When you picture your dream private practice—full caseload, stable income, predictable schedule—what do you actually hope to feel? Safety? Confidence? Freedom? In this episode, we dig into the emotional disconnect many therapists experience after reaching their big goals, and why those milestone moments don’t always feel the way you expected.

If you've been hustling toward "maintenance season" only to still feel anxious, flat, or unsatisfied, you're not alone. I’m sharing what I’ve learned (in my own business and with thousands of therapists) about why the numbers alone don’t deliver lasting security—and how you can start accessing the feelings of success today, not someday.

This conversation will help you reframe what you're really chasing, and give you practical tools to start showing up more grounded, confident, and steady in your practice and your marketing.

Here’s what you’ll learn in this episode:

1️⃣ Why hitting milestones like a full caseload or revenue goal might not bring the emotional relief you expect

2️⃣ The deeper desires that often hide beneath therapists’ goals—and how to start honoring them now

3️⃣ Specific practices to help you access confidence, stability, freedom, or contribution—without waiting to “arrive”

Resources & Links Mentioned:

• The Walker Strategy Co website: walkerstrategyco.com
• Confident Copy: walkerstrategyco.com/cc
• Magnetic Niche Method: walkerstrategyco.com/mnm
• Today’s Full Caseload private podcast: walkerstrategyco.com/tfc

Connect + Subscribe

Enjoying the podcast? Subscribe so you never miss an episode—and feel free to share it with a fellow therapist who’s building their private practice.

Explore more marketing support for therapists: The Walker Strategy Co website

About Marketing Therapy

Marketing Therapy is the podcast where therapists learn how to market their private practices without burnout, self-doubt, or sleazy tactics. Hosted by marketing coach, strategist, and founder of Walker Strategy Co, each episode brings you clear, grounded advice to help you attract the right-fit, full-fee clients and grow a practice you feel proud of.

Hey y'all.

2

Welcome back to Marketing Therapy,

episode 31 last week's episode,

3

talking about the seasons of private

practice and the seasons of you as

4

a clinician, has brought up some

interesting conversations and concepts.

5

Now, as I mentioned in that episode, I've

worked with thousands of therapists over

6

the last six years, and one of the cool

parts about that is I've been able to

7

see clinicians go through the seasons and

reach the one that is so often the goal.

8

And that's what we called

the maintenance season.

9

Now, if you didn't catch last week's

episode, we talked about how the

10

maintenance season is that place

where things start to click, they

11

start to feel a little bit easier.

12

You feel like your caseload is consistent,

the referrals are coming in, and for

13

that reason, it's usually the place

that most clinicians are striving for.

14

It becomes the big goal.

15

You have the steady caseload,

you have the consistent income.

16

Things feel predictable and sustainable.

17

But what is really interesting about

watching therapists arrive at maintenance

18

season is that so often they don't

feel the way they thought they would.

19

Some therapists expected to reach this

place and feel relief or stability, but

20

find themselves still feeling anxious.

21

Some expected pride in themselves,

but instead they feel kind of flat

22

or even strangely disappointed.

23

Pointed others, and this is interesting.

24

They feel like it cost them

more freedom than it gave them.

25

And I think this is a concept we

should spend a little bit more time

26

looking at, not just for the clinicians

who are sitting here listening in

27

the maintenance season, but for

those who are striving toward it.

28

Now, I've experienced this so many times

in my own business, especially early

29

on when I would hit milestones that I

thought, I, man, I thought I wanted them.

30

I thought they would make

a huge difference for me.

31

Time and time again, they didn't deliver

the feeling I thought they would.

32

I hit an income goal, but

things didn't really change.

33

I filled confident copy the first time

I launched it and I was terrified.

34

Instead of feeling like I

made it, I felt more pressure.

35

I felt like the bar had just moved higher

and over the last handful of years as

36

I started to run into the same tension.

37

I've done a lot of coaching and

mindset work to realize that the

38

external milestones I'm hitting in my

business, the quote unquote success,

39

whatever I'm seeing on paper, doesn't

automatically create my internal state,

40

and that I'm in charge of that piece.

41

And so in this episode, I wanna talk

about helping you connect to the feeling

42

of success, whether or not you've

reached the state that you want to be in.

43

Yeah, because the real driver

here is not just the goal itself.

44

The real driver behind what you're

wanting to do in your practice isn't

45

just having a full caseload or reaching

a certain revenue number per month.

46

It's about the feeling that you

believe that goal is going to unlock.

47

And if we don't connect to those feelings

along the way, that's when we hit the

48

milestones and we still feel empty.

49

But if we do connect to them now,

because there are ways to feel the way

50

you want to feel right now, then you can

avoid the burnout and the scarcity and

51

chasing goals that never truly satisfy.

52

So that's where I really want to go.

53

In today's episode, I wanna talk about

the trap that I see a lot of therapists

54

fall into chasing numbers and instead

dig into the deeper desires underneath.

55

Your desire for a full practice.

56

And then as always, I'd love for you to be

able to walk away with something tangible.

57

And so we will give you some

very practical ways to connect to

58

those feelings right now along the

journey, regardless of if you've

59

quote unquote hit the goal yet.

60

So let's start by talking about this

trap that I see a lot of clinicians

61

fall into because many therapists

believe success equals one thing.

62

More clients, the full caseload, and

everything they do in their practice

63

gets measured against that single metric.

64

I am successful if my caseload is full.

65

I am not.

66

If it isn't, and once I get there,

then I will feel safe and stable

67

and confident and successful.

68

But the thing that if you've

reached it, you know, and if you

69

haven't yet, let me tell you.

70

Numbers will not automatically

shift how you feel inside.

71

We talk all the time about the fact

that caseloads naturally ebb and flow

72

clients, graduate seasons change.

73

If you are tying your stability, your

competence, your freedom, your safety

74

to numbers, then let me tell you,

you are always going to be on edge.

75

I have realized in my own personal

therapy work over the last couple of

76

years that stability and security are

my top personal values at the root of

77

every decision I make in my life, it's

guided by my desire to feel those things.

78

And so when I would hit these

milestones in my business and didn't

79

feel stable, I still felt unsafe.

80

I couldn't trust it.

81

I couldn't enjoy it.

82

I spoke last week about a clinician

I just recently talked to who

83

only has 15 clinical hours in

her caseload, and yet she keeps

84

overbooking it because she's terrified

that it's all just gonna go away.

85

So the scarcity thinking

it can look like that.

86

Hair on fire, panic.

87

When a few clients graduate at once,

oh my goodness, what am I gonna do?

88

Everything's wrong.

89

Can I survive?

90

The absolute spiral of anxiety that I

see lots of therapists get caught in.

91

Sometimes it shows up more In comparison.

92

What you see other clinicians doing

versus what you are doing, what they

93

seem to be achieving that you are

not, or just this general feeling like

94

success is always just over there.

95

Not right here.

96

One of the most detrimental ways I see

this scarcity trap show up though is

97

in this kind of pick me energy that

clinicians show up to consultations

98

and relationship building, networking

with, there is a sense of desperation

99

and constant second guessing, feeling

like they need this next client, they

100

need this networking relationship.

101

And let me tell you, that

shows up in your marketing.

102

But if we look at all of these examples

of this scarcity trap, what we see is

103

that this happens when you outsource your

feelings of success to external numbers.

104

So if you're like me and stability

is your deepest desire, but you only

105

let yourself feel stable, when your

caseload is 100% maxed out, then you

106

will always be at risk of losing it.

107

It.

108

So whatever deeper desires are underneath

your goals, please know that they

109

can't be supplied only by numbers.

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They need internal

practices to back them up.

111

And when you get stuck in this

trap, scarcity thinking ends

112

up negating all the other ways

that you are already successful.

113

Right here, right now, every client.

114

You've helped experience transformational

breakthroughs, every skill you've

115

built, every step you've taken to launch

and market and grow your practice.

116

It keeps you chasing instead of

appreciating where you are right now.

117

And I'll see therapists who

are in those earlier seasons.

118

They're not used to the ebb and flow.

119

They haven't realized that they're

gonna be on these ups and downs, and

120

so they panic at every single ebb.

121

But when we look at that clinician

a couple years later, they've

122

learned to ground, hopefully, in

the deeper desires and connect to

123

feelings of success regardless.

124

Of what their calendar might say

this week, and those ebbs and flows,

125

they don't shake them nearly as much.

126

So if chasing numbers isn't enough,

then what do you actually want?

127

When you say you want a full

caseload, that's where we need to

128

get under the surface and talk about

the desires beneath the desire.

129

Okay.

130

Like I said, when I sit down

with a clinician and I say, what

131

is your hope for your practice?

132

I want a full caseload.

133

I wanna make this much money a year.

134

I wanna see this many clients

a week, whatever that might be.

135

But what you're really saying

is, I want the feelings.

136

I think those circumstances will give me,

137

sometimes it's competence.

138

It's a desire to feel capable

and confident in your skills.

139

When my caseload is full,

then I will feel capable and

140

confident in what I've done here.

141

Sometimes it's contribution, knowing

you're making a difference in people's

142

lives, and while you might feel

like you're contributing in those

143

earlier stages, you're not doing

as much contribution as you could

144

be unless that caseload is full.

145

Maybe you're like me and it is stability.

146

It's steady income, a

predictable schedule, a sense

147

of safety that you're wanting.

148

Maybe it's confidence, knowing that you

are being chosen and trusted and valued

149

by your clients and your referral sources.

150

Maybe, and this is a very common one I

see for many clinicians, it's freedom.

151

You got out of agency or community

mental health or group practice

152

work in order to create something

that allows you margin in your life.

153

That could be financial margin,

time margin, emotional space,

154

being able to sign off at 5:00

PM and not feel bad about it.

155

To chaperone a field trip for your

kids to take a vacation, to buy a home.

156

Maybe what you really want is freedom.

157

I'm curious which of those resonates most.

158

I find that contribution is what

often brings therapists into this

159

profession, the desire to make a

difference in people's lives, but

160

often as they start to grow their

practices, stability and freedom

161

usually become the bigger drivers as

they're growing, and then the competence

162

and the confidence those naturally

build through the process of growing

163

their business and serving clients.

164

It's an interesting byproduct as I watch

our Confident Copy students graduate.

165

Of course, they're leaving the program

with great website copy and a really

166

clear sense of their niche, but so often

I hear about them leaving with a greater

167

sense of confidence in who they are.

168

I just spoke with a student yesterday

who said, I've learned so much

169

more not just about marketing,

but about who I am as a clinician.

170

I feel more confident in what I do in

the room, not just in my marketing.

171

She was connecting to those

feelings of confidence already.

172

Now, here's why I think naming

the deeper desire matters here.

173

If you don't, then you risk continuing

to chase the numbers and never

174

feel that sense of satisfaction

when you do name them though.

175

You can actually find ways to experience

those things right now to experience

176

freedom, to experience stability, to

experience confidence or competence

177

or contribution, regardless of whether

your practice is technically full.

178

Remember, we're trying to stop

outsourcing the way you feel to what

179

your calendar says or your bank account.

180

Okay?

181

So let me ask you, when you imagine

your practice being full reaching

182

maintenance, what's the deeper

feeling that you're chasing?

183

Is it competence, stability, freedom,

or maybe it's something else.

184

But once you know what you're actually

chasing, then the next question is, how

185

can we connect to those feelings now?

186

Instead of waiting for the

quote unquote finish line,

187

I don't want you to have to wait

until your caseload is full to

188

feel the way you want to feel.

189

And I'm not telling you this as

some pie in the sky woowoo thing.

190

I'm telling you this because

I've learned how to do it myself.

191

And the freedom and the stability

that doing that unlocks is something

192

that, quite frankly, no level of full

caseload or revenue can do for you.

193

Success is not just something

at the end of the road.

194

It's something you can

practice in small ways today.

195

So, like I said, I do wanna give

you a couple practical ways to begin

196

implementing this in your life and start

connecting to the feelings of success

197

regardless of your caseload status.

198

If you find that competence is

one of those deep, deep desires

199

for you, then make a list of

client wins or breakthroughs.

200

Spend some time journaling on those

incredible light bulb moments that you

201

have supported in your clients . If

you've been through our magnetic niche

202

method, you know that the program

starts by you reflecting on what it

203

is that you do well in the room and

what you might have brought into the

204

room with a really successful session.

205

Remind yourself that these are the

receipts of your skill and your impact.

206

This is proof right here, right now.

207

That you are incredibly talented and

skilled at what it is that you do.

208

If you realize that you're very, very

motivated by this sense of contribution,

209

then consider revisiting thank

you notes or comments from clients

210

you've jotted down over the years,

the feedback they've given you about

211

what you've helped them experience.

212

Recall moments where someone

reflected the difference you made?

213

Remember the way that you've

contributed to your client's lives.

214

If stability is the deeper desire for

you, I really encourage you to create some

215

grounding rituals that you can engage in.

216

That can be budget check-ins or monthly

revenue reviews, weekly scheduling.

217

Setting boundaries and

218

setting goals for your practice

that don't require you to be quote

219

unquote full in order to be safe.

220

So that means that you can pay

your bills and be okay even if

221

you've got a couple empty spots.

222

This sometimes means you need to

revisit things like your fees.

223

In order to be able to structure your

life in such a way that you can be stable

224

and you can be safe even when things

aren't full, but build some scaffolding

225

around how your practice runs that

allows you to experience safety even

226

if that caseload isn't full right now

227

and in whatever way makes sense for you.

228

Track progress over time.

229

Rather than panicking over one slow

week or one slow month, because again,

230

the ebbs and flows are normal, how

can you start to remind yourself of

231

the long-term progress or stability

that you've created for yourself?

232

Like I mentioned, stability is my number

one goal, and because of that, I love

233

to return to the data because sometimes

things can feel a certain way, but

234

the data can actually say otherwise.

235

So I have some monthly practices where

I look at the data, I look at what we've

236

completed this month and what's ahead in

order to remind myself that we're good

237

and to also trust that if for whatever

reason we are not, I am capable of making

238

changes to get where we need to go.

239

If you are motivated by a sense of

confidence, a desire to feel confident

240

when your caseload is full, then

please take some time to remember the

241

training you invested in, the risks

you've taken, the steps you've already

242

shown up for how far you've come from

your internship years, from your time

243

in the agency, whatever it might be.

244

Take a minute and appreciate

where you are today.

245

Acknowledge that you have done hard

things before and you can do them again.

246

You can feel confident right here,

right now in your ability to grow

247

your caseload and serve your clients

even if you're still growing, even

248

in the middle of that process.

249

And what a beautiful gift to yourself

if you're here because you're motivated

250

by freedom, the ability to create

margin and freedom in your life.

251

Then please let me encourage

you to practice the freedom

252

you already have right now.

253

That could be big or small.

254

That might be taking a sick day

without guilt because you can,

255

that could be going for a walk and

building in rest to your schedule.

256

Being mindful that that is

freedom, but look at your life.

257

Look at what you're creating.

258

Where have you already created

opportunities for freedom?

259

Practice those.

260

Be mindful of them.

261

Realize that freedom is not going

to come when the caseload is full,

262

but instead is just going to grow.

263

You have it here right now.

264

You can connect to it right now, and

that freedom will only grow as you do.

265

You know, at Walker Strategy Code, we

have a client wins folder Every month

266

we collect feedback and client wins.

267

So sometimes that's testimonials from you

guys about how your practice is growing.

268

Your template finally launched

and you feel so excited about it.

269

You feel so much better about your niche.

270

You've got five clients from

networking, whatever that might be.

271

Sometimes it's that, but sometimes

it's feedback we've gotten.

272

About the team, how responsive we

are, how helpful we've been, the

273

service people have gotten from us.

274

And every month in our all hands

call, which is how we start our

275

month together as a team, we

review these and we celebrate them.

276

And this has become a built in

way to stay connected to our

277

impact and to our contribution

as a team at Walker Strategy Co.

278

Remember, you don't have to wait

for the huge milestone here.

279

You can build reminders

into your regular rhythm.

280

And what's so cool here is that therapists

who do this, they start showing up

281

differently instead of the anxious,

scarcity driven energy where they're

282

always striving, striving, striving.

283

They have this kind of grounded,

confident presence about them.

284

Can you think of a clinician like that?

285

I know I can.

286

And what's powerful here is that

that shift is huge for them and how

287

they show up to their work, but it's

also absolutely magnetic to clients.

288

That pick me energy, that scarcity

trap we talked about earlier,

289

that is repelling to clients.

290

They can sense that and whether or

not it's actually something they can

291

name, it can lead them to feel like

they aren't connecting with you.

292

Clients are looking for

someone steady, not panicked.

293

If you can show up to your practice

as steady, not panicked, then

294

you're aligning with what it is

that those clients are looking for.

295

I can think of a student

who used to panic.

296

Every time clients graduated.

297

She sent me an email just about every

single time she hit one of those ebbs.

298

In her practice, it would be

like, Anna, what do I need to do?

299

Can we meet?

300

What do we have to do?

301

And often we would, especially in the

early days, but I've watched her mature

302

as a practice owner, and now she's learned

to stay grounded in her own skills.

303

And in what she's seen be true

over time, kind of that long-term

304

progress I was mentioning.

305

And she's not shaken in the same way

by them, those ebbs and those flows.

306

It's not to say that they don't

make her feel anything, right?

307

She's not a robot, but they don't throw

her off course the way they used to.

308

So I encourage you to think

about this for yourself.

309

What's one small practice you could

add this week to start connecting to

310

the feeling you're actually after.

311

How could you start feeling

that wave right now?

312

Because remember, the way you

feel doesn't just impact you.

313

It shows up in your marketing

and clients can sense it too.

314

The way you feel about your practice

doesn't just live inside you.

315

You are not a vacuum.

316

It comes through in the way you

market and network and write how

317

you show up in consult calls.

318

If you show up to those consult calls

with that pick me energy and that

319

sense of desperation, it can lead

them to wonder if this therapist

320

isn't confident in themselves,

can they really hold space for me?

321

And again, these aren't

necessarily conscious.

322

By your client.

323

They might not get off the consult call

and have that question, but it can be the

324

underlying effect of showing up this way.

325

But if your grounded confidence

could reassure your clients, then

326

they can feel steadier just by being

around you and what a gift to them.

327

How does scarcity sound in marketing?

328

I am still building my caseload,

so I have openings right now.

329

It's okay to say that, but

there's a certain energy

330

behind a statement like that.

331

Please reach out.

332

I really need new clients over

apologizing or over explaining

333

your fees or your schedule or your

availability, not holding boundaries.

334

A client wants a 5:00 PM session

and you're usually off at

335

four, but sure you'll do it.

336

A website that's generic or hesitant or

overly focused on your needing clients

337

rather than them getting support.

338

Now, here's some shifts.

339

I mentioned the first example

for scarcity sounding.

340

I'm still building my caseload,

so I have openings right now.

341

What if instead, I specialize

in working with this niche and I

342

currently have space for new clients.

343

Can you hear the

difference in energy there?

344

Language that reflects clarity.

345

Here's who I help, here's how I help them.

346

Here's what to do next.

347

Confidently.

348

Stating your fees and your

availability without apology.

349

Holding the boundaries, holding

the cancellation policies.

350

Marketing that communicates your

expertise and reassurance, that grounded

351

presence you offer to your clients.

352

Okay.

353

Now what's interesting to see here is

that marketing isn't just words on a page.

354

It's not what you write on your website.

355

It's not how pretty it is.

356

It's not the networking

conversation you have.

357

It's not what you post on Instagram.

358

Marketing is an energy transfer, and when

you're in an energy of scarcity, clients

359

feel that anxiety and they hesitate.

360

If you are in the grounded energy, clients

feel your steadiness and they trust you.

361

That therapist I mentioned who used to

panic during the ebbs and the flows.

362

Once she became grounded in her deeper

desires, her marketing became more

363

confident and the results they followed,

and she remains fully booked, private

364

pay, fully booked here and there

with ebbs and flows in New York City.

365

So when you practice connecting

to those deeper feelings now.

366

The stability, the contribution,

the freedom, whatever that

367

is, it's not just for you.

368

It's gonna change how you show

up to your marketing as well.

369

And that is what ultimately

attracts the right clients and

370

gets you closer to the goal.

371

So as we end our episode

today, here's the takeaway.

372

When you say you want a full

caseload, it's rarely just

373

about the number of clients.

374

It's about what you think

that number will bring you.

375

But if you only let yourself feel those

things, once you hit the milestone,

376

you will stay stuck in scarcity.

377

And even when you do hit the number,

378

it may not feel the way

you thought it would.

379

But when you start connecting to

those feelings right here, right now,

380

you free yourself from that trap.

381

You show up more grounded and

more confident, and you make

382

this entire journey of private

practice a whole lot lighter.

383

And a whole lot more enjoyable.

384

So I wanna leave you with the question,

what is the deeper feeling underneath

385

your desire for a full practice?

386

And what is one way you can connect to

that this week, right here, right now?

387

Now, if you want some extra

support in thinking about these

388

kinds of shifts, I encourage you

to jump into our private podcast.

389

Today's full caseload.

390

It's where I really dig deep into

the modern tactics that I'm seeing

391

fill caseloads, including both

mindset and strategy, helping you get

392

out of outdated advice or scarcity

thinking, and into the mindset of

393

what it takes to be successful today.

394

If you haven't jumped in there, you can

get instant access@walkerstrategycode.com

395

slash tfc.

396

And if you're really ready to

go deeper, not just to connect

397

to your why, but to actually put

it into words in your marketing.

398

That is exactly what we do inside of

Confident Copy in CC, you come away not

399

only with the Stronger to marketing, but

like I mentioned earlier, a whole new

400

level of confidence in yourself in how

you show up and in the work that you do.

401

The incredible life-changing work.

402

Now, remember, you do not have

to wait until you've arrived

403

to feel successful, okay?

404

You can choose to access and feel

those things right now and that.

405

Is actually what's gonna help you build

the practice you're working toward.

406

Thanks for being here today.

407

I'll see you in the next episode.