When you’re building a counselling private practice, there will be moments when you feel close to giving up. In this blog, I want to share a couple of simple ways to draw on your own strength so you can stay motivated, even when things feel slow or uncertain.
When my youngest was born and I had three small children under five, these lyrics from The Lighthouse Family’s hit High gave me the hope to carry on:
“when you’re close to tears, remember, one day this will all be over”
It reminded me that the toughest moments pass – and that I could keep going. That same resilience is what can carry you through the challenging times in your practice.
Listen below to the full podcast episode, where I share more personal stories and practical strategies for sustaining your motivation.
If you’d like to listen to the podcast, you can do so here:
If you would like to subscribe to the podcast, click here.
Remember How You’ve Coped Before
When work feels quiet or your marketing efforts don’t seem to be paying off, it’s easy to doubt yourself. One of the most powerful things you can do is look back at the challenges you’ve already faced in life – and how you got through them.
Maybe you’ve navigated a difficult relationship or endured bullying, taken care of children in exhausting circumstances, or survived a time of loss or poor health. Those experiences required strength, problem-solving, and persistence – qualities you still have today.
I’m reminded of my university days, dragging a huge suitcase from place to place during the holidays because I didn’t want to go home. It taught me resourcefulness and the ability to ask for help – both skills that still serve me now.
Taking the time to name and acknowledge those skills may feel self-centred or boastful; but it’s a way of recognising your capacity to cope. In the podcast episode, I share a beautiful reflection exercise that will help you see just how much resilience you’ve already built up.
Reconnect With Why You’re Doing This
When the day-to-day feels hard, reconnecting with your deeper reasons for becoming a counsellor can be the “carrot” that keeps you moving forward.
Why did you want to do this work in the first place? Was it to help people heal from the same kind of pain you’ve experienced? To break the cycle of intergenerational trauma? To make a tangible difference in someone’s life?
In the full episode, I share how focusing on the people I’m trying to help makes my own fears and self-doubt feel much smaller — and how you can use this mindset shift to get past the hesitation that holds you back from marketing yourself.
There’s More Support in the Podcast
These two steps alone can give you a boost when things feel difficult — but there’s much more you can do to keep yourself going in private practice.
In the full podcast episode, I also share:
- How to deal with your inner critic when you feel like giving up
- Ways to sustain your energy during quiet times
- The importance of community for resilience (and where to find it)
- Why setbacks don’t define your worth as a therapist
🎧 Listen to the full episode here
or find it on your favourite podcast app.
Get Support Inside Therapy Growth Group
If you’d like a place where you can share the real ups and downs of private practice – without judgement – and get practical support to keep moving forward, you’ll find it in Therapy Growth Group.
Our weekly coaching calls are a space where you can talk honestly about what’s working (and what isn’t) and get encouragement, ideas, and strategies from me and other therapists who understand the challenges. You don’t have to do this on your own – we’re here to help you keep going and grow the practice you want.
👉 Find out more about Therapy Growth Group here.