Referrals have slowed. You’re tired of Googling vague marketing tips written for tech startups or product companies. You need something focused, specific, and aligned with how you serve as a therapist.
This guide is built exactly for you—a private practice owner who’s ready to grow ethically and sustainably in 2025.
Let’s dive in.
*Disclaimer: While we bring over a decade of experience in digital marketing for therapists and maintain a strong focus on ethical and regulatory compliance, we are not legal professionals. We strongly recommend consulting with qualified legal counsel to ensure your website and marketing practices meet all applicable laws and professional guidelines.
1. Start With Tracking
- Am I tracking how many users I’m bringing to my website?
- Do I know where my new clients are coming from?
- Do I know how many new clients every month on average?
You can’t determine what’s working and what isn’t without first establishing a baseline.
If you’re unsure where to even start with tracking these things, reach out – happy to jump on a free, no pressure consultation to chat about how you can get this setup yourself.
2. Start With a Clear Marketing Audit (30 Minutes or Less)
If you’re unsure where to begin, start with clarity. Conduct a basic audit of your current marketing to understand what’s working and what’s not. Ask yourself:
- Who are my ideal customers?
- They spend the most amount of money
- Require little in cost
- Represent a group of people I am uniquely qualified to help
Start with this group of people, and answer all of their questions on the website, give them all of the information they’ll need, then move onto another ideal customer profile.
- What 2 – 3 reasons do customers pick me over my competitors?
- Pro tip – if you’re not sure, reach out to clients and ask directly. Check with legal counsel to ensure you complete this legally and ethically – but direct feedback from clients is always the best way to do this!
- Who are my top competitors?
- What pages am I seeing on their site that aren’t on my website?
- Have I posted anything new online in the past 90 days? Is there any content on my website that’s now outdated?
- Think about walking into a dentists office and he has posters and pamphlets from the early 2000’s.
- What message does that send? How are you going to feel about that brand?
- This is 10x more true online, where information that’s 1 – 2 years out of date puts you leagues behind your competitors that are constantly refreshing content.
- Does my content reflect my voice and specialties?
We provide this kind of clarity in every monthly strategy call. But even on your own, asking these questions once per quarter can help you stay focused on your marketing goals.
3. Refine Your Website for Conversions, Not Just Looks
Most therapy websites are built to look nice—but not to convert. A high-converting site doesn’t just explain who you are. It guides potential clients toward scheduling that first session. Key tips:
- Is it clear when people land on your homepage why people should pick you?
- For example:
- Make your contact form easy to fill out
- Pro tip – Contact forms are like fishing nets at sea. The easier you make your contact form, the more fish you will catch, you will also catch lots of fish you don’t want – but if your goal is to drive more new clients, it’s worth catching a couple bad fish.
- Pro tip – Contact forms are like fishing nets at sea. The easier you make your contact form, the more fish you will catch, you will also catch lots of fish you don’t want – but if your goal is to drive more new clients, it’s worth catching a couple bad fish.
- Use plainspoken headlines with client-first language
- A few examples include:
- “We meet you where you are.” Focuses on the client’s pace and current emotional state rather than a prescriptive treatment model.
- “Affirming therapy for LGBTQIA+, BIPOC, and religious communities.” Uses identity-first terms that empower rather than generalize; acknowledges and respects complex intersections of identity.
- “You deserve to feel seen, heard, and affirmed.” Centers emotional safety, validation, and belonging—core to client-first care.
- Include FAQs that reduce hesitation and anxiety
- One of our somatic therapy clinics got 1,739 clicks on their FAQ’s in the month of June
- Serious buyers want clear answers to their most important questions, and if your competitors can offer that, but you can’t – you’re in trouble
If you’ve already invested in a site that looks polished but isn’t filling your calendar, it’s time for a performance-focused redesign.
4. Use Local SEO to Own Your Neighborhood
When someone searches “anxiety therapist Denver” or “couples therapy near me,” you want to be one of the top local results.
That means:
- Claiming and optimizing your Google Business Profile
- This includes making monthly updates using blogs, updating products, responding to all Google reviews, etc.
- All key indicators why Google would say “we trust this business for consumers”
- Embedding your city name naturally into your homepage, service pages, and blogs
- Google Reviews
- Encourage free consultations that didn’t convert to give positive reviews
- If you have a free consultation with a potential patient that doesn’t work out, but they’re satisfied with the free help you gave them, ask them for a review on your Google Business Profile.
- You can also ask other professionals in your network for reviews, people who know you and the work you do.
- Furthermore, these reviews are easier to add to your website without concerns of HIPAA compliance or patient – doctor dynamics
- Encourage free consultations that didn’t convert to give positive reviews
Local SEO is one of the most powerful tools therapists have—but most therapists don’t fully use it. We can help you change that.
5. Write One Blog a Month That Answers Real Client Questions
You don’t need to blog every week. But publishing helpful, relevant content monthly keeps your site active and improves visibility. Start by answering questions your ideal clients ask before calling:
- “What happens in the first therapy session?”
- “Is therapy confidential?”
- “How do I know if therapy is working?”
As mentioned in the FAQ’s section, if your competitors can answer questions on their site that you can not, patients will reach out to them.
6. Leverage Ethical Psychology Directories
Directories like Psychology Today or TherapyDen aren’t dead—but they aren’t magic either.
- Make sure all of your information is up to date
- Think of this as a trust signal, not your main funnel
- Remeber the story about going to a doctors office with outdated pamphlets – don’t be that practice…
- Remeber the story about going to a doctors office with outdated pamphlets – don’t be that practice…
7. Use Simple Tracking to Understand What’s Working
You don’t need complex analytics tools. But you do need a way to know what’s bringing clients in. Ask every new client:
- “How did you find me?”
- “What made you decide to reach out?”
Then write it down. Over time, you’ll see what’s worth investing in—and what’s not. When you work with LRMC, we translate data into plain English, so you feel confident in every move we make.
8. Create a Referral Page for Colleagues and Partners
If you already get some referrals, make it easier for others to send people your way. Create a page that includes:
- A short bio and specialties
- Who you serve best (and who you refer out)
- Contact details and response time
- Downloadable PDFs or business cards
This builds trust and makes referring effortless for doctors, coaches, or fellow therapists. We’ve seen examples of clients in private practice receiving 30+ referrals in just one month, underscoring the effectiveness of our tailored marketing approach.
9. Build Marketing That Reflects Your Ethics
Therapists often hesitate to market because it feels salesy.
It is – you are trying to sell something.
You need a marketing partner who understands how to walk the line with you — between growing your practice with integrity and staying true to your values, without crossing into sleazy tactics or freezing out of fear.
Bonus: Work Directly With Loren, Not a Bot
When you work with us, you meet with Loren personally. You don’t get passed to an intern or assistant. Every strategy call, every SEO audit, every campaign is informed by Loren’s 10+ years of experience helping service providers grow sustainably and ethically.
Ready to Stop Guessing and Start Growing?
If you’ve been burned by generic marketers or feel overwhelmed trying to do this all yourself, we get it. Let’s make 2025 the year your practice grows—on your terms.
Schedule your strategy call with Loren