Should You Start a Private Practice? Here's Why Now Is the Perfect Time
If you’ve been thinking about starting your own therapy private practice but keep putting it off (because what if it’s too risky?!), we’re here to tell you: Now is the perfect time.
Running your own practice isn’t just about making your own schedule (though, let’s be honest, that part is amazing). It’s about taking control of your career, your income, and your impact. And with the mental health industry growing faster than ever, there’s never been a better moment to make the leap.
Here’s why starting a private practice right now is one of the smartest moves you can make:
1. Therapists Are in Higher Demand Than Ever
Let’s talk numbers for a second: The demand for mental health professionals is skyrocketing.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that employment for mental health counselors will increase by 18% from 2022 to 2032—which is way faster than the average for other industries.
Translation? More people than ever need therapy.
And they’re looking for private-pay options, meaning you have a massive opportunity to build a thriving practice without relying on insurance if you don’t want to.
2. You Control Your Income (Instead of Letting an Agency Do It for You)
If you’ve ever worked in an agency, you know the drill: high caseloads, low pay, and burnout lurking around every corner.
Meanwhile, private practice therapists who set their own rates and work with fewer clients often make double or triple what they did in agency settings.
Think about it: If you’re charging $150 per session and seeing 15-20 clients per week, you’re easily bringing in six figures a year—without the middleman taking a cut.
And if you’re charging $200+ per session (which many private-pay therapists are!), that number grows even faster.
3. Low Overhead Means More Profit (Especially With Telehealth)
One of the biggest myths about private practice is that it’s expensive to start.
But the reality? Most therapists keep their business expenses under $25,000 per year—and some spend even less if they run a virtual-only practice.
Thanks to telehealth, you don’t even need an office anymore. Many therapists are building fully remote private practiceswith just a secure video platform and a simple website.
That means more profit in your pocket and less stress about covering business expenses.
4. You Get to Work With Clients You Actually Love Helping
In agency work, you don’t always have a say in who lands on your caseload.
But in private practice, you pick your niche, set your boundaries, and work with the people you feel most aligned with.
Want to specialize in high-achieving women dealing with burnout? Awesome.
Passionate about working with first-generation college students? Perfect.
Love couples therapy and want to focus on relationships? You get to decide.
When you love your clients and believe in the work you’re doing, therapy stops feeling like “just a job” and starts feeling incredibly fulfilling—without the exhaustion that comes with being overworked.
5. You Have Complete Flexibility Over Your Schedule
Let’s be honest: agency work can feel like a never-ending cycle of back-to-back clients, mountains of paperwork, and no real time off.
But when you work for yourself, you decide when you work.
Erica takes every Friday off.
Marina sees clients three to four days a week.
Joel takes vacation whenever he wants.
For so many therapists, private practice is the key to a life that actually feels good—one where work fits around your life, not the other way around.
6. The Market Is Shifting in Your Favor
The mental health industry is evolving—fast.
More people than ever want to work with a therapist, and they’re willing to pay out of pocket to get the right support.
That means private-pay practices are growing, and therapists who position themselves well can thrive without relying on insurance.
At the same time, millions of people are leaving traditional jobs to become self-employed.
In fact, nearly half the workforce will be self-employed in the next few years—which means more people than ever are prioritizing flexibility, mental health, and work-life balance.
So… Should You Start a Private Practice?
If you want more freedom, more income, and more control over your career, private practice is one of the best moves you can make. The demand is there. The market is shifting. And you don’t need to wait years to make it happen.
You just need a clear plan—one that actually works (and doesn’t waste months of your time on things that don’t matter).
Want to fast-track your success?
If you want a step-by-step plan to build a profitable, sustainable private practice without the guesswork, check out our Total Freedom Private Practice Roadmap. We give you the exact strategies, tools, and guidance to grow your business, set your rates, and attract the right clients—so you can work smarter, not harder.
Get fully booked with private-pay clients (without relying on social media)
Set profitable rates that feel good(and that clients actually pay)
Market your practice effectively (without wasting time on things that don’t work)
Avoid the biggest mistakes new therapists make
Join the Program Now and start building the practice you want!
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