourself when you’re in the interview, when you’re sharing about your clinic, when you’re putting yourself out there. Confidence grows with practice too. I wasn’t as confident as I am now, but it builds every time you take a small risk and it works.
- Never give up. The only way you fail at this is by giving up. It’s that grit, that willingness to keep pushing even when you can’t see results yet.
The hard thing about being human is we get bored.
I see some of you finding something that works and then abandoning it because it feels too simple or repetitive. Get a hobby instead. Spend time with your family. Work a little less. But don’t stop doing the thing that’s growing your practice.
Hot Tip: Listen to my podcast episode on 3 marketing strategies that are working right now to grow your practice.
Your Slow Season Won't Last Forever
I want you to picture a plane taking off.
When you finally have momentum and you’ve found what works, you go up so high that the little ebbs and flows in the market are just tiny turbulence. You’re sitting in first class, your champagne jiggles a little, and you think, “Not a big deal.” But right now, you might be the small water plane five feet above the surface, where every dip in referrals feels terrifying.
That’s normal, and it won’t be this way forever.
I’ll leave you with this. I was in first class on my way to speak at the American Psychological Association, sipping a mimosa and going over my slides. I asked ChatGPT a question about consult call conversion rates, and the source of the answer was me!
All those blogs and episodes, all the consistency even when it felt boring, fed into that moment. Your “I made it” moment is coming, and I can’t wait for you to DM me when it happens. (I promise it will.)
Want more support for the journey? Follow me on Instagram and listen to the Business Savvy Therapist podcast for strategies and real talk about scaling a 7-figure group practice without burning out.
Your Business Bestie,
Nicole
