Abundant Practice Podcast

Episode #689: Networking Mindset

Host: Allison Puryear
Guest: Adina
Date: September 24, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode dives into the mindset, strategies, and emotional hurdles that therapists encounter when networking to build and sustain private practices. Allison offers tailored advice to Adina, who feels stuck in maintaining professional relationships and maximizing networking returns, especially with limited time and a feeling of imbalance in "give and take." The conversation blends practical outreach suggestions with deeper explorations of the therapist mindset, anxiety around reciprocity, and the long-game nature of genuine referral relationships.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Challenge of Maintaining Networking Relationships

• Adina shares her struggle: She enjoys initial networking meetings but finds it difficult to maintain ongoing relationships, especially when time is scarce and when those connections don’t immediately lead to referrals.
  • "It's hard to be maintaining some of those networking relationships. And I was struggling with that before, even when I wasn't quite as busy." (03:09, Adina)
• Allison's advice: Be strategic about where you invest energy. Focus on connections who are currently in a position to send referrals, even if you enjoy others more on a personal level.
  • "If you have limited time, it's looking at like, who else did you enjoy that's actually going to be able to help you right now." (04:41, Allison)

2. Choosing Networking Targets & Methods

• Target prescribers: Allison recommends focusing energy on nurse practitioners, psychiatrists, and other prescribers who are more likely to have clients needing therapy, rather than therapists who may be seeking to build their own caseloads.
  • "I would focus on the prescribers because they have many more people they can send you than the average therapist will." (14:10, Allison)
• Practical suggestions for follow-up:
  • Make connecting easy for busy professionals: offer to bring or order lunch/coffee for virtual or quick in-person check-ins.
    • "Hey person, I would love to swing by and bring you some lunch and just check in and see how things are going." (07:52, Allison)
    • "Or can I doordash you lunch? Because I think about, like, if they've got to eat." (09:10, Allison)
  • Don't overthink reciprocity: gestures like buying lunch are common and appreciated.

3. Guilt, Reciprocity, and Mindset Blocks

• Adina’s internal conflict: She feels guilty asking for referrals when she cannot reciprocate at the same level.
  • "I get caught up in ... I can't refer to all of them. And so like it feels very one sided if like I'm hoping they refer to me." (09:48, Adina)
• Allison reframes reciprocity:
  • Points out that in mental health, "perfect" reciprocity isn’t always possible or reasonable.
    • "While they might be taking on clients, they also know that most therapy clients aren't getting meds ... So I think there is a kind of a unidirectional situation." (11:24, Allison)
  • Over time, referrals often balance out naturally as relationships and specialties become clear.
  • Deep mindset note: Therapists often feel undeserving or fear being "a taker"; Allison normalizes these concerns.
    • "It's interesting, right, that there's almost a sometimes a not deserving for people. Like, I don't deserve to have your help until I've helped you." (12:43, Allison)
  • Take the long view; relationships are not merely transactional but build trust and mutual benefit over time.
    • "It is definitely a planting seeds thing. I have heard very rarely of people who like met somebody and then got a referral within the next couple weeks. It's really about building that relationship." (18:48, Allison)

4. Directly Asking for Referrals: How and When

• Timing and comfort: Wait until there is some rapport, but don't feel you need to be “best friends” before mentioning your caseload or referral needs.
  • "I don't think you have to be besties to say it's been really slow for me referral wise this summer. What about you?" (20:14, Allison)
• Model language: Normalize discussing referral slowdowns in conversation, which opens the door without pressure.
  • "If they're like, yeah, it's been weird, but like. Yeah, well, how about this? If I find somebody, like, if I have a client that's a great fit, I'm sending them your way. If you have a client that's my. A good fit for me, then I'd love them." (20:46, Allison)

5. Mindset for Sustainable Networking

• Practice overcomes discomfort: Repeated exposure and experience makes both networking and asking for referrals less uncomfortable.
  • "It's amazing how that's most of practice building ... the anticipation of the thing being so much worse than the actual thing." (23:41, Allison)
• Friendship comparison: Don’t obsess over perfect reciprocity ("write down every nice thing you and a friend have done for each other")—most relationships ebb and flow.
  • "That's how it’s sounding to me. Because it's not like, yes, these people aren't your closest friends, but they are people you get along with." (22:28, Allison)

6. SEO and Other Marketing Channels

• Adina’s SEO efforts: Nearly a year into weekly blogging and SEO investment, with little organic result—Allison confirms it’s a “long game,” especially in competitive markets like New York.
  • "If this was Oklahoma, I'd be like a whole year and you're not up on the range, you know, but, yeah." (26:43, Allison)
• Assessing Channel Effectiveness:
  • If clicks are up but conversions aren’t, revisit website copy or try other platforms (directories, Psychology Today, etc.).
  • Allison advises listening carefully to clients' language to better target keywords:
    • "Clear your mind and really listen to your sessions. Especially the people you just started working with ... Where were they when they first called?" (28:49, Allison)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On being strategic with networking:
  • "Really being strategic ... If you have limited time, it's looking at, like, who else did you enjoy that’s actually going to be able to help you right now."
    — Allison (04:41)
• On the nature of referrals:
  • "It is definitely a planting seeds thing ... It's really about building that relationship."
    — Allison (18:48)
• On therapist mindset around deservingness:
  • "It's interesting, right, that there's almost a sometimes a not deserving for people. Like, I don't deserve to have your help until I've helped you."
    — Allison (12:43)
• On the discomfort of directness:
  • "It's been really slow for me referral wise this summer. What about you?"
    — Allison (20:14)
• On practice and discomfort:
  • "Once you've done it a few times, you've acclimated, it’s fine."
    — Allison (23:41)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• The struggle to maintain relationships
  [03:09]–[04:41]
• Being strategic with networking time
  [04:41]–[05:48]
• Prescribers and creative follow-up methods
  [07:52]–[09:20]
• Mindset blocks and reciprocity in networking
  [09:48]–[13:10]
• Directness and asking for referrals
  [18:48]–[21:41]
• Building comfort through repetition
  [23:41]–[23:55]
• Strategizing SEO and website issues
  [24:01]–[29:09]

Tone and Takeaways

The episode is empathetic, candid, and practical. Allison and Adina openly address common emotional hurdles for therapists—especially around asking for help, feeling deserving, and navigating a sometimes-awkward networking process. Key takeaways include the value of strategic outreach, the realistic timelines for seeing results, reframing networking as long-term relationship building rather than transactional exchange, and normalizing the discomfort that’s part of professional growth.