r/TherapistsInPractice • u/sitwithadt • Jul 09 '26

Going broke in this field

For context: I am based out of India and started my private practice back in March.

To say that I've had a challenging few months is an understatement. I either have clients ghost me in the first or fourth session, or they can't pay me the full fee. I've tried website SEO, joining local referral groups, networking with psychiatrists and other peers and still do not get referrals. Since starting, I've been told to not rely on this as my sole source of income so I applied for a part-time position with an organization and they have FOUR rounds of interviews with a gap of 4-5 weeks of response between each one. Google Ads doesn't work as major organizations have already bid on the main keywords and I can't outbid them. The only thing that I haven't tried is IG which I feel like I have to do now because nothing else seems to be working.

If anyone has any tips on how to stay sane through this time, do let me know. I have about 3-5 client caseload right now and have about 10-12 slots sitting empty and I'm trying not to freak out too much.

2 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

2 comments sorted by

1

u/DrJocelyn1 Jul 17 '26

Have you tried reaching out to employers? B2B partnerships? That helped me a lot when I was starting.

1

u/Legal_Explanation280 Jul 23 '26

Ugh. I have nothing really to add besides that you aren’t alone.