Abundant Practice Podcast – Episode #710

Title: The Biggest Missteps In Private Practice
Host: Allison Puryear
Guest: Jenn Lowe
Date: December 3, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode, Allison Puryear welcomes Jenn Lowe, a PhD student and private practice clinician, to discuss the six biggest missteps therapists make when starting and running their own private practices. Drawing from research, clinical experience, and the experiences of others, Allison and Jenn offer practical advice and empathetic guidance aimed at helping therapists create sustainable, profitable, and fulfilling practices—without succumbing to burnout, confusion, or financial instability.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Not Knowing How Much Money You Need

(03:14 – 07:01)

• Many therapists enter private practice without truly understanding how much they need to earn to survive, thrive, pay their bills, health insurance, and plan for retirement.
• Jenn highlights that therapists often set income goals based on past employment, without accounting for new expenses or tax structures in private practice.
• Impact on Clinical Work: Worrying about finances can undermine the quality of care provided to clients.
• Memorable Analogy:
  • Jenn (04:31):

    "If I agreed to see a single mom two years ago for $40 a session and I myself cannot afford to pack a good lunch or to buy lunch, and I’m packing tuna fish sandwiches every day, that will affect my relationship ... I'm gonna have feelings that are gonna impact the work that we do."

• Allison shares a powerful anecdote about resentment arising from sliding scale clients who were, in reality, more financially comfortable than she was (05:14–06:37).

2. Trying Everything for Marketing—Without Focus or Data

(07:04 – 11:16)

• Therapists, eager to fill their caseloads, often spread themselves thin across too many marketing platforms and strategies.
• Jenn likens this to "throwing darts at a dartboard with a blindfold"—effort without focus or data is just luck.
• Practical Advice: Review yearly marketing spend and analyze return on investment (ROI).
• Allison's Recommendation (10:17):

  "You need a website, everybody needs a website, and everybody needs to be marketing. So really, that’s only three [additional strategies] left."

• Shiny Object Syndrome:
  • New therapists are especially susceptible to offers and ads ("golf courses, hotels, local directories") that aren’t effectively targeted.
• Allison (11:16):

  "If you're doing those five things, you will get full. You don't need to keep adding things. You just need to do it consistently."

3. DIY Accounting and Not Getting Tax Support Early Enough

(12:14 – 15:07)

• Most therapists have not been trained as accountants, and trying to manage taxes, payroll, and bookkeeping alone leads to stress and costly mistakes.
• Jenn (12:14):

  "Trying to be an accountant or trying to be a CPA or trying to be a payroll expert is probably not a good use of our time."

• Allison strongly urges therapists to find and consult with an accountant—not just in March, but as soon as you start your practice (13:23).
• Save regularly and overestimate tax liability to avoid unwanted surprises.
• Quote:
  • Allison (13:23):

    "I love to oversave for taxes because I’ve gotten a tax bill that was way more than I saved for... It could have been avoided if we had met with our accountant on the front end."

• Using TurboTax for business taxes is discouraged; business taxes are more complex and easy to mismanage solo.

4. Confusing Social Media With Supervision

(15:07 – 17:50)

• In moments of uncertainty with new or complex client cases, therapists may seek advice in social media groups rather than formal supervision or consultation.
• This is not only potentially unethical, but it puts licenses and client confidentiality at risk.
• Jenn (15:07):

  "Social media is not supervision... It might be a place to seek out a consultant or a supervisor... but we don’t want to give a lot of private information on social media about our clients."

• Allison (17:06):

  "If your client would recognize themselves, it’s too much. You cannot de-Identify information truly about clients. It needs to be general."

• The value of real consultation and supervision is underscored for ethical and effective practice.

5. Neglecting Networking & Professional Support

(18:08 – 21:09)

• Isolation in private practice increases stress and reduces resilience.
• Building a professional support network (consultation, supervision, networking) is crucial both for clinical quality and personal satisfaction.
• Jenn shares research:
  • 97% of therapists interviewed said support was vital to their success and well-being.
• Allison (19:27):

  "Networking has always been my most powerful marketing strategy, but it’s also how I’ve met some of my closest friends."

• Starting or joining networking/consultation groups—virtual or in-person—can counter isolation and boost referrals.
• COVID has normalized virtual networking, further broadening community possibilities.

6. Taking EVERY Client Who Calls—Not Honoring Your Limits or Niche

(21:15 – 24:35)

• Accepting every prospective client can quickly lead to overwhelm, dissatisfaction, and poor outcomes for both therapist and clients.
• Therapists have limited capacity, both emotionally and practically; specializations (and limits) matter.
• Jenn (23:07):

  "Do you want to be the nice therapist or the therapist that helped people get results?"

• Reframe "turning clients away" as helping them find a better fit—via referral or network.
• Allison (23:44):

  "For every client that we’re not interested in working with, there are all these therapists who are like, God, if only that person would call me. We all like different things and different people."

• Building a strong referral network makes this possible and ethical.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Jenn (02:57):

  "I love to call them missteps instead of mistakes. Because I don’t want therapists in private practice to feel like, oh, I can’t do this. I made a mistake."

• Allison (06:37):

  "Meanwhile, I had other clients who were, you know, waiting tables and paying me my full fee and making it work. And here’s somebody who wasn’t working and was taking these vacations I was drooling over. It impacts the work."

• Jenn (10:58):

  "Those bright shiny things could be like, oh, I should do that, I should do that, I should do that."

• Allison (14:45):

  "This is not the time to TurboTax it. I strongly believe business owners, which you are if you have a private practice, should not be doing their own taxes."

• Allison (17:06):

  "It puts you at risk. It puts your license at risk, and it’s just not good."

• Allison (19:27):

  "If you’re just coming in open hearted like this is a potential new friend, which is how I approach all of them, then you just get to know another person, which is great."

• Jenn (23:07):

  "Instead of saying, I had to turn people away... say, I referred them to a great fit."

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Introduction of Jenn Lowe & Framing the Missteps – 02:20
• 1. Not Knowing Your Financial Needs – 03:14
• Therapeutic Consequences of Underpricing – 04:29
• 2. Scattered Marketing Efforts & ROI – 07:04
• Allison on Practical Marketing Framework – 10:17
• 3. Not Getting an Accountant Early – 12:14
• TurboTax vs. Accountant for Private Practice – 14:45
• 4. Social Media is Not Supervision – 15:07
• Importance of True Consultation – 17:50
• 5. Lack of Networking & Professional Community – 18:08
• Virtual Networking and Post-Pandemic Opportunities – 21:09
• 6. Taking Every Client—Setting Limits and Finding Fit – 21:15
• Reframing “Turning Clients Away” – 23:07
• Closing Thoughts & Contact Info – 24:35

Tone and Style

The episode is supportive, candid, and practical, mixing research insights, real-life anecdotes, and a strong sense of camaraderie. Both Allison and Jenn encourage listeners to view private practice challenges as normal and solvable, rather than fatal flaws, and they consistently promote community, boundaries, and self-care as the foundations for successful practice-building.

Connect with the Speakers

• Jenn Lowe:
  Instagram: @jenlowtherapy (with 2 n’s)

• Allison Puryear & The Abundance Party:
  Resources, checklists, and support at www.abundancepracticebuilding.com

Summary for New Listeners

This episode is a must-listen for therapists in (or considering) private practice. It walks through the most common missteps—from fuzzy finances to haphazard marketing and trying to “do it all” alone—offering concrete, actionable advice at each step. Allison and Jenn’s stories and research-backed recommendations provide a compassionate roadmap to building a sustainable, joyful, and ethical private practice, where you can thrive as both a clinician and a business owner.