Why Do Therapists Struggle to Talk About Their Private Practice?

Many therapists struggle to talk about their private practice. Often, it’s  because they make assumptions about how other people might respond.  

They worry that other people won’t be interested, that they’ll be seen as pushy, or that potential clients won’t be able to afford therapy.  Those assumptions can stop therapists becoming visible and attracting clients.

In this blog I explore these assumptions and ask an uncomfortable question.  When we hold ourselves back from talking about our work, are we really protecting potential clients – or ourselves?

Listen to the Good Enough Counsellors Podcast

These ideas are based on an episode of the Good Enough Counsellors podcast where I share a personal story that led me to reflect on the assumptions we make about potential clients.

Listen here:

If you would like to subscribe to the podcast, click here.

Are You Making Assumptions About Potential Clients?

Most of us learned about the power of assumptions in our initial training.  We may use them to help us navigate life, but problems can arise when we treat them as facts.

Have you ever thought to yourself that potential clients won’t be interested to hear what you have to say on your social media page?  Or that if you mention your work to friends, they’ll think you’re being insensitive or arrogant?  Maybe you’ve been asked about therapy but you think it will be too expensive for someone?

In all of these examples, you’ve decided what someone else is thinking without giving them the opportunity to tell you.

How Do These Assumptions Affect Your Private Practice?

When you’re worried that people will think badly of you for talking about your private practice, you’ll probably feel uncomfortable engaging in any marketing activities.

You may well procrastinate about publishing any information about yourself, for example in a directory or on a website.

You may never set up a social media account.

And you’ll find it difficult to tell people directly that you’re in private practice and have places available.

The result is that your private practice is invisible to the people who you can genuinely help.

Are You Worried About Client Autonomy?

For therapists, anything that sounds like persuasion feels unethical from a client autonomy perspective.  They want people to make up their own minds about having therapy and do not want to pressure them. 

They may also worry about mentioning therapy to acquaintances because of the stigma around mental health problems.  Would it be offensive to suggest that someone would benefit from therapy?

They may simply assume that other people aren’t interested in hearing about therapy and so hold themselves back from talking about it.

And yet in their desire to respect others, they may well leave the potential client without sufficient knowledge of therapy to make an informed choice.

Are You Deciding What Clients Can Afford?

One of the assumptions that we make about therapy is whether people will find it affordable.  

We may think that people won’t want to spend that much money on counselling, that they won’t be able to afford it, or simply that we’re charging too much money.

When we think this, we may well be projecting our own relationship with money onto other people.  If £70 feels like a lot to us, we’ll assume it is a lot to other people too.

We can also forget that different people choose to spend their money on different things.  For some people, mending a relationship, improving their mental health or finding a way to cope with anxiety is something they’re prepared to invest in.

Yet when we assume that people can’t afford therapy, we’re making their decision for them. We haven’t respected their ability to make their own choices and exercise their own autonomy.

Instead, we’ve answered the question before they’ve even had a chance to consider it.

“I realised I was putting myself in someone else’s shoes, but I had no evidence that what I imagined was actually true” – Good Enough Counsellors podcast

Who Are You Protecting?

For me, this was the part of my reflection that gave me the most discomfort.  

I told myself that I didn’t want to bother people. I didn’t want to embarrass them by inviting them to something they weren’t interested in, or make assumptions about their financial situation.

But I realised there was another layer.

I was trying to protect myself from feelings such as rejection, disappointment or embarrassment.

For a private practice therapist, trying to protect yourself means you’re less likely to talk about your service.  But it also means people are less likely to hear about it.

Noticing that you’re caring about what people think doesn’t make you wrong.  It makes you human.  But it also means that you can choose differently and offer people the opportunity to make up their own minds.

Why This Matters

As therapists, we’re often very careful to help clients make their own choices.  We don’t tell people what they should do – we listen as they explore their options and trust them to decide.

Perhaps we need to show potential clients the same respect.

Rather than assuming they won’t be interested or can’t afford therapy, we need to allow them to make a decision for themselves.  Our role is to let them know we’re here, explain how we help and allow them to make up their own minds.

Don’t Make the Same Assumptions As Me

Too often I assume that people won’t be interested in Therapy Growth Group or can’t afford it.

But I’d rather give you the opportunity to decide for yourself.

If you’re ready to take small, practical steps to grow your private practice alongside a supportive community of therapists, I’d love to welcome you.  Find out more HERE.

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