11/11/2025
Are you checking your email every hour, looking for a new referral that never comes? You're not alone. When many therapists first start, they think the clients will just... show upp. They set up their profiles. They let people know they are accepting clients. And then they wait.
The silence can be deafening. Every day without a referral can feel like proof you weren’t cut out for this.
Here's what nobody tells you: marketing yourself can almost feel gross when you're a helping professional. You went into this field to serve people, not sell yourself. The idea of "promoting" your practice feels uncomfortable. Maybe even wrong.
But try to think of it this way: If people can't find you, you can't help them. Marketing isn't about convincing people they need therapy. It's about making it easy for the right people to find you when they're ready.
The good news? Some of the most effective strategies are not glamorous. With over sixteen years in the field, I can say, ‘Your people will find you’. I've seen new therapists fill their caseloads by prioritizing simple, unglamorous actions over expensive or complicated marketing.
Instead of chasing the big marketing strategies, focus on these three things that actually work:
1. The Colleague Coffee Date: Schedule one 30-minute coffee or lunch meeting with an established therapist who is booked solid. This is the most immediate referral pathway a new practice can build. (They can't refer to you if they don't know your niche.)
2. The Hyper-Local Group: Join three local therapist-only Facebook or email groups and check them out often for posts from colleagues looking for specific referrals (e.g., "Need an EMDR specialist for a teen"). Respond to every single one.
3. The Availability Update: Update your availability status on sites like Psychology Today and your website every single week, even if it's to confirm you are "accepting new clients." This simple consistency keeps your profile active and you top-of-mind for potential referrals.
You don't need a perfect website or a huge social media following. You just need to show up consistently in a few key places. You were called to serve, not to sit in an e
