Episode #655: Getting Clients In The Door In 2025

Summary

Abundant Practice Podcast: Episode #655 - Getting Clients In The Door In 2025

Release Date: June 4, 2025

In Episode #655 of the Abundant Practice Podcast, host Allison Puryear delves deep into the evolving landscape of client acquisition for therapists in 2025. Through a candid conversation with a fellow therapist, Allison addresses the common challenges faced in networking, redefining ideal client profiles, and exploring innovative strategies to attract and retain clients in a shifting economic and social climate.

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1. Navigating the Networking Maze

The episode opens with a therapist expressing frustrations about the diminishing returns from traditional networking efforts. Despite forming genuine relationships with professionals like couples counselors and dietitians, the expected reciprocal referrals have not materialized as hoped.

Notable Quote:
"Feel stuck in some of those systematic things too. And I guess I'm just kind of like feel like I'm spinning my wheels because I'm doing all the things, maintaining the relationships, reaching out to new people every month. Feel stuck."
— Client at [03:53]

Allison probes deeper, emphasizing the importance of not just networking but building meaningful relationships that foster mutual referrals. She questions whether the connections being made are translating into tangible client referrals, highlighting the necessity of reciprocity in professional relationships.

Key Insight:
Effective networking goes beyond casual connections; it requires deliberate relationship-building where both parties actively refer clients to each other, ensuring a balanced and productive partnership.

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2. Redefining the Ideal Client in 2025

A significant portion of the discussion centers around redefining the therapist's ideal client. The traditional descriptors like "overthinkers" and "perfectionists" may no longer resonate as effectively in the current climate. The client observes that their ideal clients are increasingly conscious of their budgets, scaling back on services, and experiencing heightened levels of chronic stress and anxiety.

Notable Quote:
"I feel like they're stuck in the waiting game of something or someone else to change. They're just kind of like waiting for the right opportunity, the right thing, the right moment."
— Client at [27:15]

Allison suggests exploring alternative terminologies such as "chronically stressed" or "feeling frozen" to better capture the experiences of potential clients. This reframing can aid in crafting more targeted marketing messages that align with the current emotional and psychological states of prospective clients.

Key Insight:
Adapting the description of ideal clients to reflect their current challenges and emotional states can enhance connection and attract individuals seeking relevant support.

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3. Exploring Innovative Client Acquisition Strategies

In response to the challenges with traditional networking and the need to redefine ideal clients, Allison proposes several innovative strategies to attract and engage clients:

• Webinars and Group Sessions: Hosting educational webinars or group therapy sessions can position therapists as experts and provide value to a broader audience. These formats allow potential clients to sample therapeutic approaches, such as integrating yoga or Reiki, fostering deeper connections.

  Notable Quote:
  "You could say, like, I know from my clients that they can be doing all the lifestyle stuff aside from, you know, they can. They can do."
  — Allison at [12:37]

• Workshops and Intensives: Offering specialized workshops or intensive therapy sessions can cater to clients seeking immediate and focused support. These offerings can differentiate a practice in a crowded market, attracting clients looking for comprehensive and immersive therapeutic experiences.

  Notable Quote:
  "I think there's also a differentiator like we were talking about. The more wealthy people are less hit by all this. Right. I know so many people who are not. They couldn't tell you the price of milk."
  — Allison at [24:25]

• Group Therapy and Sliding Scales: Implementing group therapy sessions or sliding scale fees can make therapy more accessible to a wider range of clients. Group formats also foster community and peer support, which can be especially appealing during times of collective stress.

Key Insight:
Diversifying client acquisition strategies beyond individual referrals can open new avenues for attracting clients, enhancing practice sustainability, and meeting diverse client needs.

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4. Adapting to Economic and Social Shifts

The conversation acknowledges the impact of broader economic conditions on client behaviors and expectations. The client notes a trend where younger clients, particularly those in their twenties, are more inclined to seek therapy through insurance channels, potentially due to financial constraints and increased competition from online therapy platforms.

Notable Quote:
"Do you see or feel like there's still space for that? Right. In 2025 in the stuff that is happening now."
— Client at [24:32]

Allison responds by highlighting that private pay practices may be more insulated from these economic fluctuations compared to those relying on insurance reimbursements. She emphasizes the value of targeting clients who can afford private pay services and suggests nurturing the niche of "chronically stressed" individuals who prioritize mental health despite economic uncertainties.

Key Insight:
Understanding the financial dynamics and insurance landscape is crucial for positioning a private practice effectively, ensuring it remains resilient amidst economic shifts.

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5. Enhancing Visibility and Communication

To maintain and grow professional relationships, Allison advises therapists to engage in consistent and value-driven communication. Sharing relevant articles, blog posts, or resources can keep connections warm without seeming intrusive. Personalizing communications based on mutual interests or recent conversations fosters genuine engagement.

Notable Quote:
"If there's something that reminds you of a conversation you've had or the kind of work that they do or something their clients struggle with. You can be like, oh, I saw this today and I thought of you. Just curious how things are going for you."
— Allison at [15:40]

Key Insight:
Regular, thoughtful communication that provides value can strengthen professional relationships and keep a therapist's practice top-of-mind for potential referrals.

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6. Final Thoughts and Actionable Takeaways

The episode concludes with actionable strategies for therapists aiming to revitalize their client acquisition efforts:

• Refine your niche: Clearly define and articulate the unique challenges and needs of your ideal clients.
• Diversify your offerings: Incorporate workshops, webinars, and group sessions to attract different client segments.
• Leverage meaningful communication: Maintain authentic connections with referral sources through personalized and valuable interactions.
• Adapt to economic realities: Focus on private pay services and consider sliding scale options to cater to financially conscious clients.
• Embrace innovation: Utilize technology and creative formats to reach and engage potential clients effectively.

Notable Quote:
"Yeah, keep me updated on how it's going."
— Alison at [30:01]

Allison emphasizes the importance of continuous adaptation and learning, encouraging therapists to experiment with new approaches and remain resilient in the face of challenges.

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This episode of the Abundant Practice Podcast provides a wealth of insights for therapists seeking to navigate the complexities of client acquisition in 2025. By addressing networking challenges, redefining client profiles, and exploring innovative strategies, Allison Puryear equips listeners with the tools needed to build and sustain a thriving private practice in an ever-evolving landscape.

Transcript

[Client]

Foreign.

[Alison]

Hi, welcome to the Abundant Practice Podcast. I'm Alison from Abundance Practice Building. I have a nearly diagnosable obsession with helping therapists build sustainable, joy filled private practices, just like I've done for tens of thousands of therapists across the world. I'm excited to help you too. If you want to fill your practice with ideal clients, we have loads of free resources and paid support. Go to abundance practice building.com Links all right, onto the show so I've talked about therapy notes on here for years. I could talk about the features and the benefits in my sleep. But there are a couple things I want you to know about Therapy notes that doesn't typically make it into an ad script. First is that they actually care if you like their platform. They don't only make themselves available on the phone to troubleshoot so you don't pull your hair out when you get stuck. They also take member suggestions and implement those that there's client demand for. Like Therapy Search, an included listing service that helps clients find you internal and external secure messaging Clinical outcome measures to keep an eye on how your clients are progressing A super smooth super bill process Real time eligibility to check on your client's insurance. In my conversations with the employees there at all levels, they all really believe in their product and they want you to love it too. Second, they are proudly independently owned. Why should you care about that? Because as soon as venture capital becomes involved, the focus shifts from making customers happy to making investors happy. Prices go way up. Innovation plateaus. Making more money with as little output as possible becomes the number one focus. With over 100,000 therapists using their platform, they've been able to stay incredibly successful and they don't have to sacrifice your experience to stay there. You can try two months [e-mail] with the coupon code Abundant Some of y' all aren't sending HIPAA compliant email and it's a problem. Even if you're paying for a business Google Workspace account and have a signed BAA, your emails still aren't 100% compliant. That's where Palbox comes in. You can connect Palbox to your Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 email one time and you're completely covered. No one has to sign into portals. It sends and it shows up like any other email. Behind the scenes. Pow box software checks the security settings of the recipient and ensures that the email is sent properly so you're not violating HIPAA and the ways accidentally be. Now I know HIPAA isn't sexy, but we don't avoid compliance. In an abundant practice, we check the boxes we need to check. And this is the easiest way to do that with email. Check out my [e-mail] that's P A U B O X. Use code abundant to get $250 off your first year of PalBox. That makes it less than a hundred dollars for your first year. Again, that's P A U B O x dot com. Use code abundant. Hello. How are you?

[Client]

I'm okay. How are you?

[Alison]

I'm all right. I'm all right. Yeah. What would be helpful?

[Client]

So I am thinking a lot about just marketing in this current climate. I'm thinking about the group from. Was it last week or two weeks ago when you had said, like, it's just different than it's ever really been? And you had talked about. Because I think I signed up for this before that. So you had talked about, like, how networking seems to be the most effective one right now. And I feel like networking is something that I have put so much energy and effort into, and it's just not performing how I would hope it would. And if right now that's the best one, I'm feeling like something maybe has to change there because I don't know what else to do.

[Alison]

Okay. Are you forming actual relationships when you're networking? Like, are these people becoming friends?

[Client]

Yes. Yes.

[Alison]

Are you networking with other people who need clients?

[Client]

Yes and no.

[Alison]

Okay.

[Client]

I feel like I've got a good relationship with a couple's counselor and then a dietitian that, like, we share, like, five or six clients. Like, it's really good. They know a lot about my work because they work with a lot of my clients. That couples counselor has sent some back my way, which has been really good, and they have been perfect matches.

[Alison]

Awesome.

[Client]

And she's a couples counselor. She doesn't carry as big of a case load as I do, so it's not like she can send all of her clients to me.

[Alison]

Right.

[Client]

There is a limit there. And the dietitian, I've networked with a lot of them. And because I do refer to them often and I just keep hearing that most of their people already have therapists when they get to them. So it's. While it's helpful for me to know who they are, it doesn't seem to be as reciprocal. So I have friendships with them, but they just don't have people to refer to me because their people are already hooked up with therapists by the time they start that. So, yeah. Just feeling kind of stuck in some spaces. And then when I think about other providers, there's this stickiness around. Like doctors in the big healthcare systems want to refer within theirs and they're not doing it anyway. They have referral coordinators that are doing it within systems. I had met with a acupuncturist because I'm trained in eft and so I was like, ooh, tapping acupuncture, that could be a good connection. And we got along great. She did refer some to me, but then the owner of the practice that she works at was like, oh, we can't be promoting just one therapist. We have to be like, whatever.

[Alison]

Yeah.

[Client]

So I'm just kind of feeling stuck in some of those systematic things too. And I guess I'm just kind of like feel like I'm spinning my wheels because I'm doing all the things, maintaining the relationships, reaching out to new people every month. Feel stuck.

[Alison]

Yeah. Have you talked to any independently owned psychiatric providers?

[Client]

Yes, I talked with a couple of them. I'm trying to think. One, I did even offer to like meet her for lunch and follow up and she was just very busy. But we did at least like chat on the phone a couple times. Yeah, I've only found a couple of them though. Just they're harder to find right now. Yes. So I've got two of them that are on my list. I do struggle sometimes to refer back to them because they are also private pay and for some of my clients they can do that. And then for some of them, they're wanting to do that in network just because. Yeah, that has a higher price tag than me. And so. Yes. But I have two of them that I do have on my list and have connected with.

[Alison]

Okay. And have they sent anybody that's stuck?

[Client]

No.

[Alison]

Talk about your ideal client and what they're going through right now. Has it shifted or changed at all in this climate?

[Client]

The ones that I have that are my ideal clients are definitely tightening their budgets for sure because they have spaced out a little bit in terms of our frequency and scaling back some other parts of their life. But in terms of outside of that, no. I mean they're still feeling just like a lot of overthinking, a lot of that perfectionism and a lot of just kind of feeling stuck in, especially right now, feeling like some things are like a no win situation. So what is the best thing to do here? And the exhaustion of it all is certainly a thing. Yeah, I know that the clients that are seeing me are certainly enjoying that. Like I've been bringing in more Holistic things. Now that I've finished yoga teacher training and Reiki training, like all of some things I've been bringing that in and that's been like really positive and really great. Especially because their overthinking brains aren't going to think their way out of the stuff that's going on right now.

[Alison]

Right.

[Client]

And I don't know if that's something to lean into more, but I keep thinking about, you know, in all of the things that, that you've done in the trainings, like it's not the modality that is going to break.

[Alison]

Right, Right.

[Client]

So I don't want to lean too heavy into like, oh, here's what I do. Because that's not maybe where I should be focusing.

[Alison]

I mean, I think it's. There are people who are looking for Reiki practitioners, for instance, that didn't realize like, oh, I could get some therapy with that, like therapy with the side of Reiki. So I think it also comes down to what your ideal client is looking for and how you can get in front of them. Yeah, I'm thinking about the other body based or slightly crunchy or like those kinds of practitioners. How do you feel about speaking?

[Client]

Can be open to it if I can find opportunities to do that. That part doesn't really bother me.

[Alison]

Yeah. Did we talk about that during group?

[Client]

I don't think so. No, I, at least I didn't, I didn't mention speaking. Maybe somebody else. Somebody. I think somebody did ask about what to charge for like doing that or how to like put it out there. Yeah, yeah.

[Alison]

So like, I wonder if there's a way to get in front of people's people. So for instance, I worked with a functional medicine doctor here in town and they had group sessions online. They work with people all over the country. Group sessions online where you could tune into some kind of expert on something or learn more about some body issue or whatever, you know, like gut health or that kind of thing. I wonder if there might be an opportunity similar to that. Like I'm thinking naturopaths, functional medicine docs, if there are any healing co op or anything like that.

[Client]

Yeah, I have connected with quite a few functional medicine people and I have referred to them, I have maintained connections with them and I haven't really seen anything come back from them.

[Alison]

Do they have any therapists or health coaches on staff?

[Client]

No, because I purposely have picked ones to connect with. Who? It's just them. They are. They might have like a nurse or somebody, but they don't have. Yeah, I'VE not picked the ones that have a therapist as part of their group.

[Alison]

Yeah. Okay. I wonder about. So, like, the program I did, it was six months. The first three months I'm working with the doc that was more like, let's try eliminating these foods. I was so heartbroken. Caffeine was a no go for me. And I. Yeah, it still breaks my heart. Heart. And I thought for sure it'd be cheese, which is my favorite, but I can still eat cheese, at least to the first three months you're working on, like, elimination diets and, you know, different lifestyle changes. And then the second three months, I was working with the doc who used to be a therapist and was doing kind of like, ifs coaching, essentially, which I didn't know was a thing until recently because they were very clear. Like, if you stay a stress case, your body's going to keep rebelling.

[Client]

Right.

[Alison]

So I wonder if you were to offer to do talks for these naturopath and functional medicine docs around, like, the impact of stress on your body and how they can take all the supplements they want if their adrenals keep chugging too hard. Doesn't matter if they're adrenal, like, their supplements are helping or not. Like, they. They can't help.

[Client]

Right.

[Alison]

Keep burning it. Right, Right.

[Client]

They're still just trying to use their thinking brain to solve the problem.

[Alison]

Right.

[Client]

And that's not doing anything.

[Alison]

Right. And that's part of why they're having so many somatic issues. Right. Like, this is what we do. Those of us who love to overthink, we're like, why do my shoulders always hurt? Why is my tummy always upset?

[Client]

Always. Yes, yes, yes. If they've even recognized it. Most of them, it's almost like their head floats above their body and they're not even aware of anything below here. Yeah. How do you find these? Like, because I'm thinking, like, when you were talking about, like, the group sessions, I was like, oh, I mean, that sounds like the lunch and learns that I used to go to when I worked at, like, a large thing. But how do you find those kinds of opportunities and, like, meetings.

[Alison]

Yeah, I mean, I would just offer it. I could record this ahead of time and you could distribute it to your people. But you could say, like, I know from my clients that they can be doing all the lifestyle stuff aside from, you know, they can. They can do. Do all the behaviors, they can take all the supplements, and they stay stuck feeling like crap. So this could really help your people. So I can record it ahead we could have a conversation on Zoom that they could tune into live if that would be helpful, webinar style. You let me know what you think, what you're open to, what you think your patients would like, and I'm happy to deliver it.

[Client]

Yeah, yeah. I mean, it seems like that would be helpful, especially because I am virtual. So having maybe something that's recorded that they can send out. And when you say that, like recorded. And they could distribute. They would be distributing it to like their patients.

[Alison]

Yeah, their patients or their email list, depending.

[Client]

Okay.

[Alison]

And I would call it, like, why, like why your body stays stuck even when you're doing everything right. Or something like that. Like to really get to the heart of their frustration. And it doesn't have to be super long. It could be 20 minutes, you know.

[Client]

Yeah, yeah. And then would you just talk about it or would like. Or would it make sense for me to maybe even like do like, even like facilitate maybe like a little mini. I mean it wouldn't necessarily a mini, like yoga, like movement that you could do to kind of. Would it make sense to put that in there as kind of like a little sample? I know I mentioned that in the group, like a little sample of like.

[Alison]

Yeah, yeah. Because like you want them to get out of your head. So if you're just talking to them. Right. They're staying in their head. And I mean, you could make jokes about that. Like, I'm going to give you some information. It'll be good information for you to have because many of you are big thinkers, but here are some things I want you to try.

[Client]

Yeah.

[Alison]

And then at the end of every talk to be like, for some of you, this is exactly what you needed. For others, you need some more support around this. And here's how to get in touch with me, that kind of thing.

[Client]

Yeah. What are some ways that are good to like. Because I'm thinking about like the follow up. The ones that like, I have friendship, friendships with, like, that's fine. I don't even need to keep track of the last time I talked with them because I don't need to.

[Alison]

Right.

[Client]

But for other ones that like, we get along and it's fine, but I'm not like friend friends with them. I'm. I'm not texting them with my personal number. What are some ways to kind of like follow up and stay fresh without it being like.

[Alison]

Hey, hey, I love, like, if there's a article, it could be a blog, it doesn't need to be a journal article. But if there's something that reminds you of a conversation you've had or the kind of work that they do or something their clients struggle with. You can be like, oh, I saw this today and I thought of you. Just curious how things are going for you. I know the world's crazy right now.

[Client]

Yeah, I had sent last week. Yeah, last week I had sent an email to a handful of them. I did it individually, but with kind of like, some practice updates because I talked about, like, yoga and Reiki being, like, official things that are offerings and kind of just described my, like, background and training for. Because they're the profile, like, the providers. So a little bit of this is not just something I threw together. Like, here's what I did to know what I'm doing with this. I did feel like the email was a little bit long by the end of it, but it was just kind of like a. Hey, it's been a bit since we've talked. Here's just some new things that I'm offering, looping in. And I don't want to, like, rely on those kinds of things. Like, I also want it to be a little bit more. I'm not going to have these big practice updates all the time. Not. I don't plan on doing any more big trainings like that. And so, yeah, just kind of thinking about some of those ways to stay a little bit fresher in the ones that maybe I don't see as often or talk to as often. When you say articles, like, it could be articles that I've just, like, read or seen. It doesn't necessarily have to be like my blog post, right?

[Alison]

Oh, yeah, A hundred percent. Yeah. Just like something, you know, you saw scrolling.

[Client]

Okay, cool.

[Alison]

I mean, I think about, like, I mean, not really ideal for your population right now necessarily, but like, with all the things going on politically with autism right now, for instance, you know, you could reach out to somebody who does see a lot of autistic folks and be like, hey, I just wanted to check in on you. I know it's really heavy, you know, just like, thinking about. Just thinking about people. Like, when you go through your list of people to talk to again, to think about them not as potential refers first think of them as human beings who are, like, navigating this really wild time and stressed out about a number of things and probably have lots of personal things going on that none of us know about.

[Client]

Yeah.

[Alison]

And just hitting on, like, just that you care about them, you know.

[Client]

Oh, yeah. And I do try to put that, like, in my, like, I try to start off in email with like a little bit of that, like kind of that check in or just like I hope that things are going well and you're navigating all of this the best that you can?

[Alison]

Yeah, it feels like 2020 again to me, honestly, like how many of these, like the world's into my figuring it.

[Client]

Out as we go.

[Alison]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Client]

I'm also, I guess I'm thinking, I mean we talked about how like SEO game is just different with these big companies dominating that space. And blogging is very much connected to the SEO and the directories just don't do what they like. A lot of stuff just doesn't do what it used to do. And so in addition to networking and maybe making some of these resources, whether it's videos or maybe even like a little E booklet that people could send to their people as like a resource, are there other things that you've seen like survive times like this where it just is harder and people are just a little bit more mindful of getting started in something that is going to be an investment?

[Alison]

Yeah, I mean, I think it's making sure your niche is super honed. I was talking to another practice builder the other day who was saying she's noticing a decline in referrals for her people amongst like the really young set, you know, like the early 20s. Like there's just not money for private pay counseling for many people. I mean, ultimately those people's parents were usually paying anyway, but she was seeing that. I'm not seeing a big dip in it, but it might be that the part of the country she's in is seeing it sooner than I am. So I'm putting that out there.

[Client]

Yeah.

[Alison]

So I think looking at who are the people in your population, your ideal clients that can afford still, you know, and I think being private pay, you're actually insulated more from this stuff than if you were taking insurance. Because when you're taking insurance, you're, you know, in direct competition with all the online therapy tech places.

[Client]

Yes, yes. And several of the consults that I've had in the last couple months, even if the consult went really well and they were excited about it and like I could sense their like excitement about it after we got done and they scheduled, several of them would email me a couple days later and be like, actually I need to find someone in with my insurance. So thanks.

[Alison]

But yeah.

[Client]

And yes, I mean they are younger, like 20 something clients and so very much it's a different game. But yeah, I've noticed That they're more wanting to use insurance. Even the insurance companies that I know, there's not many providers because I know the reimbursement rate is low. So good luck. And if you can't find anybody.

[Alison]

Yeah. Come back.

[Client]

You're welcome to call me again.

[Alison]

Yeah. And it might be that for those kinds of folks that are great fits that. That are your niche. I wonder if a group makes sense. They pay less, you make more.

[Client]

Yeah.

[Alison]

So you could start saying, like, totally get that. I may be starting. If you want to do a group. I may. I'm thinking about starting a group. Would you like me to put your name on the wait list for that? It would cost less, but you'd still get most of the benefits or more of what you get an individual.

[Client]

That's true. That's true. I did have one that was interested. She had asked about group. And I just haven't done them since I ran DBT groups and I'm not doing that anymore.

[Alison]

Right, right. Oh, yeah, we had that conversation. I think we talked about that in group. Yeah. And I'll say private practice groups that are not DBT groups. Completely different animal. I mean, they basically run themselves. So just putting that out there.

[Client]

Yes. I'll have to maybe do some learning on it because I am very used to the DBT groups that are very structured and very formatted. And that would be different for me to have it be a little bit more loose. So I need to maybe do a little bit more learning on that. But that could be a way because.

[Alison]

Yes.

[Client]

When. When we talked about it in the group, I was thinking about, like, workshops as a way for people to kind of, like, try out some of this stuff.

[Alison]

Yeah.

[Client]

And I mean, you did bring up a good point of, like, it's still like, marketing in this. Whether it's therapy or this workshop, like, it's still. How do I get it in front of people?

[Alison]

Right.

[Client]

I mean, the thought was the workshop would be a way of people maybe like, if they weren't sure if they were ready to, like, invest in a whole appointment yet.

[Alison]

Is that your ideal client, though?

[Client]

I mean, right now I'm thinking about all my ones that have, like. And they. The ones that are spacing out are in the maintenance phase anyway. So, like, it is. Has been fine for them to space out.

[Alison]

Yeah.

[Client]

But they are just more paying attention to where their money's going, what it's doing. And so for some of them, I'm like, I could see them wanting to see about this before they agree to. Okay, let's set up an appointment and do the thing especially because.

[Alison]

Right.

[Client]

The intake appointment. They're not going to get yoga in the intake appointment.

[Alison]

Right.

[Client]

So it really is like two or three sessions in that you're gonna maybe start to actually experience some of that stuff. So it would be a way for them to like sample it a little bit. But maybe not. I don't. I don't know. Maybe a group would be better because they could kind of do it more ongoing and try it out a few times and then if they want more of the individual piece than they could.

[Alison]

Yeah. And I mean like you could do so much of this body based work in the group, you know, from the jump. Essentially. Like you do a group screening.

[Client]

Yeah.

[Alison]

And then it could be ongoing and open.

[Client]

Right. Yeah. Is there like. I know pre2025 there had been like last year it seemed like there was a big push for. Not push. A big maybe spike in people like doing more like intensives and kind of offering that like as more of like an adjunct to things I've been kind of back and forth on. Like if that's something I could see it working for, especially with my newer offerings. Right. Somebody could be doing some like deep trauma work with somebody and maybe just kind of want to supplement with some of the stuff to more like regulate the present day. Yeah.

[Alison]

100. And it's also something that all your friends could refer their current clients to. I'm a big fan of intensives. I think that they. They differentiate you in the market which is so important.

[Client]

Yeah.

[Alison]

Yeah. I think that they could be really powerful.

[Client]

Do you see or feel like there's still space for that? Right. In 2025 in the stuff that is happening now. Like.

[Alison]

Yeah.

[Client]

Are they still as popular and like still as big?

[Alison]

It's a good question. I don't know the answer to it. I do know people who continually are filling their intensives.

[Client]

Yeah.

[Alison]

And I think there's also a differentiator like we were talking about. The more wealthy people are less hit by all this. Right. I know so many people who are not. They couldn't tell you the price of milk. You know, like they're not bothered by any of this.

[Client]

Yeah.

[Alison]

And they have recession proof jobs so they're solid. You know, they were already high earners.

[Client]

Yeah.

[Alison]

Who will be like. Yeah, I'm really stressed. Like I would. I need to regulate my nervous system. This sounds amazing. Sounds like a great way to do it.

[Client]

Yeah.

[Alison]

So yeah.

[Client]

I feel like right now a lot of my clients, I mean they might Be in recession proof jobs, but they're still in jobs that they're seeing a lot of the impacts on. I have a lot of like very empathetic clients. And so like they're seeing it and taking on other people's stuff and then they're kind of showing up and they're like all kinds of dysregulated because their battery is just at zero.

[Alison]

Yeah. And if they're in recession proof jobs and they were already high earners, like, they're fine. Right. Like financially, it's just their heart hurts because they see other people suffering, which is what they're there for.

[Client]

Right, right. Is there maybe a way to like, be. I mean, like, I don't know, because I'm thinking like overthinkers and perfectionists. Outside of 2025, those words worked fine. But maybe those aren't the words for right now because, I mean, maybe they still are, but.

[Alison]

Well, I wonder about the clients that it brings in. So I'm thinking about. I was just talking to a neighbor the other day who is a estate planning attorney and he was saying like, yeah, I mean, it's recession proof. People are always dying and always wanting to make sure that when they die or get sick that things are covered for their family.

[Client]

Yeah.

[Alison]

And so that's a recession proof practice, basically, that type of law. And like, when I think of him and we actually have a couple estate planning attorneys on our street, I don't know that they would go with the vulnerability of overthinking or perfectionist. Right. Like, they might describe it more as like those might be the people who are struggling with money more potentially. So you gotta think of like chronically stressed. Does that hit the same way? Because most of the chronically stressed people I know are overthinkers, right?

[Client]

Yes.

[Alison]

So is there another way to describe them? Like they feel like they're on the, on the treadmill and they can't stop at all.

[Client]

Yeah. I was looking back at my packet from when I first. All the worksheets I did when I very, very first signed up for the party. And I had noted something about like clients who are like, they're like stuck in the waiting game of something or someone else to change. They're just kind of like waiting for the right. The right opportunity, the right thing, the right moment. But they're waiting. But does that like speak enough? I mean, for some of my clients it does, because we talk about the waiting game all the time.

[Alison]

But is that why they come into therapy?

[Client]

Right.

[Alison]

Or is that just like a really uncomfortable part of their life.

[Client]

I mean, it's something we're addressing in therapy. But they came because of the overthinking and the anxiety.

[Alison]

Yeah.

[Client]

Because like I said, those words have worked up until more recently. Yeah. I mean, chronic stress could maybe be one. Well, when we talked earlier about taking care of, like, the supplements and doing all these things, but you're still feeling stuck. That, like, stuckness is maybe, like, showing up in a couple spaces. So I'll have to maybe think about language around that feeling, like, frozen and not knowing what else to do. And it's not necessarily coming from a place of trauma. It's just coming from the brain's just overworked itself, and now it's just done.

[Alison]

Yeah. There's just way too much stimulation all the damn time. Yeah. So I'll admit that there's a part of me that's like, you know, if we are choosing our words for the richest people within our niches, there's a part of me that squirms a bit at that.

[Client]

Yeah.

[Alison]

And your overthinkers might also feel like, yeah, I'm chronically stressed. And, like, we gotta get you stabilized. And if that's the way to do it so that you can offer maybe a sliding scale for people who can't afford it later, once you're completely stable, if there's a way to kind of give back because you're stable again, then, yeah, that makes me less squirmy.

[Client]

Would you change the wording, like, on the whole website or just, like, maybe market the group for chronic stress? Even if my website is, like, therapy.

[Alison]

For overthinkers, I think it could go either way.

[Client]

Okay.

[Alison]

Yeah. And I think it depends on who you're talking to. You know, like, yeah, the group could be really great as a chronic stress thing, and you could market it to everyone because everyone is chronically stressed.

[Client]

Right.

[Alison]

You know, but it feels very specific. You know, you feel like, oh, I. Yeah, I am chronically stressed. So, yeah, it's one of those brilliant niches that sounds really, really, really specific but encompasses, like, 98% of people, so a thousand percent.

[Client]

Yes. Yes.

[Alison]

Yeah.

[Client]

Okay. Yes. Thank you.

[Alison]

Yeah. Yeah. Keep me updated on how it's going.

[Client]

Will do. Thank you so much.

[Alison]

Sure. Take care. Bye. Bye. If you're ready for a much easier practice, TherapyNotes is the way to go. Go to therapynotes.com and use the promo code ABUNDANCE for two months free. Make sure your email is actually HIPAA compliant with Powell box. Use code abundant to get Palbox for less than $100 your first year at a U Box. Com. If you're listening, you probably need some support building your practice. If you're a super newbie, grab our free checklist using the link in the show Notes. I'd love for you to follow, rate and review, but I really want you to share this episode with a therapist friend. Let's help all our colleagues build what they want.