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You can do this. Let’s build your dream practice

You can do this. Let’s build your dream practice together! Follow @theprivatepracticepro

Therapists! Tell me ONE thing you do to bring in c

Therapists! Tell me ONE thing you do to bring in clients when your caseload is low! Let’s brainstorm a giant list of marketing tips together! Then make sure to save and revisit the list 👇

SAVE THIS! You are going to want this math later!

SAVE THIS! You are going to want this math later!

Comment the word GROW and I will show you how!

What is the moral of this story? Your FEE matters. The number of weeks you work MATTERS. The number of clients you see per week matters.

Your earning potential comes down to TWO things:

Math and Marketing

Set your financial goals and stick to your boundaries. And then learn to market yourself to the clientele you want to see!

❤️❤️❤️ This math is calculated without taxes. Remember, your tax rate depends on your individual financial situation.

Comment the word GROW and I will show you how!

****Before you come at me in the comments. I want you to remember a few things. I keep FOUR spots in my practice at $20 or below per session. Every therapist creates accessibility in ways that work for them. I choose to have your low fee spots, donate to mental health non profits, and vote for politicians who favor mental health funding. Additionally I live in Southern California where BOTH my expenses and my rate are high. The point of this reel is that you always need to do the math before setting income limits on yourself. In less affluent areas you may need to charge less but you may also pay less in overhead (my office rent was $2200 per month before I went virtual).

Let’s create sustainable strategies to fill your

Let’s create sustainable strategies to fill your private practice that work for the long-term—with or without social media! 🚀 Comment 🚀 emoji, and I’ll send you my free guide: Four Ways to Bring in Clients Without Social Media. ❤️

PLEASE SHARE THIS 👇👇👇👇 Every one of u

PLEASE SHARE THIS 👇👇👇👇

Every one of us is on our own financial journey, and the decisions we make as therapists often reflect our unique circumstances. 💭💼

Some of us are still paying off substantial student loans. 🎓 Some of us are supporting children and dreaming of sending them to college one day. 🎒📚 Others are the primary income earners for their families, shouldering significant financial responsibility. 💪👨‍👩‍👧‍👦

Some of us live in areas where insurance reimbursement rates don’t even cover the cost of running a practice. 💸 Others are navigating the high cost of living or saving for retirement because no one else will do it for us. 🏡🌅

Some of us are not in a financial position to take on the risks of clawbacks or delayed payments from insurance companies. ⏳ Others choose not to work within the limitations insurance companies place on session lengths, treatment modalities, or client care. 📝⛔

Some of us prefer to spend more time focused on our clients rather than the administrative burdens that often come with insurance panels. 📋 And for some, cash-pay allows us the flexibility to reinvest in our practices, attend advanced trainings, or give back to our communities in other meaningful ways. 🎓🤝

The truth is, there’s no one right way to be a therapist, and there’s no perfect way to create accessibility in a private practice. Accessibility can look different for everyone—it might mean offering sliding scale appointments, taking one or two insurance panels, working pro bono once a month, donating to mental health organizations, offering free psychoeducational events in your community, creating online resources for those who can’t afford therapy, or advocating for systemic change by voting for policies that increase public mental health funding. 🗳️📢

The point is: there’s no single formula for doing this work. But there is a wrong way, and that’s shaming other therapists for the decisions they make to support themselves and their families. ❌

What are some ways you’ve chosen to create accessibility in your practice? Let’s share ideas and grow together. ❤️🌟

OK, this is serious. I want you right now in the c

OK, this is serious. I want you right now in the comments to tell me what success actually looks like for YOU.

✨ When I first started my private practice, I was seeing 35 clients a week. I was so afraid of going back to making what I earned in community mental health—$16 an hour—that I swung in the opposite direction. I crammed my schedule full, thinking more clients = more success. Spoiler: it was a recipe for burnout. I was exhausted, my boundaries were nonexistent, and I knew something had to change.

✨ Now? My youngest is in childcare from 9 to 2, and my oldest is in childcare from 9 to 3:30. During that time, I work efficiently—seeing clients and running Private Practice Pro. I wake up at 4 AM every day, and that’s my time to focus (I go to sleep at 9pm) I spend those two quiet hours answering emails, working on SEO, and promoting my business so I can continue to build a strong referral network and attract clients who fit my schedule. Then at 9 AM, I dive into my one-to-one work with clients—the heart of my day.

✨ But here’s the thing: this didn’t happen overnight. In the beginning, I worked late into the evenings—sometimes until 9 PM—because I was building something. I was in the building phase, and it felt necessary at the time.

✨ What does building overflow really mean? It means doing enough marketing and promoting myself consistently so that I have a steady stream of referrals. This allows me to turn away clients who don’t fit my schedule and refer them to other providers who take evening or weekend clients. That overflow doesn’t just happen—it takes work, and I focus on a lot of that during my early mornings when the house is quiet.

✨ Here’s the truth: success in private practice isn’t about seeing as many clients as possible. It’s about building a business that lets you meet your financial goals and gives you the flexibility to live your life. For me, that’s working mornings, being with my kids in the afternoons, and showing up fully for the clients I do see.

✨ Are you in the grind phase right now, or are you working on building a practice that works for you? Let me know in the comments—I’d love to hear where you’re at and what’s working for you!

Get ready to SAVE this list! And comment the word

Get ready to SAVE this list! And comment the word PAPERWORK if you want me to send you the link to my Ultimate Paperwork Packet (which includes all these forms!)

Client Onboarding Forms
Welcome Letter
Practice Policies
Informed Consent
Guardian Consent
No Secrets Couples Policy
Consent for Telehealth
Release of Information (ROI)
Email Confidentiality Form
Financial Responsibility Form
Credit Card Authorization Form

Financial and Insurance Forms
Collection Letter
Superbill
Estimate of Benefits
Good Faith Estimate Evaluation
Insurance Opt-In Form
Sliding Scale Agreement
Good Faith Estimate

Legal and Privacy Forms
HIPAA Business Agreement
Email Confidentiality Form

Communication and Referral Forms
Referral Letter
Termination Letter

Clinical Forms and Templates
Private Practice Clinical Forms & Templates
Intake Form - Adult
Intake Form - Couples
Intake Form - Minors
Substance Abuse Intake Form
Mental Status Exam
Letter of Progress

🫣Okay, I know that raising our fees is HARD! Es

🫣Okay, I know that raising our fees is HARD! Especially right now. But raising your fee, even by small increments, is key to keeping up with inflation in your own daily living costs.

❤️Since it’s hard to fit all this into one Instagram caption, I pulled it all together in a simple fee raise guide! Inside are all my scripts and expanded paperwork language etc. Comment ‘FREEBIE’ on this reel, and I’ll send you my complete fee-raising guide.

Let’s chat about it—put your fee raise questions in the comments, and I’ll be answering them today! ✨

That’s why I suggest doing this 👇

✔️ Raise your fee annually in small increments, like $10-$20 per session. DON’T procrastinate and raise it by huge amounts every 5-10 years—it’s harder for both you and your clients.

✔️ Mention your fee policy in intake paperwork: ‘I raise my fee by (percentage) every January. Clients will be notified 30 days prior.’ (this is intake paperwork language, spiked script is in the caption. )

✔️ Use clear, simple language when reminding clients in person:

❤️ Script: “Just a quick reminder that I raise my fee every January by 10%. In 4 weeks, you’ll notice a $15 increase in your session fee on your statements.” PAUSE HERE. Most clients will already be aware of this change from your paperwork and won’t have questions. More than likely, you already know which clients might not be able to afford a fee increase, and you have to use your best clinical judgment on whether to increase their fee or how to approach that conversation—or whether to raise their fee at all. On many occasions, I’ve decided not to raise fees for 2-3 clients in my practice where I know that doing so would prevent them from affording therapy.

You’ve got this! ✨

❤️ Kelley

Want to hear exactly how I handle cancellations in

Want to hear exactly how I handle cancellations in my practice? Comment LATE and I’ll DM you my YouTube tutorial breaking it all down✨

✨ Here’s the reality: As therapists, we show up to 10, 20, sometimes even 30 sessions a week. Most of our clients, on the other hand, only need to show up for one session per week. That’s the difference—and it matters a ton 😘

❤️ With the sheer number of sessions we hold space for, it’s inevitable that at some point, we’ll need to cancel. Maybe it’s an emergency, illness, or simply needing to protect your energy. When it happens occasionally, it’s not a failure—it’s part of being a therapist.

💡 But if you’re in a season where cancellations are happening more often—like once a month or more—it’s worth reassessing your policies.

👶 👦For example, I have young kids, which sometimes means needing to reschedule. To account for this, I give all my clients one free pass per year for missed sessions. It’s a simple way to balance flexibility with the structure and boundaries that keep the therapeutic relationship strong.

⚡ Protecting your energy isn’t selfish—it’s essential to your career longevity. If we’re running on empty, we can’t show up for clients the way they need us to. Boundaries like these help us stay present, effective, and sustainable in this work for the long haul.

📩 Want to hear exactly how I handle cancellations in my practice? Comment LATE and I’ll DM you my YouTube video breaking it all❤️

❤️SAVE this post ❤️ ✨Then comment the w

❤️SAVE this post ❤️

✨Then comment the word SCRIPTS, and I’ll DM you the link to my 27 best private practice scripts 👇

✨Every therapist is going to tackle the first session differently. I work with many young adults, and often, one of their first questions is, “How long will therapy last?

✨One thing I know is that clients get used to coming in and telling me about their struggles, and some of my young adult clients are afraid to let me know when they’re feeling better. This feeling is so normal because therapy has become a safe space for them by the time they start to feel it.

🫶🏻The thing is, I want my clients to know (from the very beginning) my goal is NOT to make them dependent on me.

☺️I often tell my clients, “Therapy isn’t over when your life is perfect. You might know that you’re ready for therapy to be done or to take a pause when you can tell yourself, ‘I know my life isn’t perfect, but I have the tools to deal with the storms.”

👍🏻 Please recognize that every therapist works with different populations and we have different approaches. I will often adapt this, depending on the needs and presenting diagnosis of the client.

😀I’m super curious to know if you use a similar or different approach with your clients!

Tell me in the comments👇

❤️Wondering how much it ✨really✨costs to s

❤️Wondering how much it ✨really✨costs to start a private practice? Hint: It is definitely NOT as much as you are imagining!

Instead of trying to squeeze it all into this caption, I’ve put together a free PDF that breaks down all the startup costs for you—nice and easy. Just comment
❤️START UP❤️, and I’ll send it straight to your DMs!

And remember, you don’t have to go all-in right away. You can totally start your practice part-time alongside your 9-5. It’s a great way to reduce risk and bring in extra income as you build up to full-time. So many therapists in my Private Practice Roadmap Course start this way, and the best part? Private practices can be whatever you want them to be—you’re in control!

Comment ❤️START UP ❤️and I’ll send over the cost guide!

❤️, Kelley

Tell me what you TRY to do between sessions 😜🫣💓

Here is my list:👇
- pee
- scroll
- snack
- notes
- coffee

How long did it take you to fill your caseload? I

How long did it take you to fill your caseload? I want to collect a survey of answers in the caption! The more detailed the better 👇

If you’ve been googling “How long does it take to fill my caseload as a therapist in private practice?” let me save you the time: there’s no one right answer😬

Here’s what I’ve learned—every therapist’s journey is soooo different.

✨ Some therapists are building their practice part-time.
✨ Some are going full-time and putting their marketing plans into action.
✨ And some are taking things at their own pace—and that’s totally fine.

The reality? There’s no “normal” timeline. It won’t magically happen in a month, but it doesn’t have to take years, either. The key is creating a marketing plan that works for YOU and actually following through. YUP!

In my Marketing for Therapists course, I share a six-month marketing planner that lays it all out step-by-step, so you always know what to do next. Does everyone implement it at the same pace? No—but the ones who stick with it fill their caseloads

❤️If you’re ready to grow your practice, comment GROW and I’ll send you all the details!

❤️ Kelley

Be honest! Did your first office look like this? M

Be honest! Did your first office look like this? Many envision a fancy office with leather chairs and tea when considering private practice. But I want you to remember that private practice can be squeezed into the corner of an old guestroom with piles of laundry just out of sight! We all start somewhere!

Thinking about subleasing an office part-time? 🤔 SAVE these questions, and you’ll thank yourself later!

❤️When I first started in private practice, I subleased the funniest little office. My clients nicknamed it “The Forest Office” because it was full of plants—and one was literally growing out of the wall🙄but the truth? It’s all I could afford at the time. The carpet was hideous, and I wasn’t exactly proud to show it off, but I only stayed there a couple of months.

😝Here’s the thing: Every practice starts somewhere. Whether it’s a windowless office with bad lighting or a tiny corner in someone else’s space, what matters is that you’re taking steps toward building the practice you want.

✨ If you’re thinking about subleasing, here are some tips:
1️⃣ Ask about soundproofing—your clients’ privacy is non-negotiable.
2️⃣ Confirm the AC schedule—you’ll thank me in July.
3️⃣ Look for flexibility—can you rent by the hour or half-day if you’re just starting?

You don’t need the perfect space to begin, just one that works for you right now. Let’s chat—are you thinking about subleasing?

❤️ Kelley

SAVE 🌟 this list to reference later! 💡 If I

SAVE 🌟 this list to reference later!

💡 If I had to start my private practice all over again, I’d do a LOT differently. After years of learning the hard way, here’s what I’d change to save myself time, stress, and energy 👇👇👇

🤝 First, I’d focus on building QUALITY referral relationships. In the early days, I was hustling to meet everyone, but it was the deeper, quality connections that brought in the clients who were a good fit for my practice.

2️⃣Second, I would’ve niched down WAY sooner. Getting specific about who I help made all the in growing my practice! Comment NICHE to snag my niche workbook 🥰

📱 Lastly, I wish I’d started social media with a plan, but instead of doing whatever one else was doing, I would’ve focused on speaking directly to my ideal clients and their pain points—answering their real-life questions, not just jumping on what I thought it meant to be a therapist on IG.

Feeling overwhelmed about starting your own practice? Drop “roadmap” in the comments, and I’ll send you my step-by-step course to get started! Let’s make sure your path to success is smoother than mine. 👏

#PrivatePracticePro #TherapistMarketing #TherapistLife #BusinessGrowth #PrivatePracticeTips #TherapistCommunity #EntrepreneurLife #GrowYourPractice

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Private practice is simpler than you think.
Let's build your dream practice.
I'll show you how.

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150 Sanderling Lane
Goleta, CA 93117
[email protected]
805-243-8241

© 2025 The Private Practice Pro | Kelley Stevens, LMFT

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