Your Psychology Today Profile is Costing You Clients
When someone types their zip code into Psychology Today, they get a wall of therapists. Rows and rows of faces with four lines of text underneath each one.
Four lines. That's what you get before they scroll past you.
If your first line is "Hello! My name is..." or "I am a Licensed Professional Counselor with 10 years of experience..." you've already lost them. You sound like everyone else. And when everyone sounds the same, people pick based on convenience or cost - not fit.
Your first line is your niche statement.
The very first sentence of your profile should tell your ideal client exactly who you help. Not your credentials. Not your modalities. Not a greeting. Your niche.
I just searched a random Atlanta zip code. Here's what I saw over and over:
"Hello! My name is [name] and I am a licensed therapist in the state of Georgia..."
"I am a Licensed Professional Counselor with a Master's degree in..."
"Welcome! I'm [name], a passionate and dedicated therapist committed to fostering growth..."
"Congratulations! You just made an important step in the change process..."
None of these tell me who they help. None of these make me stop scrolling.
Now compare to this:
"I help high-achieving women navigate life stressors and mental health concerns."
"I specialize in working with big-hearted people-pleasers who want to move beyond limiting patterns of self-doubt, fear, and overthinking."
"Therapy for new moms who feel like they're failing at everything."
Those make the right person stop. Those make someone think "wait - that's me."
The four-line test.
Before you do anything else, go look at your profile the way a potential client sees it. Search your zip code. Find yourself in the list. Look at those four lines.
Do they tell someone who you help? Do they speak to the client's experience? Or do they talk about you?
If your four lines are about your credentials, your training, your years of experience, or your therapeutic approach - rewrite them.
Speak to them, not about you.
Your ideal client isn't searching for a therapist thinking "I hope I find someone with a Master's degree from a good school who uses an integrative approach combining CBT and mindfulness."
They're thinking "I'm exhausted. I'm anxious. I don't know what's wrong with me. I need someone who gets it."
Write to that person.
Instead of: "I am a licensed therapist with 15 years of experience specializing in anxiety and depression."
Try: "You're exhausted from holding everything together. The anxiety never stops, even when everything looks fine from the outside."
The first one is a resume. The second one is a mirror.
What to cut.
Your full name in the first line (it's already at the top of the profile). Your credentials in the first paragraph (save them for later). Long lists of modalities (clients don't know what these mean). Generic phrases like "warm and supportive environment" or "meet you where you are." Anything that could be copied and pasted onto another therapist's profile.
What your first four lines should include.
Line 1: Who you help (your niche statement). Lines 2-4: What they're experiencing and what's possible.
That's it. You have maybe 10 seconds before they scroll. Use those seconds to make the right person feel seen.
The rest of the profile.
Once you've hooked them with the first four lines, then you can talk about your approach, your background, what makes you different. But none of that matters if they never click through to read it.
The issues and specialties checkboxes matter too - don't check 30 boxes. Pick the ones that genuinely reflect who you want to work with. Every box you check dilutes your message.
Test it.
Search your zip code. Look at your profile next to everyone else's. Would you click on you? Does anything make you stand out?
If not, rewrite your first line today. Make it your niche statement. Make it about them.
Join the Patreon community for profile reviews, marketing feedback, and weekly support: https://patreon.com/privatepay
Not Everyone Deserves to Be in Your Network
Your network is a resource. It's not a popularity contest.
I know that sounds harsh. We're therapists - we're trained to be inclusive, to give people the benefit of the doubt, to assume positive intent. And that's great in the therapy room. But your professional network isn't the therapy room.
If someone adds me on social media and then never engages with me - never comments, never likes, never messages, nothing - I remove them. And I don't add them back.
Because connection without engagement isn't connection. It's just noise.
The collector problem.
Some people collect connections like Pokémon cards. They add everyone, follow everyone, and send connection requests to anyone with "therapist" in their bio. But they never actually connect.
They're not building relationships. They're building a number.
And here's the thing: a network full of people who don't know you, don't engage with you, and wouldn't recognize your name if it came up isn't a network. It's a list. Lists don't send referrals.
Networking is reciprocal.
Real networking is mutual. It's "I see you, I trust you, and I want to support you. Can we support each other?"
That means both people show up. Both people engage. Both people remember that the relationship exists between coffee meetings.
If you're the only one initiating, the only one commenting, the only one checking in - that's not a relationship. That's you doing all the work while someone else benefits from your effort.
You're allowed to stop.
Who belongs in your network.
Your network should be people you actually know and trust. People you'd feel confident referring a client to. People who would think of you when the right opportunity comes up. You know how to do a “Vibe Check,” because you do it every day. Trust that.
Ask yourself: If this person messaged me asking for a referral, would I know enough about their work to give them one? If the answer is no, what are they doing in your network?
Who doesn't belong.
People who added you and disappeared. People who only reach out when they want something. People who take your referrals but never send any back. People who've shown you through their behavior that the relationship is one-sided. People you just don’t connect with, or even people who don’t show up as a good human being.
You don't owe anyone access to your professional network just because they clicked a button.
How to clean house.
You don't need to make a big announcement about it. Just start paying attention.
Who engages with your content? Who responds when you reach out? Who shows up consistently, even in small ways?
Those people stay.
Who's been silent for months or years? Who only appears when they need something? Who added you and then acted like you don't exist?
Remove them. Unfollow them. Let the connection fade.
This isn't mean. It's maintenance.
The energy you protect.
Every connection in your network takes up space - mental space, if nothing else. When you scroll through your feed and see posts from people you don't recognize, that's clutter. When you get a message from someone you haven't heard from in two years asking for a favor, that's a drain.
Protecting your network is protecting your energy.
And when your network is smaller but stronger, something shifts. You actually know the people in it. You trust them. You think of them when opportunities come up because you have real relationships, not just names on a list.
A note on guilt.
If you're feeling guilty about this, notice that. Where does that guilt come from?
Is it the belief that you should be available to everyone? That saying no to a connection is somehow unkind? Is your worth as a professional tied to how many people want to be in your orbit?
Those beliefs will burn you out. Not just in networking - in everything.
You're allowed to have standards for who gets access to you professionally. You're allowed to protect your time, your energy, and your referral relationships. You're allowed to build a network that actually works instead of one that just looks impressive.
The bottom line.
Build real relationships. Engage with the people you want to stay connected to. And let go of the ones who were never really connected in the first place.
Your network will be smaller. It will also be infinitely more valuable.
The Networking Toolkit has everything you need to build relationships that actually lead to referrals - scripts, templates, and a tracker to stay organized: https://privatepaypractitioners.com/services
How to Calculate Your Private Pay Rate (And Actually Charge It)
“What should I charge?” is the wrong question.
The right question is: “What do I need to charge to sustain my life and my practice?”
Most therapists pick a rate by looking around at what other therapists charge, picking something in the middle, and hoping it’s enough. That’s not a strategy. That’s a guess.
Your rate isn’t about your worth.
Let’s get this out of the way: I don’t believe in “charge what you’re worth.” You’re a human being - your worth isn’t quantifiable. And frankly, that framing keeps therapists stuck, because they tie their self-esteem to a dollar amount.
Your rate is about math. What does it cost to run your life and your business? That’s your starting point.
The actual calculation.
Here’s the simplified version:
Add up your monthly personal expenses (rent/mortgage, food, utilities, insurance, debt payments, everything)
Add up your monthly business expenses (EHR, liability insurance, subscriptions, continuing education, etc.)
Add those together
Multiply by 1.3 to account for taxes and self-employment costs
Divide by the number of sessions you want to see per month
That’s your minimum sustainable rate.
Notice I said “sessions you want to see” - not “sessions you could theoretically cram into your schedule.” If you want to see 20 clients a week and take actual vacations, calculate based on that.
Why therapists resist this.
When I walk therapists through this calculation, they often land on a number higher than what they’re currently charging. And then the panic sets in.
“No one will pay that.” “I’ll lose all my clients.” “That’s more than other therapists in my area charge.”
Here’s what I know: there are therapists in your area charging more than you, seeing full caseloads. The difference isn’t their credentials or their experience. It’s their confidence and their clarity.
The real barrier is internal.
Most pricing problems aren’t business problems - they’re money story problems. The messages you absorbed growing up about money, worth, and who gets to have nice things. The implicit lessons from grad school that therapists should sacrifice. The guilt about charging for help.
This is why I spend the first two weeks of my intensive coaching program on money mindset before we ever touch strategy. You can know what to charge and still not be able to do it if your internal wiring is fighting you.
What to do with your number.
Once you’ve calculated your sustainable rate:
Say it out loud. Ten times. Notice what comes up.
Practice stating it without apologizing, explaining, or immediately offering a discount.
If there’s a gap between your current rate and your sustainable rate, make a plan to close it.
Maybe that means raising your rate for new clients immediately. Maybe it means a gradual increase for existing clients. Maybe it means having some hard conversations. But you can’t build a sustainable practice on an unsustainable rate.
Ready to run your numbers? Use the Private Pay Rate Calculator - it factors in taxes, time off, and the expenses most therapists forget.
Advertising, Marketing, and Networking: They’re Not the Same Thing
It All Begins Here
Therapists use these words interchangeably all the time. “I need to do more marketing,” when they mean advertising. “My advertising isn’t working,” when the problem is actually their messaging. “I hate marketing,” when what they really hate is self-promotion.
Let’s untangle this.
Marketing is the umbrella.
Marketing is everything about how you position yourself and communicate your value. It’s your messaging, your brand, who you’re trying to reach, and how you talk about what you do. Marketing answers the questions: Who do I help? What problem do I solve? Why should someone choose me?
Your website copy is marketing. Your Psychology Today profile is marketing. The way you describe your practice at a networking event is marketing. The Instagram post you wrote about burnout is marketing.
Marketing isn’t something you do - it’s the foundation everything else sits on.
Advertising is paid visibility.
Advertising is when you pay to put your message in front of people. Psychology Today is advertising (yes, that monthly fee is an ad). Google Ads, Facebook Ads, Instagram promotions, sponsored posts - all advertising.
Here’s where therapists get tripped up: they invest in advertising before their marketing is solid. You can pay for all the visibility in the world, but if your messaging doesn’t resonate, you’re just paying to be ignored.
I’ve seen therapists spend hundreds on Google Ads driving traffic to a website that says, “I provide a warm, supportive environment using evidence-based approaches.” That’s not a message. That’s wallpaper.
Networking is relationship-based visibility.
Networking is building connections with people who can refer to you or collaborate with you. Coffee meetings with other therapists, connecting with physicians, building relationships with school counselors, and joining professional communities.
Networking is slow. It doesn’t scale. And it’s often the most effective thing you can do.
Why? Because a referral from a trusted source carries weight that no ad can match. When a psychiatrist tells their patient “I know a therapist who specializes in exactly what you’re dealing with,” that person is practically sold before they ever visit your website.
So what does this mean for your practice?
First, get your marketing right. Clarify who you help and what transformation you provide. Make sure your website and profiles actually speak to your ideal client’s experience - not just your credentials and modalities.
Second, don’t over-rely on any single advertising channel. I’ve watched therapists build entire practices on Psychology Today referrals, then panic when the algorithm changes or their area gets saturated. Diversify. Maybe it’s Psychology Today, a Google Business Profile, and one other directory. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.
Third, network consistently. Not frantically when your caseload drops - consistently. Two coffee meetings a month. Staying connected with colleagues. Building real relationships, not just collecting business cards.
Here’s the thing: advertising costs money. Networking costs time. But bad marketing costs you both - because you’ll spend money on ads that don’t convert and time on networking conversations that don’t lead anywhere, all because your message isn’t landing.
Before you ask, “Where should I advertise?” ask, “Is my message clear?” Before you ask, “How do I get more referrals?” ask, “Do people actually understand who I help?”
Marketing first. Then decide how you want to get visible - through paid advertising, relationship-building, or ideally both.
Not sure what to charge? Start with the Private Pay Rate Calculator to get your numbers clear.
Why “I Work With Anxiety and Depression” Isn’t A Niche
If your answer to “who do you work with?” is “I work with anxiety and depression,” you don’t have a niche. You have a description of 80% of therapy clients.
I know this feels controversial. You went to school to help people with mental health issues. Anxiety and depression are mental health issues. Why wouldn’t you list them?
Because when everyone says the same thing, no one stands out. And when no one stands out, clients pick based on convenience or cost - not fit.
What a niche actually is.
A niche isn’t just a diagnosis or population. It’s a specific person with a specific problem at a specific point in their life.
Compare these:
“I work with anxiety.”
vs.
“I work with high-achieving women in their 30s who look like they have it all together but are secretly exhausted by their own perfectionism.”
The first one describes a symptom. The second one describes a human being. Which one would you click on if you were that woman?
The specificity objection.
“But if I get too specific, I’ll turn people away!”
Maybe. But you’ll also attract the right people - the ones who read your website and think “it’s like they’re describing my life.”
Here’s what actually happens when you niche down: You become memorable. Referral sources think of you for specific situations. Your marketing becomes easier because you know exactly who you’re talking to. And counterintuitively, you often get more inquiries, not fewer.
I’d rather have 10 inquiries from people who are genuinely a great fit than 50 inquiries from people who picked me because I was available on Tuesdays.
How to find your niche.
Start with energy, not strategy.
Who do you love working with? Not who can you work with - who lights you up? Who do you think about between sessions because you’re genuinely invested in their progress?
Now flip it: Who drains you? Who do you dread seeing on your schedule? What types of clients leave you feeling depleted?
The patterns there will tell you more than any market research.
Then ask: What do I bring that’s different? Maybe it’s lived experience. Maybe it’s a specific training. Maybe it’s your style or approach. Your niche lives at the intersection of who you love working with and what makes you uniquely suited to help them.
The “I help” statement.
Try this formula: I help [specific person] who is struggling with [specific problem] so they can [specific transformation].
Not: “I help adults with anxiety and depression.”
Instead: “I help new moms who feel like they’re failing at everything rebuild their confidence and actually enjoy motherhood.”
The first is forgettable. The second makes the right person feel seen.
The Playbook walks you through finding your niche step by step. Grab it here: https://a.co/d/g6bBKPZ