How Do I Get Cash Pay/Private Pay Clients In Private Practice?
You formed your business, applied for the appropriate licenses, and launched your website. However, no one is contacting you and you begin to worry.
Two week passes by and you start questioning if you made the right decision to open your own practice.
For those on insurance panels, you may find it much easier to find clients as you’ll be listed on their provider directory.
However, for those who are entirely cash-pay, this is much more difficult as you’ll have to market your services by yourself.
These are all things I’ve done to get clients in my own private practice with great success. Find the ones that resonate with you.
Methods To Get Cash Pay Therapy Clients
Here are the most common ways to market as a therapist in private practice.
01. Solve A Client’s Problem
Speak directly to the client’s pain and offer them hope and solutions
Use “you” language
How can you solve their problems they are experiencing?
Reflect: If you were looking for a therapist yourself, what would you be looking for on a profile/directory/video/website?
02. Provide Great Therapy And Customer Service
Current client and former clients will provide you ample referrals, months and years after they end services with you
Some people do not search online for therapists, but ask their community, friends, and family for personal recommendations
03. Create a Compelling & Concise Website
Mixture of good web design (fast loading time, easy to use, visually appealing, branding) AND copy (writing that speaks to the client and makes them feel like you are a competent therapist who can help them)
Most people looking for services will search online
Write great copy for your website
Put yourself in your client’s shoes
If you were looking for a therapist, what would you be looking for on a website? Photos? Education? Training? How to contact them?
There’s generally 2 type of visitors to your website
Prospective clients who know your name from a referral and want to learn more about you
They will search your name
Prospective clients who are looking for a local therapist searching for general or specific terms
Common searches
Trauma therapist near me
Couples therapist near me
Counseling for depression
Counseling for anxiety
How can I find a therapist?
(Insurance name here) therapist near me
Therapists accepting (insurance name here)
Did you know?
Most visitors only stay on a website for 10-20 seconds before leaving
To gain user attention for 1-2 minutes, you must clearly communicate your value proposition within 10-15 seconds
03. Have Landing Pages & Specialty Pages On Your Website
Most therapists have websites, but lack landing pages
Landing pages are the secret sauce to a good website that will convert clients from thinking of going to therapy, to booking a session with you
Have a landing page for each speciality area you offer
Therapy for EMDR
Couples therapy
Anxiety therapy
ERP therapy
Depression therapy
A landing page is designed to convert visitors on a website through taking some sort of action
Booking a consultation call
Booking a session
Signing up for a newsletter
04. Blogging
Consider length and quality of your blog post; write in depth information about a topic/symptom/concern (how it’s defined, your approach, and how you can solve it for the client)
Blog consistently (once a week, once a month)
Complete keyword research on what is low competition and write on these topics
Write about what you know and love
05. Specialize & Niche
When someone is looking for a solution to their problem, the more knowledgeable, skilled, and experienced someone is, the more likely to work with that therapist
Some will even pay out of pocket/cash for a speciality
Sex therapy
EMDR
Couples therapy
In the Seattle market, sex therapy and couples therapy are both in demand and most don’t accept insurance and are turning clients away due to full caseloads
06. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
You have a website, but no one is visiting
SEO is a method of of getting more quality visitors to your website who will then decide to pursue services with you (e.g. a new client)
Optimizing SEO can include
Using relevant key words
Title tags
Creating new compelling content
Descriptions
Etc.
Your goal is to rank on page 1 on Google for your targeted keywords
SEO is an organic way of doing this (e.g. not paying for it, see #12 Google Ads)
Did you know?
About 75% of visitors stay on the first page of their Google search only. Only 25% of visitors goes to the 2nd and 3rd pages.
07. Networking With Other Therapists
Nothing beats the power of relationship with other clinicians who work similarly to you
When these clinicians are full and unable to take new prospective clients, they can refer those clients to you who might be a good fit
Meet with like-minded folks in other fields who might need referrals as well
For example, if you work with survivors of trauma and PTSD, you might want to network with psychiatrists, nurse practitioners, massage therapists, body workers, and nutritionists
08. Networking With Organizations
Meeting and developing relationships with organizations can also be helpful
For example, if you work with eating disorders, disordered eating, and body image, you might want to network with local residential eating disorder centers who offer a higher level of care
Once these clients end PHP and IOP, they might need an outpatient therapist to maintain their gains and manage symptoms
09. Facebook Therapist Groups
When there is an ISO (in search of) post, you should reply if you are a good fit
Offer something valuable when posting even if you aren’t a good fit so you can be more known in the community
10. Therapy Directories
Psychology Today
Therapy Den
Good Therapy
Inclusive Therapists
Mental Health Match
Consider speciality directories too:
Therapy for Black Girls
Asian Mental Health Collective
South Asian Therapists
And more
11. Google Ads
Most people looking for services will search online
Google Ads is one way to target and attract these prospective clients through the use of targeted and specific keywords
You can stat with a modest budget ($40-50) before committing to a larger budget
If you are overwhelmed and unsure how to run a successful Google Ads campaign, hire someone to do it for you
12. Speaking Engagements
Doing workshops, lectures, panels, and speaking engagements is a great way for the general public to learn more about you and gain more visitors to your website
13. Out-Of-Network Page
Have a section on your website about why you don’t accept insurance and offer psycho education on OON benefits
Offer a third party company who can help them file on their behalf such as Reimbursify
“I am considered out-of-network and can provide you a monthly….”
“I am not directly paneled with insurance companies, but am eligible for out-of-network reimbursement as a licensed….”
14. HARO
HARO connects journalists seeking expertise to include in their content with sources who have that expertise
Great way to increase SEO by having backlinks
15. Peer Consultation Group & Supervisors
Can provide you ample referrals
They already know your ideal client and how you work
16. Social Media
Instagram, TikTok and Youtube are great options if you are social media savvy
This depends on your personality and commitment to creating new content daily/weekly (requires lots of time and effort)
If you are not devoted to social media, you can find another avenue to market
Yes, This List Is Long
But find the marketing methods that work for your personality, brand, ideal client, and business!
What will work for one therapist will not work for another.
Marketing is truly about fostering relationships through stories, authenticity and offering hope. There are thousands of therapists out there, but there’s only one of you.
You’re building trust, offering value, and connection with prospective clients that you can help them with their issues.
You’re building rapport, offering value, and trust with other therapists who do the same/similar work with you. When they are full and unable to accept new clients, they will refer those clients to you (and vice versa).
Tips For Finding Cash/Private Pay Clients
Business Plan
A business plan is crucial to strategizing your business
What are your strengths and how can you capitalize on them?
What are your weaknesses and how can you anticipate this when something happens in the future?
Where does your ideal client hang out and how can you use this knowledge to market to them?
Marketing is not just about 100% selling yourself, it’s also about building a relationship with other therapists and clients (prospective and current)
Having prospective clients trust you, get to know you, how you work, and that you are the expert who can help them with their concerns
Having other therapists trust you, like you, remember you, your skills, and your ability to help clients (so they refer clients to you when they are full or unable to work a client for whatever reason)
This means understanding yourself and your business including your:
Values
Mission
Goals
This is why writing a well defined and detailed business plan is crucial
Create a visually appealing AND well written AND easy to navigate AND SEO website
For anywhere from $5-25 a month, your website will serve so much value for you in terms of marketing, advertising, differentiating you as an expert, contacting you, etc.
If you get one new client from your website, you’ve already made back the expense and earned profit!
Be Authentic
Your personality, style, and approach will work for a certain type of client and will resonate with them
Don’t try to adapt or shrink yourself to fit each and every client
This will make your work so much easier and more fun
Consistency
Marketing is a long term game.
Some methods such as SEO and building a referral network takes months and years, not days and weeks
Fit For Your Personality & Interests
Find a marketing approach that fits your style, approach, and interests. Do something you enjoy rather than what others are doing. If you don’t enjoy social media, don’t post on Instagram or TikTok. If you don’t enjoy writing regularly, don’t blog. There are many ways to market so find the one that works for you.
Solve A Problem
Clients are seeking a therapist because they are in distress and overwhelmed.
Make it easy for clients to know that you can help them with their issues, how you can help them, and how to contact you for next steps
Continue Learning
Listen to podcasts, read books, and seek support from others about marketing
If you have no interest or time in this area, outsource and pay someone else to manage your marketing or pay a business consultant for their experience, wisdom, and knowledge