I am reaching out for any advice and have resisted asking for help for a long time but I don't know what to do. I am thinking that I need to perhaps get a job as this seems to be just a hobby/side gig based on the income I make. My niche is women in transition who want to refocus on themselves and what their life ahead will be - separation, divorce, lay-off, empty nest, perimenopause etc.
Background - I have been in private practice for 5 years and each year I'm hopeful - getting just enough clients to think I can make it - but never getting a full caseload, and always struggling to make my office rent and pay my bills. Prior to that worked for a busy agency and had 35 clients per week. I am a hard worker and really enjoy counselling.
EDIT - Also I am in Canada and while medical care is free counselling is not typically covered. Most people can only afford counselling if they have employer benefits coverage and that will cover some or complete coverage - depending on the plan. Insurance companies typically do not allow direct bill from therapists. In my area many people have very good coverage.
I want to have a successful full practice I can make a decent living on - instead of what seems more like just a side gig now.
For those of you with successful practices - the ones where a new client needs to be on a wait list for at least a month or 2 to join, they are private pay and where you insist they meet weekly and biweekly (and they do!)- how did you get that way? How is there such demand for your services? I feel I am lucky for every client who comes my way and am actually desperate.
I try to get clients to book on a regular weekly schedule or every two weeks but most do not feel they can afford that (even with benefits coverage) or can't afford the time so we end up just booked the next at the end of a session. If I said no I only accept clients who come on an x schedule they would just leave. Yet I know many of you do that successfully. I fear I would have maybe 5 clients if I did that.
I offer week day appointments, and weekend appointments, and evenings twice a week. In-person or online. My appointments tend to be scattered and I do some work most days. I spend at least 20 hours per week doing some kind of marketing (with mixed to very little success)
Each week of the 15 to 20 sessions I might have booked there will be at least 7 cancellations usually a couple of days in advance - not feeling good, feeling much better, going away for holiday, have another conflicting appointment, or no reason. It gets worse in the summer and around school breaks when people go on vacations.
I think I am good at counselling based on the feedback I get so I don't think that is the reason. Most of my new clients are referrals from current clients - I also have many who say they made great progress and appreciate our work together. (so I think the quality if my services is good) Clients tend to stay connected for years, but don't come consistently or often enough and of course therapy is impacted - we are starting from square one often. I point this out gently and we will get on a schedule but then it will slip.
My clients are in an affluent area, with good jobs but often house poor and can like everyone else be tight on funds.
I have tried to blog, join several therapy directories, offer online as well as in person, do work for EAP, join the Chamber of Commerce, advertise in local news/magazine outlets etc.
I appreciate any advice, any clues you might be able to give me and appreciate your time in reading and answering this.
Thank you.