The Business Advice We Never Received: Starting a Private Practice
Em and Jen started their therapy practice right out of grad school with no business plan, no partnership agreement, and a $550-a-month basement office. In this episode, they share the real story of starting a private practice, the mistakes they would not repeat, and the relationship-first marketing that built The Therapy Group. Then business coaches Abby Green and Amy Kiefer of the HERself podcast join to talk about going into business with a friend.
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In this episode
- Why Em and Jen decided to open a private practice straight out of grad school
- Their first-year setup: a shared basement office, rented furniture, and fees set too low
- The cost of skipping hard conversations with a business partner
- The referral strategy that worked: coffee with every local provider and free talks
- Becoming managers: changing a business model when people's livelihoods depend on you
- Community over competition, and ignoring the people who doubt you
No business plan, lots of hustle
Em and Jen met at grad school orientation and decided to open a private practice in their final year, after a speaker at a professional event, unhappy in her job, left them worried about burnout and low pay. Taking a professor's advice to set up at least 30 miles outside the city, they opened near West Chester University, split a basement office three ways, and set their fees below every other practice in the area. "It was a horrible decision," they admit. "Don't ever do this, but it works to get people in the door."
The mistakes worth avoiding
They started with no legal documents and no partnership agreement, and they did not have the hard conversations about expectations with their third partner. Resentment built until the partnership ended. Their takeaway: mistakes are how you learn, but some of them you can skip by talking things through at the start.
What actually grew the practice
Before social media marketing was the default, their growth came from relationships. They asked every local provider they could find to coffee, including doctors, gynecologists, dentists, physical and occupational therapists, and massage therapists. They offered free talks to every sorority at the university; two said yes. "We're in the business of relationships," they say.
From therapists to managers
Hiring clinicians changed everything. Their first compensation model was not financially sustainable, and changing it was painful. "You have other people's livelihoods in your hands," they explain. Through it all, the values of community, connection, and relationships stayed the same, and that consistency is what they credit for the practice's strength today.
Video chapters
- 1:00 How Em and Jen met
- 4:04 Deciding to open a private practice
- 7:05 The moment they committed
- 7:50 The first office, fees, and furniture
- 10:05 A third partner and the conversations they skipped
- 13:30 The networking that built their referrals
- 16:02 Changing the business model and becoming managers
- 19:00 Community over competition
- 21:20 Handling doubters
- 25:06 Abby and Amy on going into business with a friend
Frequently asked questions
How do you start a private practice as a new therapist?
Em and Jen's advice: keep overhead low, have clear agreements if you have partners, set sustainable fees, and invest heavily in relationships with local providers who can refer clients.
How do therapists get referrals for a new private practice?
In this episode, the strategy that worked was personal outreach: coffee with local doctors and wellness providers, and free talks to community groups, rather than relying on brochures or ads.
Should you start a practice with a friend?
It can work well, as Em and Jen's partnership shows, but have the hard conversations about roles, money, time, and conflict before you start, and put agreements in writing.
Building a practice of your own?
Em and Jen grew The Therapy Group from a shared basement office into a multi-location group practice. Work with them through 1:1 private practice consulting, or join the 6-month Group Practice Cohort for owners ready to hire and lead a team.
Explore private practice consulting | Join the Group Practice Cohort waitlist
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ShrinkChicks is for education and entertainment and is not a substitute for therapy or medical advice. If you are in crisis in the U.S., call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.