Is SEO for therapists completely dead now that AI is taking over? I brought back my friend and collaborator Kristie Platinga to answer this burning question that's keeping so many of us up at night. After watching my website clicks drop and hearing therapists panic about ChatGPT replacing Google, I knew we needed to have a real conversation about what's actually happening with marketing right now.

Kristie breaks down why Google still dominates and introduces the concept of "search everywhere optimization", because showing up on just Google isn't enough anymore. We get into the nitty-gritty of how AI pulls recommendations from across the entire internet, why your Google reviews matter more than ever, and what specific steps you can take to build your online presence even if marketing makes you want to hide under a blanket.

I also share my own journey from being that therapist who thought "I'm good at my job, I don't need to market" to finally understanding why SEO for therapists and digital visibility directly impact whether people choose to work with you. This conversation gets real about what it takes to compete in 2025.

More about Kristie Platinga:

Kristie Platinga is the founder of Place Digital, a marketing agency for therapists, coaches, and wellness practitioners.

Topics covered on SEO for Therapists:

• Why SEO for therapists isn't dead despite what everyone's saying about AI taking over everything
• How search everywhere optimization is replacing traditional SEO for therapists and why showing up on podcasts, social media, and directories matters more than just Google
• ChatGPT and AI tools pull from the entire internet to make recommendations and what that means for therapy practice visibility
• Real examples of getting recommended in AI overviews and how that leads to new clients finding your private practice and content
• Why Google reviews are now almost as powerful as backlinks for getting recommended by AI
• The reality that publishing a website isn't enough anymore, you need a complete marketing ecosystem to compete
• Practical steps for building your online presence even if marketing feels uncomfortable or overwhelming as a therapist

Resources from this episode:

• "What Your Therapist Thinks" podcast: www.youtube.com/@WhatYourTherapistThinks and website https://www.besttherapists.com/podcast 
• Moz: www.Moz.com
• ChatGPT: www.ChatGPT.com
• Google Business: www.business.google.com

Connect with Kristie Platinga:

• Website: https://grow.placedigital.com/the-bad-therapist

Connect with Felicia:

• Get my freebie & join the email list: The Magic Sheets
• Instagram: @the_bad_therapist
• Website: www.thebadtherapist.coach
• Facebook group: Healing Money

Related episodes:

• SEO For Therapists: Future-Proofing Your Therapy Practice with Kristie Platinga [Ep 38]
• My Secret to Turning 10 Min Intake Calls Into Paying Clients [Ep 7]

Quote:

"I really don't think it's ever been more accessible to just people who are willing to get their name out there. It's really barely even marketing - a lot of this is public relations, honestly." - Kristie Platinga

Ever wonder what other therapists are really thinking? Well, now you can find out.

I’ve just launched a podcast with my friend Kristie Platinga, founder of Best Therapists, where actual licensed therapists open up about what they’re really thinking, while answering the internet’s most burning mental health questions. And by ‘burning questions’ we mean the stuff people post anonymously on Reddit in the middle of the night.

Each week on What Your Therapist Thinks, you’ll hear expert therapists break it all down, from emotional numbness and trauma to self-worth and healing. And they aren’t holding back. They’re sharing what they really think, including the things they’d never actually say in session. 

If you’re a therapist in private practice, this is a fascinating peek into the conversations your peers are having and a chance to see how other professionals approach the questions and dilemmas our clients are posting about.

Subscribe and follow the show wherever you listen to podcasts so you don’t miss an episode!

Resources mentioned in this episode 

• Website https://www.besttherapists.com/podcast
• YouTube www.youtube.com/@WhatYourTherapistThinks
• Apple Podcasts + Spotify www.pod.link/1837783166?view=apps&sort=popularity   
• BestTherapists.com - a directory that vets mental health professionals so therapy-seekers can focus on fit, not quality.

Connect with Kristie Platinga:

• Website: https://grow.placedigital.com/the-bad-therapist

Connect with Felicia:

• Get my freebie & join the email list: The Magic Sheets
• Instagram: @the_bad_therapist
• Website: www.thebadtherapist.coach
• Facebook group: Healing Money

Are you exhausted from the endless demands of running your private practice? Preventing burnout in your private practice doesn't require another complicated strategy or expensive solution. In today's episode, I'm sharing one surprisingly simple tool that's probably been right in front of you all along.

While we often talk about raising fees and being intentional with scheduling, I want to get back to something even more basic, something so simple that most therapists overlook it completely. This practice takes just minutes, costs nothing, and can happen right between sessions. It's helped me stay grounded when the demands of running my own business feel overwhelming, and it's given me the clarity to make better business decisions when I feel stuck. I'll walk you through the exact exercise I used to teach my clients that you can now use for yourself.

Plus, I'll share why this particular approach cuts through that feeling of being trapped in your private practice when nothing seems to be working anymore.

Topics covered on Preventing Burnout in Your Private Practice:

• Why the simplest practices are often the most effective for preventing burnout in your private practice, even though we tend to overlook them
• The specific sensory practice I used to teach my clients that now keeps me grounded in my own business
• Feeling stuck in your practice might have nothing to do with your actual circumstances
• The connection between pleasure and creative problem-solving in your private practice

Connect with Felicia:

• Get my freebie & join the email list: The Magic Sheets
• Instagram: @the_bad_therapist
• Website: www.thebadtherapist.coach
• Facebook group: Healing Money

Resources from this episode:

• What Your Therapist Thinks podcast

Quote:

"Having these moments are going to make you feel like you are in your life instead of watching your life from afar." - Felicia

Is your website traffic dropping even though you're doing everything right? Building a marketing ecosystem is more critical than ever as AI reshapes how clients find therapists online. I'm seeing it firsthand; my website gets higher impressions than ever, but fewer clicks because AI summarizes my content directly in search results. It's frustrating, right? But here's the good news: this shift isn't the end of marketing for therapists. It's actually a chance to create something stronger and more sustainable for your private practice.

Tune in to today's episode as I share exactly what's happening with zero-click searches, why relying on one marketing channel leaves you vulnerable, and how to build a marketing ecosystem with multiple touchpoints that work together. You'll hear about my own five-year journey building this business, what worked, what didn't, and the specific steps you can take starting today, even if marketing makes you uncomfortable. 

So if you're ready to stop worrying about algorithm changes and start building a private practice that thrives no matter what tech throws at us, this episode is for you!

Topics covered on Marketing Ecosystem:

• The story of a therapist who relied only on networking and what happened when they got sick and needed extended time off
• A breakdown of what a marketing ecosystem looks like and which channels you should consider building first
• My own two-year journey with SEO + podcasting and when they really started taking off
• How to choose marketing channels based on whether you have more time or more money right now
• The uncomfortable truth about why we resist certain marketing strategies and how I overcame my own resistance
• A reflection exercise to map your current marketing ecosystem and identify where you're over-relying or underperforming

Connect with Felicia:

• Get my freebie & join the email list: The Magic Sheets
• Instagram: @the_bad_therapist
• Website: www.thebadtherapist.coach
• Facebook group: Healing Money

Related episodes

• Marketing Mindset Shifts You Need to Make to Fall in Love With Marketing [Ep 5]
• Marketing for Therapists: How to Connect with Clients by Addressing Their Problems [Ep 58]

Quote:

“ When you invest in a marketing ecosystem that leverages multiple channels, meaningful relationships, and your own strengths, you're protecting your practice against the ups and downs of tech and trends.” - Felicia

Are you spending your weekends catching up on notes when you could be living your life? In today's episode, I'm talking with Doctor TK about time-saving tips for therapists that completely changed how she runs her practice.

She went from spending hours on documentation to creating what she calls the "5-minute clickable note" and it all started when she was working across from a mall and wanted more time to shop! Doctor TK shares exactly how she condensed 15-page intakes into 2 pages and built systems that freed up so much time, she was able to create multiple revenue streams.

But here's the kicker: most therapists want to jump straight to passive income without fixing the holes in their first boat. We dive deep into why your private practice needs solid systems before you can successfully add another revenue stream, plus Doctor TK gets real about how she cut her revenue by 50% so she could be more present with her kids.

If you're tired of drowning in documentation and want to build a business that supports your life (not the other way around), this conversation will show you exactly where to start.

More about Doctor TK:

Doctor TK is a clinical psychologist who runs her virtual therapy practice while traveling the world with her husband and two kids. She’s also a private practice business mentor and has coached over 3000 therapists! If you follow Doctor TK online you know she’s always talking about ways therapists can save time, create additional revenue streams and live their best life.

Topics covered on Time Saving Tips for Therapists:

• Doctor TK's 5-minute clickable note method that replaced hours of documentation with a simple template system.
• Time saving tips for therapists including how to create templates for your five most-used therapy strategies and why this one system can reclaim tens of hours monthly.
• Why fixing your private practice systems before adding revenue streams prevents both businesses from sinking.
• The real reason Doctor TK cut 50% of her business revenue and why 2023 became her best year despite earning less money.
• Doctor TK's journey from county correctional facilities to building a multiple six-figure coaching business for therapists.
• The employee to CEO mindset shift therapists need to build generational wealth and live abundantly.
• The life wheel exercise and intention-setting strategies for designing a first-class life on your own terms.

Connect with Doctor TK:

• YouTube: @DoctorTK
• Instagram: @doctortkpsych

Connect with Felicia:

• Get my freebie & join the email list: The Magic Sheets
• Instagram: @the_bad_therapist
• Website: www.thebadtherapist.coach
• Facebook group: Healing Money

Quote:

“ I do believe that people can have both an abundant life and an abundant business.But what stops us from being able to have that is that we're not even clear. Or we're scared to actually declare what we want.” - Doctor TK

Ever felt guilty for wanting to make good money as a therapist? That's good therapist conditioning at work, and it's probably destroying your practice. Good therapist conditioning is a toxic belief we absorb in grad school, from supervisors and from society that tells us we should sacrifice ourselves for our work. It's that uncomfortable feeling when you talk about money, that guilt when you put yourself first, that fear that other therapists will judge you for wanting financial stability.

In today's episode, I'm showing you how to spot good therapist conditioning in your own practice and, more importantly, how to slay it. I'll share real stories from therapists who went from shaking in their boots about raising fees to consistently filling their practices with full-fee clients. We'll talk about why financial health is actually part of your clinical effectiveness and why you don't need anyone's permission to thrive.

 If you're tired of being overworked, underpaid, and feeling guilty about wanting more, you're in the right place! It's time for you to build a practice that supports your life.

Topics covered on Good Therapist Conditioning:

• Why good therapist conditioning starts in grad school and gets reinforced everywhere you look
• The toxic belief that caring about clients and making good money are mutually exclusive
• The "bad therapist" exercise that will crack open your money blocks immediately
• Real stories of therapists who raised their rates without losing a single client
• The hidden ways good therapist conditioning shows up in your life and business

Resources from this episode:

•  Kasia Urbaniak’s Book: https://www.kasiaurbaniak.com/unbound-book 
• Liberated Business: www.thebadtherapist.coach/liberatedbusiness
• The Fee Formula: www.thebadtherapist.coach/feeformula

Connect with Felicia:

• Get my freebie & join the email list: The Magic Sheets
• Instagram: @the_bad_therapist
• Website: www.thebadtherapist.coach
• Facebook group: Healing Money

Quote:

"Bad therapists know something that other therapists don't. They know it's possible to do good work and have a life that is deeply pleasurable and financially stable and spiritually aligned." - Felicia

How many clients should you see in a day as a private practice therapist? If you're wrestling with this question, you're definitely not alone—and today I'm breaking it all down with honesty, permission, and just a little bit of math.

Most therapists revisit this question throughout their career, wondering what's normal, what's sustainable, and what they actually need to make their practice work financially. I'll share why the typical 15-20 clients per week might not be your magic number, and why I chose to see 6-7 clients over just three days (hello, four-day weekends!). We'll explore why starting with your energy levels and lifestyle needs matters more than industry standards, and I'll flip the traditional math on its head - instead of picking a fee and cramming in clients to pay bills, we'll calculate what fee you need based on your ideal schedule.

Plus, I get real about why having fewer clients can actually benefit both you and them, because nobody wins when you're seeing 50 clients and showing up frazzled. This is about building a private practice that supports your life, not one that consumes it.

Topics covered on How Many Clients Should You See in a Day:

• The typical number of clients most full-time therapists see weekly and how that translates to daily schedules
• My personal preference for condensed schedules
• Designing a schedule that works specifically for you, not what others expect
• Flipping the traditional fee-setting math and explaining how to calculate fees based on your ideal client load
• The quality versus quantity debate and why fewer clients might mean better therapy

Resources from this episode:

• The Magic Sheets: www.thebadtherapist.ck.page/revenue-stimulator 
• Liberated Business: www.thebadtherapist.coach/liberatedbusiness
• The Fee Formula: www.thebadtherapist.coach/feeformula 

Connect with Felicia:

• Instagram: @the_bad_therapist
• Website: www.thebadtherapist.coach
• Facebook group: Healing Money

Quote:

“The only person you need to please is you and then your clients.” - Felicia

Are you running yourself ragged while trying to scale your group practice? In today's episode, I sit down with my client, Lauren Worley, owner of Foothill Psychotherapy, who transformed her business from $18,000 to $25,000 in monthly revenue - without sacrificing her sanity. 

Lauren shares the raw truth about being an "accidental group practice owner" and the wake-up call she needed to stop putting everyone else first. You'll hear exactly how our year-long coaching journey helped her shift from throwing darts at the wall to making strategic decisions as a true CEO. We get real about the financial realities of running a sustainable group practice, why marketing matters (even when you hate it), and when to say no to hiring someone you really like.

If you're drowning in admin tasks, skipping your own paychecks, or using your clinicians as sounding boards, this episode is for you. Lauren's story shows what happens when you finally put your oxygen mask on first and build a business that cares for both your clinicians AND you.

More about Lauren Worley:

Lauren is the owner of Foothills Psychotherapy, a group practice in Burbank, CA that is providing compassionate, client-centered care for teens, adults, and relationships of all kinds. She manages a team that specializes in using Brainspotting, EMDR, and talk therapy to help clients reclaim balance, set boundaries, and live more empowered lives. She is a certified Brainspotting therapist and consultant and loves seeing LGBTQ+ teens and supporting their families.

Topics covered on Scaling Group Practice:

• The transformation from accidental to intentional group practice ownership
• How putting yourself last affects decision-making and business sustainability
• The financial reality of hiring therapists and what expenses to consider
• The reason why marketing cannot be completely outsourced if you are scaling a group practice
• Making tough hiring decisions based on business needs rather than personal connections
• The return on investment from spending on coaching and business development

Connect with Lauren Worley:

• Website: www.foothillspsychotherapy.com

Connect with Felicia:

• Get my freebie & join the email list: The Magic Sheets
• Instagram: @the_bad_therapist
• Website: www.thebadtherapist.coach
• Facebook group: Healing Money

Quote:

"When I first started, I had no oxygen mask. I would hear myself saying it to my clients, I would hear myself saying it to my clinicians and in my head saying, 'Hmm, Lauren, what about yours?'" - Lauren Worley

Are you caught in the telehealth vs. in-person therapy debate? In today's episode, I tackle the question that’s on many therapists' minds: do you really need to have an office to succeed in private practice?

Since the pandemic shifted our industry toward virtual sessions, many of us have gotten comfortable working from home. But there's a growing number of clients specifically seeking in-person therapy experiences. So I'm sharing my own journey with telehealth and why having a physical office space might be worth considering - even if it’s just for one day a week. From the unexpected marketing advantage of Google Business Profiles to the benefits of work-home separation, I'll break down the pros and cons without sugarcoating the realities.

Whether you're committed to your virtual practice or feeling the pull to return to an office setting, this episode offers a no-nonsense look at what might work best for your private practice and lifestyle.

Topics covered on Do You Really Need to Have an Office to Succeed in Private Practice:

• Telehealth therapy transformation during the pandemic
• Breaking down how a Google Business Profile can dramatically increase your private practice's visibility for free
• My personal experiences with office rental arrangements and subletting strategies that can reduce overhead costs
• How therapists can position in-person sessions as premium services with higher pricing
• Testing the waters before fully committing to a physical office

Resources from this episode:

• Google My Business
• Why Therapist Reviews Are Better Than Paid Ads - Your $0 Client Attraction Plan [Episode 123]

Connect with Felicia:

• Get my freebie & join the email list: The Magic Sheets
• Instagram: @the_bad_therapist
• Website: www.thebadtherapist.coach
• Facebook group: Healing Money

Quote:

"Having an office can boost your visibility, help you serve a wider range of clients, and create new business opportunities, but it's not a requirement for success." - Felicia

Growing a group practice starts with your very first hire, but who should that person be? In today's episode, I sit down with Nicole McCance, and we get real about the mistakes that can make or break your expansion plans.

Nicole sold her group practice for multiple seven figures after scaling to 55 therapists in just three years! She shared why your first hire should be a "mini-you" who matches your therapeutic style and energy, ensuring clients get a consistent experience. We discussed real-life strategies for transitioning clients to new therapists, why couples therapists are revenue gold mines, and the best way to screen candidates. Plus, we explore why creating solid systems not only makes your daily operations smoother, but also significantly increases your group practice's value if you ever decide to sell.

If you're dreaming of working less while earning more in your therapy business, this episode is for you. Nicole's stories about her own hiring mistakes will save you tons of headaches and money!

More about Nicole McCance:

Nicole is a Psychologist (retired) turned Business Coach for therapists scaling to a group practice.  She expanded her private practice to 55 therapists and multiple 7 figures in 3 years (with toddler twins at home). Nicole sold her clinic in the 4th year and then retired as a Psychologist in her 5th year. She now teaches therapists how to help more people, make more money and have more freedom following her proven method. The McCance Method: https://mccancemethod.com/ 

Topics covered on Growing A Group Practice:

• Nicole's journey from solo practitioner to growing a group practice with 55 therapists.
• Why your first hire should be a "mini-me" who matches your energy, personality, and therapeutic modality.
• When to diversify beyond mini-me hires and how to use market data to guide these decisions.
• The screening questions you should ask potential hires before spending time interviewing them.
• How systems and consistent processes create safety for both clients and therapists.
• The financial value of documented systems and operations manuals when selling your group practice.

Connect with Nicole McCance:

• Podcast:  The Business Savvy Therapist Podcast
• Free Masterclass - How To Build A 7-Figure Group Practice: https://mccancemethod.com/webinar-free-masterclass-from-solo-to-superteam

Connect with Felicia:

• Get my freebie & join the email list: The Magic Sheets
• Instagram: @the_bad_therapist
• Website: www.thebadtherapist.coach
• Facebook group: Healing Money

Quote:

"In order for you to be a CEO, you have to let go of some of the clients 'cause you can't drive the bus and be in the bus seat at the same time." - Nicole McCance