How Can Clinical Wisdom Help You Build a Thriving Private Practice?
Jun 27, 2025I was recently in my office getting ready to see a long-term client when something happened that changed how I think about being a practice owner. The session began like any other, but I could immediately tell my client was struggling with a difficult life decision. They were experiencing intense internal conflict—as if one voice had one opinion and another voice had a completely different one. I watched self-doubt fill their entire being.
I did what I always do: I offered my client my Self energy. As an IFS (Internal Family Systems) therapist, I'm trained to access Self energy—compassion, curiosity, courage, clarity, creativity, connectedness, confidence, and calm. When I offered these qualities that day, my client regained their own Self energy and moved forward with clarity.
But here's what stopped me in my tracks: Right after that session, I checked my email to find a crisis in our group practice. As I began addressing this complex problem, my own self-doubt grew. Those familiar thoughts crept in: Why did you do this to yourself? Why did you become a group practice owner? Who do you think you are?
I've had those moments often as a practice owner—questioning if it's all worth it, if I'm doing a good enough job as a leader and business owner. But stepping back and regaining my Self energy helped me realize something profound: those same skills I use in the therapist chair are exactly what I need as a practice owner.
The truth is, being a practice owner can feel isolating. We often feel alone in our struggles and hesitant to reach out for help. This isolation is why I developed the Next Level Private Practice Summit. Whether you're just starting out, moving from solo to group practice, or working to sustain an established practice, this summit brings us together around a simple truth: our clinical wisdom and business success aren't separate—they're deeply connected.
In this blog, I'll walk you through the questions I hear most often from practice owners and show you how the skills you already have as a therapist are exactly what you need to answer them. From understanding your "why" for starting a practice to marketing authentically, setting boundaries, and avoiding burnout—your clinical training has already prepared you more than you realize.
Why Do Therapists Go Into Private Practice?
When people ask me why I started my own practice, the easy answer is "I wanted to be my own boss." But that's not really the whole truth, is it?
I knew early on in my agency work that I wouldn't be able to sustain that environment long-term. By year two, I was already planning my exit strategy. I was terrified—unsure about how to be successful in private practice or run a business. But I've always had what I call "the entrepreneur heart"—that deep desire for the freedom and autonomy that comes with doing the work I want to do, in the way I want to do it.
Ironically, many people in agency work told me that private practice wouldn't give me the foundational training I needed. I've found that to be completely untrue. Once I gave myself permission to really learn about my areas of passion, it changed the game for me as a clinician. I was finally able to focus on helping people who had experienced complex, deeply rooted trauma. I'd worked with these clients in agency settings before, but I was never given the tools or support to really dig into how to truly help them.
Authenticity in how we offer our clinical skills and run our practices is a true gift. Honoring our clinical instincts while being free of external constraints is what draws most of us to this path. Along the way, I've met inspiring practice owners and entrepreneurs who've helped me keep growing—and I've been lucky enough to invite some of these important people to speak at our upcoming Next Level Private Practice Summit.
How Do You Grow a Mental Health Practice?
Practice growth isn't about aggressive marketing tactics—it's about extending the same genuine care and connection you offer your clients to your community at large. If you're a group practice owner like me, it's also about offering that same care to the people who work with you.
The clinical skills we use every day—active listening, validation, compassion, authenticity, and courage to show up during hard times—are exactly what we need as we grow our practices. When I think about marketing and messaging, the same rules apply. The marketing message must be authentic, reflect empathy, and tell the story about how we help people heal.
We have to earn the trust of our clients in the same way we earn the trust of those who help us grow our practices. Think about it: how do you build rapport with a new client? You listen deeply to understand their world. You validate their experience. You show up authentically. You demonstrate that you genuinely care about their wellbeing. These exact same skills translate to connecting with your community and potential clients.
The therapeutic relationship-building process mirrors building trust with potential clients online and in your community. When your marketing feels genuine rather than "salesy," it's because you're using your clinical skills to connect rather than convince.
At our upcoming Next Level Private Practice Summit, we'll explore how building great marketing messaging showcases our authenticity and produces the results we want to see for practice growth—much like these same strategies produce healing and help clients achieve their treatment goals.
How Do I Market My Therapy Practice Without Feeling Salesy?
This might be the question I hear most often from therapists, and I completely understand why. The idea of "selling" ourselves feels fundamentally at odds with everything we've been trained to do. But here's what I've learned: marketing your therapy practice isn't about selling at all—it's about meeting people where they are, just like in therapy.
Think about how you approach a first session with a new client. You don't walk in with a script or try to convince them of anything. Instead, you listen deeply to understand their world. You validate their experience. You offer hope while being honest about the work ahead. You create a safe space for them to share their story. This is exactly what authentic marketing looks like.
When you use the same empathy in your marketing that you use in sessions, everything changes. Your social media posts become genuine reflections of understanding rather than promotional content. Your website copy speaks to real struggles instead of using generic therapy-speak. Your community presentations focus on connection rather than conversion.
Therapeutic boundaries actually help here too. Just like you wouldn't share inappropriate personal details in session, you can maintain professional boundaries while still being authentic in your marketing. You can share insights about healing without over-sharing about your own journey.
The "salesy" feeling disappears when you focus on authentic connection over generic approaches. At our summit, we'll dive deep into finding your authentic voice and niche, showing how genuine connection naturally leads to practice growth without compromising your values or feeling pushy.
What Business Skills Do Therapists Actually Need to Learn?
When therapists ask me about business skills, I can see the overwhelm in their eyes. They're picturing themselves hunched over spreadsheets or learning complex marketing strategies that feel completely foreign. But here's the truth: you already possess more business skills than you realize.
Look at the SIPP Model—it breaks down practice success into four core areas: Self-Leadership, Impact, Process, and Profit.
Within each layer are specific skills, but notice how many mirror what you already do as a therapist.
Your therapeutic training in assessment? That's market research in disguise. When you assess a client's needs, strengths, and barriers, you're using the same analytical thinking needed to understand your ideal clients and market position. Treatment planning is essentially business planning—you set goals, identify interventions, track progress, and adjust strategies based on outcomes.
Case conceptualization skills translate directly to strategic thinking. You're already trained to see patterns, understand complex systems, and develop comprehensive approaches to complex problems. Revenue cycle management might sound intimidating, but it's really about understanding the flow of your practice—just like you track the flow of therapeutic progress.
The boundary-setting skills you use with clients apply to business boundaries too. The communication skills that help you navigate difficult therapeutic conversations work in challenging business situations. Even your crisis intervention training helps when practice emergencies arise.
At our summit, we'll explore how clinical and business skills work together, showing you that many "business skills" are really clinical skills in new contexts. You don't need to become a different person to succeed in business—you need to trust the wisdom you already have.
How Do I Know If I'm Ready to Start a Private Practice?
This question requires the same kind of honest self-assessment you guide your clients through every day. Just like in therapy, readiness isn't just about one area—it's about looking at the whole picture: clinical, emotional, financial, and practical preparedness.
Use your clinical assessment skills on yourself. What are your triggers around money, rejection, or uncertainty? How do you handle stress when multiple deadlines collide? What's your energy pattern throughout the week, and how might that affect your availability for evening or weekend clients? Understanding your own emotional landscape is just as important as your clinical credentials.
Financial readiness goes beyond having a savings account. Can you handle irregular income for the first six months to a year? Do you understand the basics of business expenses, taxes, and insurance? Have you researched the real costs of starting a practice in your area?
Practical preparedness includes everything from your technology comfort level to your support system. Do you have people who can help you problem-solve when (not if) challenges arise?
The same way you wouldn't expect a client to make a major life change without thorough exploration, don't rush into practice ownership without honest self-reflection. At our summit, we'll address the internal barriers and self-doubt that often hold therapists back from taking this step.
I've created comprehensive self-assessments for each stage of practice ownership: starting up, moving from solo to group practice, and sustaining a successful group practice. These tools can help you assess your readiness with the same thoroughness you'd use with a client.
What's the Biggest Mistake Therapists Make in Private Practice?
The biggest mistake I see? Trying to be everything to everyone—and believing that everything must be perfect while keeping everyone happy and comfortable all the time.
Sound familiar? We often do this in our clinical work too. But just like in therapy, trying to be perfect, make everyone happy, and keep everyone comfortable isn't good practice—whether you're running a business or sitting in the therapist chair.
Think about your clinical training. You learned to specialize, to focus on specific interventions with specific populations. You discovered that effective therapy sometimes requires discomfort, that growth often happens when clients sit with difficult emotions rather than when we rush to make them feel better.
The same principles apply to practice ownership. When you try to serve every possible client with every possible service, you dilute your effectiveness. When you undercharge because you're afraid someone might be unhappy with your rates, you devalue your expertise. When you say yes to every referral because you want to be seen as helpful, you create services that drain rather than energize you.
Your clinical wisdom already knows this. Trust those instincts about your strengths and ideal clients. The specificity that makes you an effective therapist will make you a successful practice owner too.
As a group practice owner, I've learned that trying to keep all my therapists happy and comfortable all the time actually does them a disservice. Just like our clients, our team members grow through challenges and feedback.
At our summit, we'll explore how specialization feels natural when it aligns with your clinical interests and strengths, showing you that niching isn't limiting—it's liberating.
How Do I Set Boundaries as a Private Practice Owner?
If you can set boundaries with clients, you already have the skills to set boundaries in your business. The challenge is recognizing that the same principles apply in both contexts.
In therapy, you know when to say no to a client request that would compromise treatment. In business, you need to say no to clients who aren't a good fit, referrals outside your scope, or schedule requests that would burn you out. Just like in clinical work, a clear "no" often serves everyone better than a reluctant "yes."
Your training in holding space for difficult emotions translates directly to holding space for business challenges without becoming overwhelmed. When a client cancels last-minute, when a team member struggles with boundaries, or when insurance delays payments, you can use the same grounding techniques that help you stay present with clients in crisis.
Consider common boundary issues: working evenings and weekends because you feel guilty saying no, accepting insurance rates that don't sustain your practice, or taking on administrative tasks that drain your energy from clinical work. Your clinical wisdom knows that sustainable helping requires sustainable systems.
Structure your schedule the way you'd design a treatment plan—with intention, balance, and regular evaluation. Protect energy for what matters most, just like you help clients identify and pursue their values.
The difficult conversations you've learned to navigate therapeutically—addressing missed appointments, discussing termination, or setting treatment boundaries—prepare you for business conversations about rates, policies, and expectations.
At our summit, we'll explore confident communication strategies that help you navigate challenging conversations with clients, staff, and referral sources using the therapeutic skills you already possess.
How Do I Avoid Burnout as a Practice Owner?
You teach your clients to recognize burnout warning signs—exhaustion, cynicism, feeling overwhelmed, loss of purpose. As a practice owner, you need to use those same assessment skills on yourself. The irony is that many of us are better at spotting burnout in our clients than in ourselves.
Your clinical training in self-care planning applies directly to practice ownership. Just like you help clients develop coping strategies and self-care routines, you need intentional systems to maintain your own wellbeing. The difference is that practice ownership adds layers of stress that clinical work alone doesn't include—financial pressure, team management, business decisions that affect not just you, but your clients and employees.
The same resilience and coping strategies you teach clients can support you through difficult seasons. When cash flow is tight, when a key team member leaves, or when you're facing a difficult business decision, use the grounding techniques, perspective-taking skills, and problem-solving strategies you guide clients through.
Remember that sustainable practice ownership requires the same long-term thinking you use in treatment planning. You wouldn't expect a client to maintain intensive therapy indefinitely without rest and integration. Similarly, your practice needs seasons of growth and seasons of consolidation.
The inner strength that helps your clients heal through trauma, depression, and anxiety is the same strength that can fuel sustainable practice success. Trust your resilience, but also create systems that support it.
At our summit, we'll explore practical strategies for maintaining wellness while growing a practice, showing you how to apply clinical wisdom to the unique challenges of practice ownership.
Ready to Trust Your Clinical Wisdom in Business?
The truth is, you already have everything you need to build a thriving private practice. The same skills that make you an exceptional therapist—empathy, intuition, boundary-setting, resilience, and the ability to hold space for complexity—are exactly what will make you a successful practice owner.
You don't need to become a different person to succeed in business. You need to trust the wisdom you already possess and learn how to apply it in new contexts.
This is exactly what we'll explore together at the Next Level Private Practice Summit on September 29th and 30th, 2025. Join a community of therapists who understand that clinical excellence and business success aren't opposites—they're complementary. Our speakers will show you how to integrate your clinical values with practical business strategies, addressing everything from authentic marketing to sustainable growth to preventing burnout.
Whether you're just starting your private practice journey, growing from solo to group practice, or working to sustain and scale an established practice, this summit will help you see that your clinical wisdom is your greatest business asset.
Register for the Next Level Private Practice Summit
Want to stay connected with other therapists who are applying clinical wisdom to practice building? Join our Next Level Private Practice Facebook community to continue these conversations and get support from fellow practice owners who truly understand your journey.
About Rachel Bentley
Rachel Bentley, MA, LPC is a licensed therapist with over 10 years of experience supporting clients in Michigan. She specializes in complex trauma, LGBTQIA+ affirming care, and IFS therapy, using evidence-based approaches like EMDR and Internal Family Systems to help clients heal from trauma and anxiety while building resilience for the future.
At COR Counseling, her thriving group practice of 40+ therapists, Rachel is committed to providing compassionate, expert care both in-person and through secure online therapy for clients across Michigan. As the founder of Next Level Private Practice, she helps therapists at every stage build practices that honor both their clinical values and their personal goals, supporting private practice owners from California to New York. Whether you have a new solo practice in Los Angeles, an expanding group practice in Denver, or a thriving, well-established practice in Atlanta, she can help.
