Episode #780: Do You Need an Office?

Summary

Abundant Practice Podcast

Episode #780 – Do You Need an Office?
Host: Allison Puryear
Guest: Rebecca Smith
Release Date: August 1, 2026

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Overview

In this episode, Allison Puryear and guest Rebecca Smith dive deep into one of the most common questions for therapists transitioning into private practice: "Do you need an in-person office, and will it bolster referrals?" Drawing from Rebecca's recent experience and Allison's broad consulting perspective, they discuss the implications of having a physical office—especially in today's market where virtual therapy has become the norm. The conversation addresses marketing, SEO, practical considerations, and personal preferences, with actionable advice for clinicians deciding between virtual, hybrid, and in-person models.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Rebecca’s Office Journey: From Fully Virtual to In-Person

• Rebecca shares her path: Previously "team work-from-home," she describes her transition after six years of virtual-only practice (02:06).

• Referral boost: After a significant slowdown in referrals, Rebecca took on an office lease in April and quickly saw a rise—gaining 2–4 new patients monthly, a significant jump for her premium fee practice (02:45).

  "All this is to say from my own very small personal experience, I’m like, heck yes, therapists—get an office."
  – Rebecca Smith [03:15]

2. The Marketing Power of a Physical Address

• Google Business Profile: Having a real address enables her to pin her practice on Google Maps and be included in the "map pack"—a critical SEO booster that isn't possible with a home address or P.O. box (03:46).

• Visibility effect: Clients find her just by proximity—some mention booking solely because they can walk from their homes (04:19).

  "If you don't have a good address, you can't have a cute little pin on Google business...I don't think I realized how much it killed my SEO to not have a dot on the map."
  – Rebecca Smith [03:27]

• SEO advice: Allison emphasizes that, according to SEO experts, paying for SEO is effectively pointless without a physical office. Even renting a space for a few hours a month can suffice for SEO purposes if your name is on the door (05:10).

3. Strategic Considerations in Choosing an Office

• Location matters: Not just any office will do—Rebecca recommends being selective about location, physical appearance, and neighboring businesses, ideally co-locating with therapists who serve similar clienteles (06:40).

• Collaborative environment: Being in a community with similar business models (e.g., all private-pay) facilitates easier, more relevant referrals.

  "Don’t get an office just because it exists. Get an office because it’s the right office."
  – Rebecca Smith [07:00]

• Passive marketing: The physical presence itself acts as ongoing, passive marketing.

4. Cost-Benefit Analysis: Office Lease vs. SEO Spend

• Rebecca points out that her rent costs the same as what she’d pay for ongoing SEO, but the benefits of the physical office are greater in her experience (08:00).

5. Practice Building and Client Population

• Hyperlocal impact: Physical presence allows for "hyperlocal marketing," which can be less draining and more effective than broad networking, especially since most therapists only need around 20 clients to build a successful caseload (08:36-09:35).
• Licensure realities: Even for virtual therapists, marketing locally matters due to state licensure boundaries (10:23).

6. Personal Preference & Mental Health

• Allison shares her own ongoing need for an office for mental health and routine—she kept her space even during COVID because leaving the house was vital for her well-being and contributed to her practice’s success as well (09:54, 10:00).

  "Having a place to go to kind of across town helps me feel like I’m out in the world a little bit more. So it’s funny, because I always kept an office for my own mental health and it has really benefited my practice too."
  – Allison Puryear [10:00]

7. Remaining Options: Choosing What Works for You

• While both hosts are pro-office, they acknowledge that working from home remains a perfectly valid option, especially for those who value flexibility, but it requires heavier investment in alternative networking and marketing strategies (09:35–10:43).

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Rebecca on switching her stance:

  "I was very much like, am never leaving my house. Ever. And then this office landed in my lap..."
  [02:14]

• Allison on SEO necessity:

  "...if you're trying to start SEO in 2026 for the first time, it's pointless to pay somebody to do it if you don't have an office."
  [05:26]

• Rebecca on the real number of clients needed:

  "When we think about building a full practice, it can feel like a really big mountain to climb. But you don't need 20,000 people. You probably need 20-ish."
  [08:40]

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• Rebecca’s office experience and referral jump – [02:06 – 04:00]
• Google Business Profile & SEO talk – [03:27 – 05:26]
• Office location & community strategy – [06:40 – 07:50]
• Cost comparison: office vs. SEO – [08:00]
• Hyperlocal marketing and client base size – [08:36 – 09:35]
• Working-from-home validity and mental health benefits of office – [09:35 – 10:43]
• Practical advice: lease reading and worksheet offer – [10:52 – 11:40]

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Practical Takeaways

• Physical office space often increases referrals and SEO visibility.
• Choose your office location and neighbors thoughtfully.
• Hyperlocal marketing with an office can be more effective than remote-only strategies.
• If virtual, prioritize networking and maximize local marketing within your state.
• Read your office lease carefully; access the free worksheet on reviewing leases via show notes.

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Additional Resources Mentioned

• Free Worksheet: What to look for in an office lease (see show notes or DM "worksheet" on social media)
• Abundance Party Membership: For step-by-step guidance on building a private practice

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Conclusion:
This episode offers a candid, experience-based look at the contemporary value of in-person offices for therapists. While virtual practice remains viable, especially post-pandemic, the hosts highlight the strategic, marketing, and personal benefits of being physically present—backed by real-world referral data and thoughtful analysis. For clinicians weighing the pros and cons, this discussion delivers clarity and concrete next steps.

Transcript

[A]

Foreign.

[B]

Welcome to Ask Abundance. Y' all ask the questions about having a fun and thriving practice. We answer them. We have a worksheet for you today so you can bring this answer into your life. If you want support in your practice, we have you covered with on demand or one on one support. Links for the worksheet and support are in the show. Notes can't get enough. Ask Abundance. Check out our YouTube channel for the entire library.

[A]

Hey.

[B]

Hey. Welcome back to Ask Abundance. Today I'm joined by Rebecca Smith. Rebecca is a limitless practice grad who came aboard Team Abundance. She has a premium fee private pay practice in New Orleans and she's great at helping abundance therapists imagine what's possible for them. Here is today's question. She's gonna. It's funny because I was like, this

[A]

is like this is so close to my heart. I love this question.

[B]

Yes, yes, it's perfect. Go ahead.

[A]

Yes. This question says I am debating getting an in person office in case it will bolster referrals. What are your thoughts?

[B]

We have thoughts. Okay. Before we get to our thoughts, I would love to thank our sponsor Therapy Notes. I've talked about them for years, know their features by heart, but what really sets them apart is that they genuinely care about your experience. It's not just about troubleshooting. They actively implement user suggested features like Therapy search, security, Messaging and their AI notes feature. Therapy fuel. Everyone at TherapyNotes believes in the product and wants you to love it too. Plus, they're independently owned, which means no venture capital and no pressure to prioritize investors over customers. This independence allows them to keep their prices fair, to focus on innovation and prioritize customer experience. With over 100,000 therapists already on board, they've proven that you don't have to compromise success for quality. If you're ready to see for yourself, you can try TherapyNotes free for two months with the code [e-mail] all right, I am passing your own mic over to you because you have very recent experience with this.

[A]

Very recent. I got an office in April and it's July right now, so it's only been a few months. But I was. You might remember this Allison from when I was in Limitless. But like I was very team work from home. Like I'm currently in my home office. I am not wearing shoes. I don't have professional work pants on. Like I was very much like am never leaving my house ever. I did work in person before the pandemic and then from 2020 to 2026, I was fully virtual. And then this office landed in my lap and I was kind of like, I guess I should do it. I was having a lot of slowdown in referrals for about six months before April and I was getting a little bit like little squiggly. I got the office. And since getting the office, every month has been at least between two and four new patients coming in, which for a premium fee, private practice is like a good clip, especially with six months of nothing before that. So all this is to say from my own very small personal experience, I'm like, heck yes, this therapist get an office. The reasons I think this has been helpful for me, the first one, hilariously, is about digital marketing. If you don't have a good address, you can't have a cute little pin on Google business. I had never had a Google business profile before I got this office and I don't think I realized how much it killed my SEO to not have a dot on the map.

[B]

Yeah, the map pack is a big part of SEO and you have to have a physical space.

[A]

You have to. I wasn't going to give Google my home address. Like that's. And it wouldn't take my P.O. box. And so this is the first time I have that for, you know, therapist listing sites like Psych. Today I have there's so I'm getting so many people who are like, I don't want to do in person every time. But I like that you do have an office. I like the option. People are just finding me a lot fat. I've had at least two or three people who are like, oh, I booked you because I can walk here from my house.

[B]

Huh?

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And you were saying. So today is the 3rd of July and you've already had two people this month.

[A]

Yeah. Yeah. It's been three days. I, I so, so we all like, I. My practice always has a summer slump. I'm always, I'm prepared to have a much lower, slower practice in the summer. I so often don't have anybody new. After having several new people come in June, I started the month and I was like, you know what? July is a wash. It's okay if I don't get any. 20 minutes later, something popped into my inbox. I have more things to say. I want to hear some of your thoughts too, as I like gather like my, my experience is specific. And then generally what I think an office can do for people is what I'm thinking about.

[B]

Yeah. So I think from what I hear from other people, it is easier to get Full faster when you have an in person office. Most people I talk to don't have as dramatic a before and after as you do. But I mean, probably there are people out there having more dramatic before and afters. I think that I definitely see clients who are like, I do not want to meet online. I only want to meet in person. And honestly, like, I really prefer meeting in person. As a therapist, I don't mind as a client being online, but I really, I don't love staring at the screen all day. I like having somebody in my office. I like the energy. Just personally, my little extrovert heart prefers in person, so I'm always really excited. You mentioned the Google business profile. This is something we're now recommending for everyone who has an office. And a little hack that I Learned from Becky DeGrossa from Counseling Wise is for SEO specifically, like needing that. And if you're trying to start SEO in 2026 for the first time, you basically it's, it's pointless to pay somebody to do it if you don't have an office. Yeah, but she's like, you don't have to have an entire lease, rent two hours a month from a friend, and as long as you can have your name on the office, then you're solid. So yeah. What else did you want to say though?

[A]

I think all of that makes sense. The other thing is I do think it helps to be strategic about the office itself. So like I said, several people have been like, oh my gosh, it's such a great location. Right? Don't get an office just because it exists. Get an office because it's the right office is, I think, quite important. My office, I'm in New Orleans, so many businesses are in old houses. So I lucked out with this office. It's beautiful. It's an old Victorian house built in 1892. My like, beautiful wood floors. It looks like the place you want to come to for therapy. Right. Like, be choosy about the location, be choosy about your neighbors. Right. Like, like hopefully you can find other therapists and especially prescribers in your office. Other people to refer to other people whose business model is similar to yours. So like the people in my office also don't take insurance and I don't take insurance. And so it makes it really easy for referrals because we all have the same clientele essentially. But one thing I thought was so interesting is how much I feel like the office feels like passive marketing. It feels like I am here and my name is here. And people can find me in a way that is not true when just like writing another blog post. And the other thing too, about paying for SEO. My office costs the same as SEO and I get so much more from that. And genuinely, six years ago when I was fully virtual, that was the right move. But today I think it's different.

[B]

It does also really differentiate us from the platforms. Yes, that helps too. Yeah, sorry, go ahead.

[A]

The other thing that I think is really interesting is when we think about building a full practice, it can feel like a really big mountain to climb. But you don't need 20,000 people. You probably need 20 ish. And I am licensed here in Louisiana. I'm also licensed in Virginia and New York. And I had been before I got the office. I was like, I gotta break into New York guys. Like, that's. That's the key. Okay. How am I going to network there, realizing I only need 20 people? They promise in the neighborhood of my office. Like hyperlocal marketing is less energy intensive and you already have a lot of the. Know how I'm shocked. I was so team virtual and I have been a total convert. So if you can get a situation where you like the location, you can probably sublet or something like that. You can get a pin on Google Maps. I think in 2026, I think it can make a difference.

[B]

Yes, I think so too. Okay, so I think we have strong opinions now. There are people out there who are like, I do not want to work outside the home. Part of the reason I got into private practice was because I wanted to work from home. That is still a viable option for sure.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

We both just happen to be really excited about offices. And I've always had my office. I was paying rent here even when I wasn't coming here during COVID because I need to get out of the house personally, like I have to, or I start getting depressed. And having a place to go to kind of across town helps me feel like I'm out in the world a little bit more. So it's funny because I always kept an office for my own mental health and it has really benefited my practice too.

[A]

Yeah, I think if you're going to stay virtual, just really pour your energy into things like networking locally too, because you still are. You're still bound by your license, which is usually in one state. So it's okay to be local with marketing even if you're virtual.

[B]

Yes, absolutely. So today's free worksheet. It's what to look for in an office lease.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

Early me I didn't even read my office leases when I first started. I just was like, oh, yeah, it has the right number on it for amount of rent done. So I've, you know, many offices later, I've gotten a little bit more thoughtful about it and having lived through things like Covid. And we had a great landlord who didn't charge us through much of COVID and just like, let us keep our stuff here, which was great, but it might have been scary if I was in a different situation. So looking at things on your lease is really important. Reading it even though it's boring and so that's free. You can access that. If you're on social, you can just say worksheet, I'll send it your way. If you're listening to the pod, then it's in the show notes. Well, thanks, Rebecca.

[A]

Thanks and talk to you soon.

[B]

All right, 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 abundant for two months free. I hope that helped. Please get in touch with any of your questions for askabundance. If you're listening, you probably need some

[A]

support building your practice.

[B]

If you're a super newb, 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.