Your First Year in Private Practice: How to Find Clients (and How They Find You)

Becoming a qualified counsellor or psychotherapist is a significant milestone — one that reflects years of study, personal growth, and a commitment to the profession. But once you're ready to start working with clients, an efficient (and sometimes intimidating) question tends to arise:

How do I find clients?

Or, even more accurately:

How do I attract the right clients in a way that feels ethical, authentic, and sustainable?

This guide is for newly qualified therapists navigating the critical—and often wobbly—first year. It combines strategic advice with encouragement from someone who understands the emotional side of running a practice as well.

1. You're Not Alone — But It Can Feel Lonely

After the structure of training and placement, the transition into private practice can feel isolating—no more regular group check-ins, peer chats, or tutors keeping you on track. You might sit alone in your therapy room (or on Zoom), wondering where everyone's gone.

This is normal.

But that doesn't mean you should stay isolated. Connection matters for your well-being just as much as it does for your client'.

Try:

• Staying in touch with your training peers

• Joining local networking groups or online supervision circles

• Renting a room in a counselling hub once a week if you're online-only

• Finding a supervisor who supports you as you grow into the role

The community can keep you grounded when things feel uncertain.

2. Get the Practical Foundations in Place

Before focusing on visibility, it's essential to ensure your practice is appropriately set up. This includes:

• Insurance and membership with a professional body (e.g. BACP, UKCP)

• A clear contract and privacy policy

• GDPR-compliant storage systems for notes and client information

• A diary or booking system you're comfortable using

• Reliable supervision in place

  
  

These are the behind-the-scenes systems that give your practice structure and help you feel confident when that first enquiry comes in.

3. Choose One or Two Directories and Focus Your Energy

Many therapists feel they need to be everywhere at once — but spreading yourself too thin can water down your impact.

Instead, choose 1–2 well-established directories and take the time to get them right:

• Counselling Directory

• Psychology Today

• Your professional register (BACP, UKCP, NCPS)

  
  

Make your profile warm and relatable. Avoid long lists of issues you work with. Focus instead on:

• How you work

• The type of client you support

• What clients might be going through when they seek you out

• Your tone and personality — what kind of space do you offer?

  
  

A clear, kind, and focused listing will outperform a generic one every time.

4. Build a Simple Website That Feels Like You

You don't need a large, complicated website when you're just starting. A single page is often enough. What matters is that it's:

• Easy to navigate

• Clear on who you help and how

• Written in your natural, professional tone

• Includes your availability, fees, and how to get in touch

  
  

This is where people come to get a feel for you — so don't worry about perfection. Just make it honest, friendly, and straightforward.

5. When Writing Your Bio, Speak from the Heart

Many new therapists write bios that sound like mini dissertations — full of qualifications and modalities but lacking personality.

Instead, write as if you're speaking to someone who's quietly thinking:

"Could this person help me?"

• Be warm, open, and authentic

• Share why you're drawn to this work

• Reflect your values and approach in your tone

• If appropriate, mention relevant lived experiences or interests that inform your work

  
  

People are looking for a therapist they can feel safe with — not just someone who's trained.

6. Be Honest About Your Specialisms

This is one of the most important (and commonly misunderstood) parts of setting up your practice.

It can be tempting to list everything: anxiety, trauma, grief, self-esteem, eating disorders, OCD, narcissistic abuse, and more. After all, it sounds like the more you offer, the more clients you'll attract… right?

Not quite.

Clients are looking for someone who genuinely understands their experience, not just someone who lists it. Furthermore, therapists have a responsibility to be transparent about their training and scope of practice.

Take narcissistic abuse and that overused word 'narcissist' for example. It's a term that increasingly appears in therapist bios, but it's not just a subset of trauma or domestic abuse. It's a complex area that requires deep understanding of:

• Covert psychological control

• Identity erosion and gaslighting

• Relational trauma and post-abuse repair

  
  

If you haven't received specific training or experience in this field, listing it might unintentionally mislead or disappoint clients.

Instead:

• Be honest about what you're trained and confident in

• Let your niche evolve naturally through experience and supervision

• Trust that you'll draw the right clients when your messaging is grounded in authenticity

Trying to appeal to everyone can dilute your message. Clear, honest communication builds trust — and that's the foundation of a thriving practice.

7. Expect Emotional Highs and Lows

Your first client enquiry might make you feel euphoric. A slow week might leave you questioning everything.

This rollercoaster is normal.

The early months are filled with doubts, imposter syndrome, and mini-celebrations. Don't confuse slow starts with failure, they're part of the process. This is a long game, not one that yields an overnight win.

Maintain perspective, stay resourced, and recognise that confidence builds over time.

8. Let People Know What You Do (And Let Google Help Them Find You)

Marketing isn't about pressure or pushing. It's simply about making it possible for people to find you when they need you.

Start by:

• Updating your LinkedIn profile to reflect your current role and specialisms

• Letting friends, peers, former tutors and placement contacts know you're taking clients

• Joining local wellbeing networks, directories, or online forums

• Sharing small, human insights or reflections on Instagram, Threads, or your blog

And here's something many therapists don't realise:

Search engines like Google often rank your LinkedIn, Counselling Directory, or Psychology Today profile higher than your actual website, especially in the first year.

This means:

• Someone searching your name will likely see your LinkedIn and directories first

• Directory and social sites have high domain authority, which boosts your visibility

• Even if your website is brand new, your online presence can still work hard for you

  
  

So don't dismiss the power of these platforms. They're not "less professional" than a website, they're part of the ecosystem that leads people to you.

Think of each listing, post, or profile as a breadcrumb — leading clients to a sense of who you are, what you offer, and why they might feel safe reaching out.

9. Use Content to Build Connection (Not Just Visibility)

If you enjoy writing or speaking, even small pieces of content can help potential clients get to know you.

You might write:

• A blog post on "What to Expect in Your First Session."

• A short guide to managing overwhelm

• A carousel on Instagram explaining how therapy works

  
  

Content doesn't need to be constant. It just needs to be clear, kind, and consistent with who you are. People often read quietly for weeks before ever making contact — and what you share might be the thing that makes them feel brave enough to reach out.

10. Stay in Your Lane

It's easy to compare yourself to more experienced therapists with complete diaries and polished branding.

But your journey is yours. Everyone starts somewhere.

Stay focused on:

• The clients you can help

• The work you want to do

• The growth that's happening behind the scenes

  
  

You don't need to be the busiest. You need to be genuine.

11. Ask for Help with the Hard Bits

You became a therapist — not a web designer, SEO expert, or content strategist. If the business side of things feels overwhelming, you're not failing; you're just being realistic. You're simply wearing too many hats.

At Minds Marketing, we specialise in supporting mental health professionals through their early years in private practice. Whether it's website content, marketing strategy, or ethical promotion — we can help you feel confident being visible.

12. Stay Connected to Your "Why"

When the phone is quiet or your confidence dips, return to the reason you chose this work. You don't need to be perfect or polished. You need to be present.

You're not here to convince anyone to come to therapy. You're here to be findable — when the right person is ready.

"The curious paradox is that when I accept myself just as I am, then I can change."— Carl R. Rogers

And finally, don't overwhelm yourself. One thoughtful, well-written blog post a month is far more valuable than five rushed posts a week. Poor-quality content can harm trust and leave a negative impression. Focus on quality, not quantity. Do less — but do it well.

You've got this.