Networking Isn’t Gross—You’re Just Doing It Wrong [Summer Slump #3] (Episode 11)
If the word “networking” makes you cringe, you’re not alone. In this episode of Marketing Therapy, part three of our Slaying the Summer Slump series, we’re tackling one of the most misunderstood (and often dreaded) aspects of marketing your private practice. Spoiler alert: it doesn’t have to feel awkward, pushy, or draining.
I’m walking you through why networking still works—especially in this “trust recession”—and how to reframe it so it actually feels natural and aligned with your values. You’ll learn how to start small, show up genuinely, and build lasting referral relationships without burning out or selling yourself short. Summer is the perfect time to plant these seeds—and I’ll show you exactly how.
Here’s what you’ll learn in this episode:
1️⃣ Why networking is still one of the most effective marketing strategies (with real data to back it up)
2️⃣ What networking looks like when it’s rooted in relationship-building—not cold emails or coffee dates that drain you
3️⃣ How to start connecting with the right people in a way that feels generous, grounded, and totally doable (even if you’re an introvert)
-
Hey there. Welcome back to Marketing Therapy, episode 11, also part three of our Slaying the Summer Slump series. If you've been following along, you know I've been making the case, hopefully. Well, that summer isn't something that you should just be surviving in your practice. It's actually one of the best times, if not the best time to invest in your marketing.
And certainly not because it's the busiest, but because it's when most people are slowing down and backing off, sometimes disappearing altogether. And when you are the one still showing up, even just a little, you start to stand out. This season is an opportunity to take the margin available to you and invest in it.
Use it to set yourself up for success as we move into the fall and future seasons of your practice. In episode nine of Slaying the Summer Slump, we started with talking about where you are starting with running your practice from a place of really grounded action and identifying the opportunities you have in front of you to start improving your marketing Now.
So we did a little self-audit in there. That was really powerful and a great place to start. Then in episode 10 we looked at how to clarify what you actually want and how to start showing up like the clinician you are and are becoming not the one you used to be. If you haven't caught those episodes yet, I strongly suggest. That you hop over and listen to those after this one, maybe even before, because they really lay a great foundation for what we're talking about today. Because today we're taking this a step further. We're talking about something that gets misunderstood all the time.
Networking. If you just cringed a little, you're not alone. Most therapists I work with the large majority, do not love the idea of networking. Many of the therapists I support identify as introverts, and so the idea of networking brings up images of really awkward small talk and desperate cold emails, and quite frankly, a lot of time that they don't feel like they have.
But here's the thing, networking is hands down one of the most effective marketing strategies in the game. In fact. In today's market, I view it as a non-negotiable. If you've been in my world for a while, you've heard me say this, I have yet to meet a fully booked private pay clinician who is not well connected. I'm sure they're out there, but they're hard to find. And when I say that networking is one of the most effective marketing strategies, this is not just according to me. We are also really surprised by what we saw in our state of the industry survey, where over 400 clinicians weighed in on what was actually working for them.
But an important thing to know about networking is it's not just about getting clients. It's not that easy if you've networked before. You know that you don't make a connection with someone one day and get a referral the next. It's really about building long-term trust in a market where trust is right now at an all time low.
So today I wanna reframe networking entirely. Here we're gonna talk about why it's still working, and especially why it's critical right now, what it actually looks like when it's not gross or forced, and how you can start small this week in a way that's aligned with your strengths and doesn't drain you, but does capitalize on the potential of this strategy.
This episode is gonna give you a few powerful ways to build something that lasts in your networking relationships. Alright, let's start with why networking actually works, why you've gotta do it, and why it still matters, especially now. You may have heard this term before, or maybe this is the first time, but many people say that we are in what's called a trust recession.
What does that mean? It means that people are more skeptical than ever. You might actually be feeling this in your clients. It's one of the reasons in our state of the industry survey, we heard from therapists that they are experiencing clients doing more shopping around, engaging in more consultations.
They're a little bit more discerning, they're doing more research, they're taking longer to decide, and sometimes they've been burned, whether by a therapist or by some other service provider that they just enter into all of these decisions with a little bit more skepticism. So in a world where trust is in short supply, a recommendation from someone they do trust is absolutely worth its weight in gold.
That is what networking creates. It builds a bridge of trust that absolutely no Psychology Today profile or Instagram reel or Google search result can fully replicate. Think about it when someone says, Hey, I know someone great. You should reach out to them. That referral carries weight.
Whether you're looking for someone to mow your lawn or a personal trainer or a therapist for your child. Imagine if someone says, Hey, I know someone awesome. Here's their info. You automatically trust that someone more. And like I said, the data, it backs this up according to our 2024 state of the industry survey.
So we completed this in December, 2024. Networking is hands down one of the most effective strategies across the board, whether you are full fee or insurance-based, whether you are brand new or a decade. In solo group networking was in the top three for every single clinician type as far as how they are getting clients.
78% of therapists got at least one client in the last six months from another therapist they know, and 72% got a client from a complimentary professional, so a non therapist professional. Think doctor or coach or doula, or yoga instructor, whatever, someone who isn't a therapist, those numbers are not a fluke.
Those numbers are a signal that people still value human to human connection. Even in the age of AI and a trust recession, actually, they might value it more than ever. And here's something else I wanna say about this. Therapists are already good at this. Whether you believe it or not, whatever your beliefs about networking might be.
I'm here to tell you networking isn't actually as foreign a skill as it might feel like. You build trust for a living. You build rapport for a living. You hold space, you listen thoughtfully, you connect, you build a relationship. Networking is simply about applying those same strengths in a different direction.
So the problem isn't that you don't know how, it's that somewhere along the line you picked up the idea and are still carrying it, that this is supposed to feel pushy or awkward or fake, but it doesn't have to. And I wanna show you here what it can look like instead. And again, why this summer season is so helpful for it.
First, let's clear up a couple ideas around what networking isn't, because for a lot of you, like I said, you've picked up that idea and this is where the resistance really lives. Most of the hesitation therapists have around networking doesn't actually come from the act of networking itself. You don't mind talking to people, right?
It comes from a set of assumptions about what it's supposed to be. So please hear me networking effectively. Is not cold, emailing strangers asking them to send you clients. It is not about being extroverted and putting yourself out there day in and day out. It is not about physically driving to doctor's office after doctor's office and knocking on doors, and it is definitely not about being salesy or pushy.
I wanna tell you a story here. When I first started Walker Strategy Co and really started taking it seriously I believed that this business, this mission, had potential. I hired a coach. I realized I needed some support, and I hired a coach, and she gave me two pieces of advice. First, she told me to start a Facebook group, and not only to start a Facebook group, but to go live in that Facebook group multiple times a week.
That was not on my Bingo card, and it felt incredibly uncomfortable, but it did feel aligned with what I wanted to do. I wanted to build community. I wanted to create connection, and so I did that thing. It was uncomfortable, but it was aligned. Guess what? Last month, that group hit 20,000 therapists, and it's my number one marketing tool and opportunity to connect with people.
The second thing she told me to do, and I still cringe at this, she told me, get on Psychology Today. Type in your zip code. So she wanted me to actually target people in Nashville, which is still just beyond me. She told me to find therapists who didn't have strong websites and then to cold email them and tell them, are you kidding me?
I was early on in my business, but I knew bar none that didn't. Feel right? So I didn't do it. It didn't feel aligned. It felt invasive, and quite frankly, it felt gross. If that is what it took to succeed in this business. I wasn't interested. Okay? So I didn't do that thing. Now, I think this distinction, the feeling of that is gross or that feels weird, is something a lot of therapists can probably relate to.
You don't want to be intrusive. You don't wanna bother people, and for a lot of you, that's the block, but that isn't what networking has to be. Networking isn't walking into a room and trying to impress everyone, let alone get them to send you clients. It's not handing out business cards to people who didn't ask and aren't interested.
It's relationship building. Plain and simple. It's connection. It's curiosity. It's shared values. It's shared interests. It's reaching out because you actually want to know what someone else does in a spirit of curiosity, not because you're trying to get something from them. That is the version of networking that works, that is the version of networking that feels good, and that's also the version of networking that we're gonna talk about next.
So how can networking actually look when it's aligned with your values and your energy? What if it isn't cold emails or awkward coffee dates or scrolling psych today and sending emails to people who didn't ask? What is it? What is good networking? Let me paint a picture for you. Networking can be as simple as leaving a thoughtful comment on someone's Facebook post in your local therapist group.
It can be replying to a story on Instagram of a clinician you follow and appreciate saying, Hey, I love how you explained that. It can be following a therapist in your city because you really like their approach. You like their vibe. And then maybe sending a quick DM saying, I'd love to connect sometime.
I really like what you're up to. These are all examples of initiating relationship. They're small, they're casual. They're low stakes, and quite frankly, I think Facebook or Instagram, if you do use it, can be one of the least intimidating, but most effective places to start, especially in Facebook groups and things like that, they're public.
You're not just sliding into someone's dms outta nowhere. You know, you're responding to a post that they make where they share their website and you really liked it, or you have an overlap in niche. You're just showing up where other people are already hanging out and being a human. One of my favorite things to do is to start a thread in your own therapist group that says something like, Hey everyone.
I'm looking to build my referral list for couples therapists. If that's you, I'd love to connect. I really, really love that approach.
In one of our recent episodes where we talked about fear based marketing, we met the three different personas. We talked about stepping into the version of yourself that is fully booked and thriving and operating as that therapist. That is the power of networking in this way. You might be sitting here listening to this right now and have spots on your caseload and need to grow.
That's okay when you enter into these types of networking conversations, making a post like I'm looking to build my referral list is looking to serve others. When you network in this way. You make a post where maybe you see individual men and so you know that couples therapists can be a great referral source for you and also you for them making a post like this where you're looking to build your own referral list, I want to be able to refer to couples, therapists, is going to initiate a lot more conversation and connection than if you were to say, I'm looking for more individual men's clients.
Do you know any therapists? Do you know any couples therapists that are referring. Can you see the energy between these two? You are looking to serve couples therapists by adding them to your referral list, versus you are looking to be served by saying, Hey, I need clients. Does anyone know who can send them to me?
That's the shift here. It's networking from the place of total security, belief in yourself, confidence, abundance, and then looking to serve others and enter into conversations in a spirit of curiosity. And a desire to make life easier for them. Get to know them, be interested in them. The energy behind this matters.
You're not approaching it like someone desperately trying to get clients. You're approaching it like someone who is or is planning to be full. Someone who is already a trusted referral partner, even if they're still growing. This shift alone can change everything.
Now there is no right way to network, and that's one of, I think the challenges in our industry is that everyone says you need to network, but no one can really tell you how. There's lots of strategies, but they don't necessarily feel right for everyone. So you're allowed to make networking your own. That might be one-on-one coffee chats, if that feels aligned to you.
Some people are interested in hosting a local meetup. And actually getting people together and initiating that others aren't. Maybe you simply share someone's post and tag them. It all counts and it all compounds. Networking is a seed you plant and then you cultivate and usually doesn't bloom for a good long while.
That's okay. That's how the best relationships happen. So I want you to let go of the pressure to network the way that some business book told you to. Or that business coach you hired who told you to scroll psych today, start thinking about what feels genuine for you. Because the therapists I look at who are getting consistent and qualified referrals from other people are not necessarily the loudest.
They're simply the most connected to the people that matter most, and they got that way by showing up just a little bit over and over and over again.
Now, here's something I've noticed. After working with thousands of therapists, two people can be doing the exact same quote unquote networking strategy, and only one of them gets results. Why? It's usually not their niche. It's definitely not their number of followers, and it's rarely their experience level.
It's their energy and their mindset about what they're doing. Let me break this down. The therapists who are consistently full and getting those referrals, they're not getting discouraged. When someone doesn't respond right away, they're not taking it personal. They're not assuming that one interaction is gonna turn into some magical referral pipeline overnight.
They know that networking is so often a numbers game. This is a volume thing. You're gonna connect with lots and lots of people, and you really only need a handful of really strong relationships in order to get consistent referrals. But they aren't gonna be the first 5, 10, 15 people you talk to. The therapists who are consistently full are in it for the long haul.
They trust that if they show up with consistency, curiosity, generosity, that some of those seeds will grow. They're also creative about their networking. They're willing to think outside the box. They're willing to start small test things out, see what fail, feels good. Now, the therapists who struggle, they usually come in with a story they've already decided ahead of time.
I'm not good at this. I hate networking. This isn't gonna work. I'm an introvert. This is exhausting. And that belief, you better believe it shows up in how they engage. They end up reaching out with an energy of desperation because they need clients right now. And that comes through. Or they only try once or twice, don't get a response and just shut it down completely.
They assume it doesn't work. And listen, I get it. When you're not full, it is easy to feel like you're constantly chasing, but that's really why your approach matters so much. Because when you lead from a place of curiosity, not scarcity, that is what builds trust. That's what people want to connect to. So if you're sitting here having tried networking before and it didn't quote unquote work, ask yourself, was I genuinely showing up to connect?
Or maybe were you rushing the process because you needed it to work, quote unquote immediately. It's okay if you've been there, but now is the time to shift because the people who stay with it. Are the ones who are treating networking as relationship building, not referral, requesting, and those are the ones who see results.
And remember that is especially true right now when we are in this trust recession and when the weight of someone's word carries so much power in this market. Now let's bring this back to the season you're in right now. We're in our slaying the summer Slump series. Although this training and episode is absolutely going to be applicable regardless of the time of year, but summer is the absolute perfect time to focus on networking.
Why? Because most other therapists are slowing down too. They're taking time off. They've also got margin in their calendar. They have time to connect.
You are listening to this series and you're not just waiting for the slump to pass, you're building through it, right? This presents such natural opportunity for connection in ways that neither of you, you or the other therapists you're gonna be connecting to, might have time for in a different season of the year.
They're more likely to say yes to a quick Zoom chat to answer a di dm. They're also in a season of connecting, not just managing a caseload. So use that to you, your advantage. Spend one of the hours you would've spent in a client session this week doing something that plants seeds for your future that might be sending a message or starting a thread in your Facebook group.
Even just brainstorming who you want to be in a relationship with long term, who is interacting with your ideal client on a regular basis beyond just other therapists. Because here's the thing about networking and honestly about marketing in general. It's not about who finds you next week. It's about the clients who show up six months from now saying, I got your name from so and so because you showed up today.
This is a long game. You're not just trying to fill a few slots right now, right? You're trying to build something sustainable. And the relationships that you form now may not bear fruit immediately, but they can absolutely change your practice over time. So here's your challenge. For this week, we've ended each of our slaying the Summer Slump Series episodes with a challenge.
This week, I want you to make a networking map. So grab a pen or open a blank doc, whatever. Pull up the notes app on your phone and ask yourself. Who else is walking alongside my ideal client? Who is my ideal client interacting with on a regular basis? Who is supporting them in other areas of their life who might hear their struggle before they ever find a therapist?
Start listing them out. If your ideal client is a millennial mom with anxiety, for instance, that could include OBGYNs, pediatricians for their children, daycare directors, lactation consultants, if they're a younger mom, maybe yoga instructors, parenting coaches, or other professionals in that way.
Children's therapists, definitely couples therapists, for sure. Admins of mom groups. Mom's Facebook groups are, a rich, rich opportunity for many clinicians, birth doulas or midwives. If you work more in the perinatal space, I'll never forget I used to get my eyelashes done. That was my self-care for a long while before I had my kids and my lash artist would tell me regularly how much she heard from her.
Clients about their lives, and they actually did carry some business cards of local therapists. How could you get creative? Who else, like I said, is perhaps hearing your ideal client's struggle before a therapist does? So you're gonna make this list, and then I want you to pick one, just one this week, right?
These are short, actionable challenges and reach out this week. Not to ask for anything, but to connect, to learn, to be human, to initiate relationship. You can say something like, Hey, I work with young moms and I'm looking to build my referral list for lactation consultants. I'd love to learn more about what you do and see if there's a fit for a collaboration of some kind.
That's it. That's how it starts. Remember, this isn't about pitching. It is about planting seeds, and when you do that consistently with care and curiosity and generosity, the referrals come, the relationships grow, and your marketing, it starts to feel a lot less like you're shouting into the void and a lot more like building a web of trust.
I hope you found this one helpful. I will see you next week for our last and final episode of our Sling, the Summer Slump Series.
And until then, keep doing great work. You've got this. I'll talk to you soon.
Resources & Links Mentioned:
2024 State of the Industry Survey: walkerstrategyco.com/soi
The Walker Strategy Co website: walkerstrategyco.com
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 Anna Walker—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.
Rate & Review
If you’re enjoying Marketing Therapy, please consider leaving us a rating or review. This helps more therapists find the podcast (& avoid the marketing spiral).
