Attracting more clients is crucial for us to grow our practices and maintain a consistent sense of financial stability. This process requires thought and planning, and it often includes a multifaceted combination of networking, marketing, and continuing to strengthen your clinical competence. Here are some of my best strategies.
Truly Define Your Practice Niches
Specifying your niches is often essential. Although it may seem counterintuitive, trying to appeal to everyone can make you seem too unfocused or broad in your work. When you define your niche, you can pour your marketing and training into that demographic.
Practice niches come in several forms, but therapists often discern them by:
- Specific mental health conditions like ADHD, anxiety, substance use disorders, or eating disorders
- Client demographics like young children, parents, teenagers, veterans, or couples
- Specific life stressors like graduating college, getting married, bereavement, or divorce
If you’re struggling to narrow down your niche, I find these reflective questions helpful:
- Which types of clients do I most enjoy working with?
- What kinds of trainings or books do I naturally gravitate toward pursuing?
- What issues feel most aligned with my current expertise?
By solidifying your niches, you can pare down your marketing efforts. Moving forward, all marketing materials should reflect these niches. In addition, every professional activity you pursue should be oriented toward strengthening your expertise within these niches. Over time, you will start developing a reputation for having this specific kind of expertise.
Start Connecting With Other Providers
Although networking may feel burdensome, it’s often necessary in this work. Familiarizing yourself with other professionals increases your exposure, leading to more client referrals and a positive reputation.
Attend local events
Commit to attending a few in-person events every few months. Make the effort to connect with at least a few other attendees and then follow up with an email or text afterward! Consider joining local Facebook groups to meet other therapists in your area.
Engage in online communities
Facebook has many local and statewide therapist groups where mental health professionals seek referrals or consultation about cases. This is an easy (and free) way to market your practice and connect with others.
Think beyond therapists
Over the years, I have networked with other adjacent healthcare professionals like school counselors, doctors and psychiatrists, and local wellness practitioners (like chiropractors and acupuncturists). Remember to think about the other professionals that interact with your client demographics- these are the people worth building relationships with.
Give free services or support to others
Be active in your community and consider hosting free workshops, groups, or talks. While this is an investment of your time (and possibly money), it can also offer invaluable networking. I’ve unintentionally gained client referrals after giving presentations or speaking at conferences- when people like what you offer, they are more likely to want to learn more about you!
List Yourself on a Few Directories
Although some directories can be hit-or-miss, the reality is that most clients still turn to them when looking up providers. It’s a good idea to “test” each of the major directories (Psychology Today, GoodTherapy, and TherapyDen) for about six months to see if you receive any referrals.
The key is to know how to leverage these directories to best attract the right clients. My best tips are to:
Use a professional headshot
Although it’s not mandatory, a high-quality photo of you looking personable may offer a sense of trustworthiness.
Make sure your statement speaks to your ideal client AND sounds like you
Clearly articulate who you help (your niche) and how you help (the theoretical modalities or interventions you use). Use language you’d use naturally within a session and try to steer away from grandiose claims or too much clinical jargon.
Bad statement: “I treat anxiety using a blend of eclectic therapeutic modalities like CBT, ACT, and DBT.”
‘Treat anxiety’ is too broad and while clinicians know these acronyms, the average client doesn’t.
Good statement: I treat adult women experiencing anxiety and panic. My approach focuses on teaching you how to change negative thinking patterns to support better emotional regulation.
This first sentence narrows down the population. The second sentence talks about how you help using more client-friendly language.
Regularly update your profile
Although it’s never been confirmed, some therapists find that regularly changing their profiles may correlate with more referrals. In addition, it’s just a good idea to update your information to reflect any new availability or specialties.
Track your performance
Assess how many inquiries you receive from each directory- consider adjusting or deleting listings after your six-month period.
Have Your Own Website
Even if you leverage directories or social media, having a website is relatively non-negotiable. A well-designed, thoughtful website is key for marketing. If you optimize SEO or paid advertising, you’re significantly more likely to drive traffic to your site and acquire more referrals.
Keep it simple and intuitive
Too much clutter or imagery on any website feels off-putting. Focus on being succinct and thoughtful. You want your copy and images to convey your practice accurately- don’t try to be someone you’re not and don’t strive to emulate someone else’s website if they don’t practice like you do.
Make your contact process transparent
Let clients know exactly how they can reach you and what they can expect upon onboarding. If you offer a complimentary consultation, make that explicit. Communicate how long it typically takes you to get back to certain clients after they contact you.
Integrate SEO
Throughout your website, it’s important to use relevant keywords specific to your target demographic and local area. SEO is a dense topic that can be hard to understand. But at the bare minimum, focus on integrating phrases like, “couples therapist in Los Angeles” or “play therapist for children experiencing grief” that reflect what you do and naturally sync up with phrases your clients might search online.
Consider Paneling with Insurance
Many clients seek to use their insurance benefits to offset some of the costs of therapy. Accepting insurance increases your overall accessibility to others, and it can reduce the need for heavy marketing or networking.
Research which insurance providers you want to panel with
See which ones are accepting new providers and determine what’s necessary for you to apply. You’ll generally need an NPI number, proof of liability insurance, and your completed CAQH profile. Some companies offer to apply for credentialing on your behalf.
Know your reimbursement rates
Reimbursement rates are set (and they are not publicly accessible), but you want to make sure these fees align with your financial needs.
Consider using a biller
You can manage insurance claims on your own, but outsourcing to a biller saves time and simplifiesstreamlines the process. If you have a full practice, this may be well worth the cost.
Offer superbills
Even if you want to stick with private pay services, think about providing superbills. Doing so helps clients receive reimbursement if their insurance covers out-of-network providers. However, it’s important to let clients know that superbills are not guaranteed, and it’s their responsibility to look into the specific benefits with their insurance company directly.
Consider sliding scale or pay-what-you-can instead of insurance
If you don’t want to take insurance (or want to attract more private pay clients), you may also want to consider alternative financial arrangements. Determine if sliding scale rates fit within your budget and then market those accordingly.
Focus on Delivering High-Quality Therapy Above All Else
Some therapists focus too much on increasing their caseload that they unintentionally cut corners with their current clients. This strategy backfires for many reasons- the main one is that it ultimately lowers your retention and can actually harm your therapeutic relationships.
Treat every client with the utmost respect they deserve. Aim to be consistent with your presence and boundaries. Remember that you very well may be the most important hour in someone’s week. I have always found that by nurturing this work tenderly, it nurtures me right back.
