Abundant Practice Podcast – Episode #746: When Success Starts Feeling Like A Trap

Host: Allison Puryear
Guest: Rebecca Smith (Limitless Practice program grad, premium fee private practice owner, Team Abundance member)
Air Date: April 4, 2026

Episode Overview

In this episode, Allison and Rebecca address a listener’s question about feeling trapped by the very success of their private practice—a sensation of being “boxed in” despite having reached conventional benchmarks of a thriving therapy business. They explore why success can sometimes feel restrictive, how to identify the true source of this discontent, and what practical, incremental steps therapists can take to regain a sense of freedom and fulfillment in their work.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Question: When Success Feels Restrictive

• Listener’s Concern:
  • Reached a successful, full practice but feels boxed in and unable to change things ("golden handcuffs").
  • Fearful that raising fees or making shifts will jeopardize income or what’s been built.
  • Wonders: “Why do I feel trapped? What do I shift when success feels more restrictive than freeing?”
    (02:09)

2. Feeling Alone in Success

• Rebecca’s Insight:
  • Many therapists can’t discuss this form of discomfort because it seems out of place among peers still struggling to fill their caseloads.
    • “I feel like for this person, I really wonder if they can talk about this with anybody...I feel like they might feel really alone.” (03:19 – Rebecca Smith)
  • The problem is “not kosher for their normal friend group.” (03:27 – Rebecca Smith)

3. Identifying the True Source of Discomfort

• Exploring Underlying Factors:
  • Allison and Rebecca encourage self-inquiry:
    • Is the source of restriction the niche? The modality? Type of client? Schedule? Small operational details?
    • Even minor tweaks (schedule, policies) might help but fear prevents change when things “work.”
      • “There could be so many factors that even shifting a little bit might be more aligned...But they’re like, 'I can’t—I had set in stone. It’s actually working. Don’t touch it.'” (04:04 – Rebecca Smith)
  • Neurodivergent Perspective:
    • Suggests the importance of novelty especially for ADHD practitioners.
      • “That novelty really helps keep people feeling like life is worth living… For somebody like me who really loves a routine... that's not most people.” (04:27 – Allison Puryear)

4. Is It the Practice or Your Life?

• Blurring Work-Life Discontent:
  • Sometimes feelings of burnout or restriction in practice are projections from other areas of life.
    • “We project stuff onto our practices that are life stuff too.” (05:38 – Allison Puryear)
  • Suggests examining life outside work: Are you having fun? Is the rest of your life fulfilling?
  • Practices don’t have to be one’s core source of meaning.
    • “I don’t think our jobs have to be the thing that fulfills our sense of self and being and everything.” (06:07 – Allison Puryear)

5. Practical Shifts: Containment & Variety

• Rebecca shares her journey:
  • Leaving insurance panels and raising fees let her cut caseloads dramatically (from 35 to 20 per week), giving her more spaciousness and less mental weight:
    • “It’s not just hours—it’s like the heaviness of how much I’m thinking of and planning it and worrying about, like, trying to set up for it...it feels really contained so that I can go do the fun stuff.” (06:13 – Rebecca Smith)

6. Experimentation Without Overhaul

• Measured Adjustments:
  • Instead of radical change, try small experiments—carving out one day a week for new modalities or projects, maybe offering group work or intensives.
    • “You can add in variety without blowing everything up.” (07:46 – Rebecca Smith)
  • Allison foresees intensives becoming a bigger trend—offering a fresh way to deliver therapy and create new energy in the practice.
    • “It doesn’t just feel like back-to-back therapy...it has a different vibe that some people really, really love.” (08:16 – Allison Puryear)

7. Creativity in Marketing & Workload

• Reducing Client Load:
  • If current success is tied to a high client count, consider decreasing sessions—offsetting with raised fees and more creative marketing.
  • Marketing becomes a creative outlet that adds variety to the day.
    • “There’s a lot more variety when you do charge a premium fee because you need to be more creative in some of that marketing. That’s kind of freeing and exciting.” (09:09 – Rebecca Smith)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Why do I feel trapped? What about this is making you feel trapped?” (03:45 – Rebecca Smith)
• “We project stuff onto our practices that are life stuff too.” (05:38 – Allison Puryear)
• “I don’t think our jobs have to be the thing that fulfills our sense of self and being and everything.” (06:07 – Allison Puryear)
• “If they have a ‘successful’ practice, whatever those quotes mean, they’ve probably poured a lot of themselves into that practice. What would it be like to pour into your hobbies or your family or your friends?” (06:32 – Rebecca Smith)
• “You can add in variety without blowing everything up.” (07:46 – Rebecca Smith)
• “I think intensives are going to become an increasingly common big thing... up into the right trajectory for them.” (08:10 – Allison Puryear)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 02:09 — Listener’s question on feeling boxed in by success
• 03:19 – 03:41 — Feeling alone and unable to share this challenge with peers
• 04:04 – 04:21 — Fear of tweaking “what works”
• 04:26 – 05:37 — Novelty, neurodivergence, and burnout vs practice restriction
• 06:07 – 06:57 — “Practice as a small part of life” and what true alignment can mean
• 07:25 – 08:05 — Measured experimentation in practice; avoid all-or-nothing thinking
• 08:51 – 09:34 — Shifting to creative marketing with premium fees

Resources & Next Steps

• "You're the CEO" Worksheet: A tool for making strategic, aligned practice decisions.
• Limitless Practice Program: For established therapists feeling trapped despite full practices.
• Contact & Support: Free checklists, worksheets, and team email for personalized help.

Closing Tone

Warm, practical, and validating—Allison and Rebecca offer both reassurance (“You’re not alone—it’s okay to feel boxed in by success!”) and pragmatic strategies for gradual, meaningful change. The conversation normalizes these late-stage challenges and empowers therapists to make measured, creative adjustments for a more fulfilling practice and life.