From Group Practice Burnout to Booked at $200/Session: Natasha's Story (Episode 19)
Ever wondered what it would be like to go from 30 clients a week, burned out and underpaid, to a thriving private practice built around your values and strengths? In this episode, I chat with Natasha Dean, a clinician in Baltimore, about her incredible three-year journey from group practice overwhelm to confidently charging $200 per session and attracting right-fit clients.
Natasha shares the pivotal mindset shifts that helped her trust herself, market authentically, and stop playing small. We talk about how she found her micro niche (therapy for Muslim adult children of immigrants), transitioned off insurance panels, and discovered the joy of brainspotting intensives. She also opens up about how Confident Copy helped her write copy that truly resonates—not just for therapy, but for other creative projects too.
Whether you're on the edge of burnout or dreaming of a more aligned practice, this episode will leave you inspired to believe in what's possible.
Here’s what you’ll learn in this episode:
1️⃣ Why being a "blank slate" therapist might be burning you out—and what happens when you finally show up as yourself
2️⃣ The power of choosing a micro niche and how specificity actually attracts more of the right clients
3️⃣ How Natasha reframed a "slow market" and leaned into long-term networking that continues to pay off
-
Hey, hey, welcome back to Marketing Therapy. I'm so excited to share this one with you. In this interview, I sit down with Natasha Dean, who is a clinician in Baltimore. We talk all about her story, and we cover a lot of ground here, but Natasha shares about going from working in a group practice, serving 30 clients a week, whoever she's assigned to, to now attracting right fit clients at $200 a session, and doing it in a way that feels.
Really authentic and aligned and creating a practice now where she has margin for exploring other ways of serving people, other revenue streams. We talk about a lot here. I can't wait for you to get to know Natasha. And so enough for me. Let's get into it. Alright, Natasha, welcome to the show. Can you start with introducing yourself, who you are, where you're located, a little bit about yourself and your background.
Yeah, so I'm Natasha. I am A-L-C-P-C and I am located in Maryland, but I'm licensed in both Maryland and Virginia. And I support Bipoc clients, adults, individual adults in doing deep work, trauma-informed care and brain spotting, and my micro niche, um, it's therapy for Muslim adult children of immigrants and kind of helping them take care of themselves the same way that they take care of others.
Yeah, I
think that answered all of your questions. Perfect. Perfect. Tell me about the season of life or kind of practice that you're in right now. I, we're gonna talk about your journey and how you got here, but where are you finding yourself today? Here, 2025. And in this wild world we're living in.
Yeah, so I am almost three years into my own private practice. And there've been a lot of shifts lately, so I have a few new offerings, so that's really exciting. But I'm definitely in a place that I didn't expect to be at all. It was like a dream to be in this position that I'm in now, and I really didn't.
Think that it was gonna happen especially so soon. 'cause I worked with you almost three years ago when I first started. So like the amount of change that I've gone through in just the three years has been, I've surprised myself.
Okay. Well I wanna know all about that, but first take us back like to the beginning, three years ago, even before that, what was life like when you decided to jump into private practice?
Where were you in your life as a therapist? Tell us more about that.
Yeah, so I was working at a different private practice for working for somebody else. It was their practice and we accepted insurance, so I was like getting a cut of a cut. You know, insurance takes their cut first and then the practice owners take their cut and I think I was seeing like 30 people a week on a good week.
Yeah. Wow. Yeah, it was, it was a lot. And then, you know, not making as much as I felt like. Compensated for seeing that many people. I was actually at a point where I contemplated leaving the field altogether 'cause I was just like, I'm burnt out. I don't like this. We also didn't get to choose who we worked with.
They just kind of assigned people based on availability and to some extent like what you offered. So it felt like a fit more so on the client end rather than like a both way fit. Yeah, so I really thought about leaving and I think I had a couple of friends at the time who were starting their own private practice and I was like, maybe that's what I need to do.
Maybe I just need to do this in a way that feels really fulfilling to me. Working with the clients that I knew best how to help and felt like a really good fit. 'cause I did have some on my caseload who were a really good fit and I actually felt, I noticed I was feeling more energized when working with those clients.
So I was like, okay, maybe I don't have to leave. Maybe I just need more of this and that's what. Really the, the big thing that pushed me into private practice. And then I found you, like from one of my friends, Katherine, actually, she told me about you and I was like, okay, let me see what this is about.
And that was actually, um. I started my practice in September, 2022, and I think I started working with you like very shortly after that. I went and looked
it up before this talk. Yeah, and I believe it was November maybe that you joined. Yeah,
yeah,
yeah, yeah. I remember it being fall closer to winter time, so that sounds right.
Yeah. So when you decided to go into practice, obviously you were hoping to work with people that you enjoyed, to avoid or, you know, really remedy this burnout you were experiencing. Mm-hmm. Did you have any other big goals for what this practice would be? You mentioned that right now you're in a place you never would've imagined, but back then, what were you, what were you hoping for?
Back then I was hoping
for the bare minimum, I was just like, I just wanna do good therapy work. I wanna feel more balanced and in a better position as a therapist to be like my, you know, my best self, be supported in what I need so that I could be a better therapist to the clients that I was working with.
And that was really my only priority. And of course, you know, make more money than I was making. But that was really it. I didn't have as big. What at the time felt like lofty dreams. And now like the more that I'm in it and every time I hit a new goal or a milestone, I'm like, well, I could, like, I could do more.
I could, you know, I could dream for more. I could ask for more. I could do more. Yeah. And I think, you know, when you're, especially as a therapist. You don't really feel like you can dream that big. It feels like I have to just like, I'm here to just serve other people. And that's really it. That 'cause like, you know, I think for a lot of us that generally does, genuinely does, um, make us feel fulfilled.
But then when you can do that and take care of yourself and see how you can continue to support and help your community in all these other ways when you're not burnt out, just trying to like work with any client that comes through your door and you're, on insurance panels and taking a cut of a or getting a cut of a cut, like you are not really thinking much further than that.
Absolutely. It's hard to when it's just, you know, paycheck to paycheck session to session in those early days. Yeah. Early on when you decided to make this leap from group practice, did you do that all at once or did you, like build your private practice on the side while still working at the group?
What was that transition like for you? That it was actually, in
some ways
it
was really difficult and in other ways I think it helped me. Be in the position that I'm in right now. So like when I decided to leave my practice and I had had the conversation with them, I was originally planning to slowly build on the side, but.
It just didn't end up going that way. There were some issues and I had to leave a lot sooner than I wanted to, and I just kind of had to like jump straight into it. And thankfully at the time I was living with my parents still, so I was like, okay, let me just do everything then. Let me get off insurance.
Let me start my practice, let me, you know, set a higher fee and just do everything at the same time while I have the safety net, which is also why I think I didn't have as big. Dreams and goals. 'cause I was like, I need to just, I need to just like survive on my feet. Yeah. Yeah. So,
okay,
so you kind of ripped off
the bandaid.
You did all the things all at once there and just took the big leap,
which is why I was like, okay, now I need to go talk to Anna because how do, how do I like, not speed up the process, but like, how do I do this right and get it right from the jump?
Sure, sure. Okay. Interesting. When you were in those early days, and obviously we met pretty soon after, what felt, if you can remember, the most daunting at that time?
So you'd made these decisions, you started the practice, you raised your fees, you deep paneled. What was the biggest like dun, dun, dun like thing you had to do or overcome?
Where am I gonna find people? How are people gonna find me? Like through insurance, it's really easy for people to find you. You get full really quickly through insurance, but now it's like, I'm.
I'm start and I was pretty early into my career at that point too. Anyway, I had graduated in 2019, so then, you know, between 2019 and 2022, still being a fairly new therapist at that. And then I'm like, okay, well I've spent all this time not trying to. Really make a name for myself, but just trying to get, get into the swing of things as a therapist, just trying to figure out how to help people.
And now I have to continue doing that and figure out how to be a business owner, how to start a practice, how to do all these, and then do all these things that I didn't go to school for. Running a business, marketing, you know, all of that. Had to figure out how to do all at one time. So that was, I think, marketing.
And figuring out how clients will find me. Were the, like that they kind of go hand in hand, but it was the scariest part of all of it. Yeah, absolutely.
Making that leap is, is terrifying. So you heard about Confident Copy from, from a friend, from Catherine. You joined. What stood out to you? It has been a while now and we got to work together again as you sort of rejoined confident copy earlier this year.
But in your original experience, what support tools, breakthroughs did you have or, or did you find really stood out to you?
I think the biggest takeaway from all of it was the emphasis on the copy, right? Like how to write copy and how to write it in a way that is gonna attract your ideal client. While every like there was, there was truly so much that was really helpful.
I think. That was the biggest takeaway because even in some of the things that I'm doing now, the things that I learned from Confident Copy and how to write is benefiting me in all of these other ways. So like marketing in other areas in some of these other like non therapy related spaces. So that I think just that you were like, okay, I am gonna teach you guys how to do this.
I'm not gonna like, you know, you have the done for you. Programs, which is great, but you're also like, I'm gonna show you how you do this thing so that you're set up in the future, which is so much of how I do my work as a therapist, where I'm like, I don't want you to be dependent on me. I'm gonna give you these tools and these skills so that you can figure it out and I'll be there to support you, and then you're gonna be fine to go do that on your own.
So it, that resonated with me so much. And that's exactly what I got out of the program. And I, I can't even tell you how many times I've gone back to the vault and revamped my website or how many times I've even gone back to the vault to use it for non therapy related things. And it's just been incredibly
helpful.
Yeah, I think it, it's interesting, it's easy to discount words, um, because words don't feel as sexy or shiny as SEO or Google Ads or Instagram reels, and yet none of those things work. Well, if you don't have the words figured out. Right. So I love hearing that reflection from you. It's, it's one of the coolest parts I think about Confident Copy is not only are you hopefully leaving with an idea of your niche and a good website, but a way of talking about and thinking about your work and your marketing so that whatever it is you do next, even if it's non therapy related, you have a strategy you can return to and you can trust.
Yeah, yeah. No, I agree. I think it's, and it like confident copy is the perfect. Name for it too, because it's like, you also were encouraging us to be confident in these skills and building these, um, building these skills and using these tools. And I think that that was another, like really big piece of all of this, being more confident in how and, and how to express myself.
Like have that come across in a really authentic way, not. Therapist speak, but speaking to an ideal client and really hitting their pain points so they feel like they're heard and understand, understood before they even come in. 'cause I, it was like, I could do that, I could do that in a consult call and I could really connect with people on a consult call.
But how, how do I write that on a website for like, you know, the general public, basically, how do I connect with everybody? And even that, I think, I can't remember. Where I heard this before, but it's like. As a business owner, you have to say no more than you say yes. 'cause you're making room for all of the, you know, right fit clients or the right fit opportunities.
And I think like when we're talking about niching down and when you're talking about speaking to an ideal client, it's like saying no to the people who are not a good fit right up front, which is really scary, especially when you're in a place. When you're like, I, but I need clients. I don't have any clients, or I need, you know, a certain amount of income and I'm just not there yet.
So it, it made me think a lot of how. You kind of like teach things incompetent copy, where it's like, it's okay to say no to these people who aren't, aren't a good fit. That just means you're gonna attract the people who are a really good fit, who see themselves in the way that you're writing. And so when I could get out of that head space of I'm writing so that everybody can see themselves here, it's more of you're writing so that the person that you really do wanna work with and do your best work with knows that you're the right person for them.
Mm-hmm. Just like you put in a consult call.
Yeah, that's a powerful shift for sure. What surprised you most about your own growth through the process of Confident Copy? You know, having gone from working with this wide range of clients, whoever was sent your way in the group practice to now essentially getting to choose, getting to say yes and say no, figuring out your niche, what, where do you feel like you grew the most through that process?
I think maybe just like understanding a little bit more. Of where my skillset lies, like what I'm really good at, but what I can do, what I can't do. 'cause before when it was just like you have to, it felt like you have to fit. Yourself into this box that like the client brings into session versus like, you are just here and this client is also just here and you guys just work from the beginning.
You've established that before they even come in and you can like authentically help them and even in ways. That, and I've been really surprised how I like my, some of my, I guess like techniques even have changed as a therapist where I went from trying to be this blank slate to like, that's not gonna work with my ideal client.
Like, I disclose a lot more, obviously in ways that are appropriate, but like having such similar life experiences to some of my clients when just sharing. Oh yeah, I, I know what that's like. And not saying anything more, they're just like, oh, okay. Like, you get it, you get it. Then I don't have to explain this.
And that really resonating with people. But I couldn't do it before because one, it wasn't true, it wasn't authentic. And two, like it also felt like if I. You know, going back to that idea of fitting into a box. If I couldn't fit in this box in this way, then I had to like try and figure it out in a different way.
And then you spend too much obsession in your head and trying to figure out, well, what do you need and how do I be that? And that's not helpful to anybody.
Interesting. That's a cool, that's a cool byproduct that as you. Get clear on the work that you do well and you attract the people that you're designed to serve.
Like it, it serves everyone better, right? What you, the therapist, you're able to be in the room is a better therapist because you're sitting down and you're not in an uncomfortable box, right? Yeah. Yeah, exactly. Cool, cool. Um, alright. Tell me about what you're up to now. You mentioned having experienced things you never would have, uh, dreamt of, and you've also done some kind of niche evolution.
Yeah. So give us a little bit of an update. Where's, where does Natasha find herself today in 2025?
Yeah, so I think this was something that you've also mentioned in Confident Copy, but it wasn't, and I don't know if I just like didn't pay attention to it too much at the time, but you had mentioned how like if you can get your copyright, you can set your rate at a rate that you need it to be, you want it to be, and you will attract those clients and you know, it's, it's not gonna feel like I'm.
Stating this quote unquote crazy fee, and then you're trying to desperately fill those spots. So my fee is 200, which is average for my area. But it took me a little while to get to that point. 'cause I was just so scared that like, people aren't gonna come, they're not gonna wanna pay 200. And like, what do I have to offer that's worth 200?
You know, those types of thoughts. And so as I've, like I just mentioned as I've evolved as a therapist, seeing how like. You know, there are things that I offer that people need and they would be willing to pay that amount. And so I've also been able to do brainspotting intensives, offer Brainspotting intensives, which is one of my favorite things to do.
And one of my goals was to like do that more often so that I could see less. People on a weekly basis and then have brain spotting intensives and still be like, okay, income wise, but do more of that work That feels really aligned with me and like, you know, again, tapping into my skills that I'm just like really good at.
So then doing that, making that shift. I think within the past year and a half. It's also given me more time in my schedule to do other things. So now like I'm in the middle of creating a guided journal and like I said, not like it is kind of therapy related, but in a totally different way. And again, using what I've learned in competent copy to help like market that journal and even some of like the ways that I've written things in the journal too, but like getting to have, I think just live a life that's more authentic and in a way that I get to help people in so many different.
Ways as well. Like not just feeling like my job as a therapist is just to show up, see 30 people a week, come home totally exhausted and drained, but like, no. Now I get to come home and do more things for people and support my community Yeah. In another way. Mm-hmm. And still have that time for myself and still be able to meet my income goals and things
like that.
So
yeah.
How wonderful. So you're at 200 a session right now, and how are most of your ideal clients often finding you? It
used to be through Psychology Today on my website now it's like my website and networking and mm-hmm. You know, both of that. My website, you
know, confident copy. Yeah. It all comes back to that.
It's, it's interesting how that works. Yeah. How cool. To think back to, like you said, that like seeing 30 clients a week burnt out, contemplating leaving the field to now. Having, like serving in all of these different ways and feeling a lot more fulfilled, that's quite the transformation, especially in just three years.
You mentioned being surprised that you are here now. What's the most surprising about them? I think when.
You can really show up to everything that you do. Like, especially work authentically. You open the door for so many other opportunities. And I just did not realize that before because I could not be authentic at work where it felt like I had, again, fitting into that box and trying to be what clients needed.
So that drains you too. That burns you out too. You have no energy left for yourself, for your family, for like other things, friends. So when you're just like. Like not getting to be who you are and share your skills, your talents, your strengths with the world, then. You're like not able to meet some of these other goals.
I think through confident copy, if I'm able to express myself in a way that speaks to my ideal client, and it's not, again, you know, like it's not about you, it's also about your client, but in a way that works for both of you, then that helps you to accomplish so many other things that feel really aligned with your values, your goals, and it doesn't have to be in a way.
Feels like icky or gross. Like I know when you talk about marketing or networking, it's like, you know, people feel like, it feels like it has to be in the, these like slimy, salesy, salesy kind of ways. And it doesn't have to be like that when you just, you show up really authentically in your work, in your copy, in the things that you do.
And so I was really surprised at how many doors that open just by truly being authentic and getting that across.
Mm. That's really powerful. I want to talk a little bit about the, um, micro niche that you've identified and a little bit of the evolution that you've experienced. So recent or earlier this year, you joined CC Extended, which is where you kind of jumped back into the live calls and things, which was so fun to see you again.
Um, what led you to sort of add on this micro niche, um, and how is that part of your practice going? How'd you get there? Tell me a little bit about that.
Yeah, funny enough, I feel like it wasn't super explicit on my website, but it was what I was doing anyway. So again, so again, like just trying to get that across in, in the copy because I think I had a client say I could tell.
What you do and like, you know, how you work, but it was kind of subtle and I was like, okay, well then I need to go back to Confident copy and figure out how to make it like, you know, more, more visible, more like very clearly this is what I do and this is how it works. Um, and that's how I ended up coming back and like getting really specific in the micro niche because I think that there was still a part of me that was trying to.
Write more broadly, speak to more people. And like I said, even though there were certain pages that I updated or pages that I added, I think the core of my website had stayed the same since when I first joined. So when. Just like me being in a different mindset after having worked with clients where I could feel more authentic with, and I was going, like, I was trying to write this copy when I was not quite in that place yet.
So seeing how that's shifted and how I show up. When I went back and actually read through my website, I was like, oh no, this is not right. Like this doesn't resonate anymore. So yeah, that's, I think. Like you said that this was kind of always my niche. I just didn't fully realize that yet.
Yeah, and sometimes it does take sitting with it and meeting those clients and working with those clients mm-hmm.
To kind of feel like you have permission to get a little bit more specific. I think it's one of the cool examples of how evolution is healthy and normal and good and effective, quite frankly, in your marketing.
I think it's really interesting too that despite not having it as explicitly stated on my website, like the clients were still finding me and the right fit clients, were still finding me.
So I think, like I hope that this is kind of a proof to everybody that even when you micro niche, like in you're worried that you're not gonna get certain people or you're worried that like you need to speak more broadly, there is something about you. Something that you do that people need. And no matter how you may try to like hide that, it's not gonna be totally hidden.
It's gonna come out and people want that and they're looking for that. But you know, if you could just be a little bit more clear about it and explicit, then it's gonna attract people so much more easily and quickly and obviously Yes. So I think, you know, that was something else that surprised me too.
Like, wow, okay. No matter what we do, even when we try and be a blank slate, like that's not really happening in that way.
Interesting. Yeah. The power of of showing up to your marketing in an authentic way. We find ourselves right now in 2025, I know you've heard the same thing I have, that things have slowed down.
People aren't paying for therapy, it's hard to get clients, that kind of thing. Yet here you sit reaching goals. You didn't ever imagine, you know, charging $200 an hour. Uh, you don't have to give me your whole spiel on what you think the market is doing, but what would you say to those therapists who feel discouraged or maybe do have those thoughts or beliefs that success is.
You know, not possible or harder than it used to be.
I, the piece about being, it being harder than it used to be. I've tried to reframe that as like, it's just different. It's, it feels harder because we got used to something and now we have to shift, but it's just different. And like we had to do that at the beginning, right?
Like whenever you started marketing, you had to figure that out. Most of us went to school only for counseling. Only for therapy. So no matter what, I think it might be just a little bit hard to shift into a different mindset, but it's not, I wouldn't necessarily say it's like. Harder than anything that you, you know, we've already done and tried to figure out before.
And then I would say, look at the numbers. Like I listened to your most recent podcast episode and that really resonated with me. I think sometimes we feel that. Things have slowed down. And that might be true, but if you're still hitting certain goals, like income goals, if your income hasn't changed, if you're still seeing, X amount of clients a week or things are balancing out, then like it, did it really slow down or does it just feel different?
And so I think, trying to go based off of facts versus feelings, which, you know, as therapists we're all familiar with, but that, that really stood out to me that really resonated. 'cause I think in the summer, for whatever reason. It feels like things slow down a lot more than they actually do.
When I, every single summer, I go back and look at the numbers and I end up being really busy. I don't know, like sometimes I'm seeing less clients, but I end up being busier and I'm just like, what? I still don't fully understand what's happening. I actually have to sit down and look at my numbers too. But I think like, you know, other things might pick up.
I tend to try and market more and revisit my website, and so I'm busier in that sense. Um, and I may not be busy directly with client related things, but I also find that doing brain spotting intensivess people, because it's shorter term, people will like, do that in the summer than necessarily be ready to do like deep longer work.
So I, I kind of see it from both perspectives, doing both like short-term and long-term work. Yeah, I, I think just, yeah, like really sitting down and evaluating what's going on. And I think the other part of it too is when you're, again, just being really clear about what you do, people are always looking for that.
Even if it slows down, there's always gonna be somebody who's looking for this thing that you offer and this thing that you do, or who you are as a therapist too. And it's just a matter of like when they're gonna find you. The other thing I will say too is, and I think you might have mentioned this in that same episode.
It like the ups and downs are always gonna be there. Especially as a owning a business, there's always gonna be ups and downs. What you really have to look at is, does it even out at the end of that year? Because if it is slower in the summer, but then every fall it picks up and you make way more, then like it kind of balances out.
Right. That. And when I started looking at it, and now because it's been almost three years, I have more information. I can see more trends, but at the very beginning when it was like, well, this never happened when I was taking insurance, this never happened when, you know, I was working for someone else, it did, but I just didn't see it or notice it as
much.
Yeah, yeah, absolutely. The seasonality and everyone's seasonality is a little bit unique. And the longer you are in it, the more comfortable you can be with those ebbs and flows. But there's, it's very, it's so natural to have a little bit of anxiety when those things come up. But you're absolutely right.
If we can zoom out and keep an eye on the trends and the overall health as opposed to just how it feels, usually we can make decisions from a much more grounded place. And, and if it is, like you said, slower, then let's invest that time in improving optimizing, yeah. Dreaming. About what else could, yeah, the
way that I look at it too, I have summer be like my end of year rather than December because.
Then 'cause you know, if you just look at it from like summer to summer and when things slow down, how it typically, you expect it to typically be at the end of the year and then look back at that trend, then it, it looks really different and it feels really different than when you go like January to
December.
What an interesting, I have never heard of that, but that makes a lot of sense. And I even just, that little reframe could actually be really powerful when you think about your number. Yeah,
I think, and that I feel, this is like a part of a much different conversation, but I feel like the cycle of things, like that's what's more consistent with human nature anyway.
Like spring feels like the new year versus in January. So when I kind of started following that I was like, okay, yeah, I feel like things. Align a lot differently. 'cause when you see it as a drop in the middle of the year, that's really scary. But when you see it as like, I think people think, oh, holiday time, it's the end of the year.
Things will slow down. I don't know if it's just me and maybe the population I work with, but I've never really seen it slow down at the end of the year like that, like I have in the summer. And so if you're expecting that at the end of your year, just shift your year.
Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. That's the, the solution here is to just follow a different calendar.
I love that. This has been so wonderful. Natasha, I learned so much about you. I didn't know all the ins and outs of this journey you've been on. When you look back over the last three years, what habits or maybe mindset shifts do you think have made the biggest difference for you to, to be experiencing the success you are.
I.
One of the biggest ones, again, with networking, it's just building connections and like as therapists we're really good at doing that. Anyway, once I realized that that's all it truly is about, I was like, oh, that's not so bad. That's not so scary. You get to just go out and make friends and then hope that that brings, you know, brings you clients.
Exactly. And that makes it way less. You know, stressful, anxiety inducing. And I think like now, again, now that it's, it's been some time since I first planted those seeds like three-ish years ago. I'm starting to see those, uh, client referrals come in more so from people that I started talking to like almost three years ago because now they, they can like put more of a face.
To my name and they know more and more what I do. If I'm like showing up at certain events consistently or you know, responding in the group messages, then they start to see like, oh, okay, like this is a, it's like, you know, you become familiar in their mind or they get to know who you are as a person. So then they're more willing to, or I, I think more willing to refer to you 'cause they know you, but you're also like.
Come to the top of their mind because you're just showing up more. It reminds me of election time when people see certain names that it's just like, I don't know anything about this person, but I see their name all the time. Yeah. So it's kind of like that. And so I'm seeing that way more now, three years in than I was necessarily seeing at the beginning.
So even if you're not immediately getting the responses that you want, like you're, you gotta, you gotta think of it like the long game here. You have to see way bigger picture. And I know sometimes it can be hard to put in effort when you're not seeing some sort of result, but it really does. Payoff. It really does make a difference.
Yeah,
that's a wonderful example of, I think just staying in touch with your marketing and keeping that long game, um, because it's very, very easy and in this market where networking matters, I think more than it ever has. It's very easy to get discouraged when you don't get the email back or you meet someone and they say they're will send people your way, and they never do, quote unquote, never.
You know, six months, a year, two years, three years from now, like you are planting a seed that has so much potential, but you do, you have to be willing to cultivate that and mm-hmm. I think in this market, that's a huge trend that I'm seeing. The clinicians like you who are experiencing success are the people who are keeping the long game remaining consistent, being willing to evolve and pivot.
Um, and you're a great example of all those things.
Yeah, and it truly doesn't, like you can do it in ways that feel really sustainable. Like I'm in a few different group chats and it can be hard to keep up with group chats, but I think even if you just jump in when people are having more ca casual conversations or like, I've seen people send funny memes.
You know what's actually really funny? I had somebody reach out to me because in a, a group, I think she asked for, or somebody else, actually, it was a different therapist had asked for. A referral for like, you know, to somebody offer X, Y, and Z, whatever. And I had responded and I was just like. Really, I, I was actually really short.
I was just like, yes, I do this. And that was the end of it. And then she was like, you know, asked another question about something else, and then I just responded with just that. Like, it was very short back and forth. And a few people in the chat were like, I really like this conversation. Like, just direct to the point, like, it was kind of funny to watch, but this, this was nice.
And I was like, you know, it's. Day, it's the end of the week. This is what you're getting from me as a joke. And then somebody else just saw that interaction and she messaged me separately and was like, I don't know what it was about, just seeing that. But I like, I liked that energy. So like, you know, wanted to talk to me based off of that.
And we've, I've referred a couple of people to her and I'm sure she's referred people to me too. I just may not have seen it yet. But even just simple, again, being authentic. Simple. Being authentic. I feel like that's the
theme here.
Yeah. Yeah. Even that can be enough for somebody to like have you on the top of their mind or wanna refer to you.
It's the things that you wouldn't
always think about, and just being memorable, showing up as yourself, being memorable, knowing your zone of genius, your niche, who you serve well and trusting. I think there's a lot of self-trust and just trust in your efforts here that Yeah. Eventually does pay off.
Mm-hmm. Cool. Um, I know a lot of people are sitting here listening to the story, Natasha, and probably resonate with parts of it, with serving 30 clients a week or feeling like they are just working with whoever comes in the door. Considering leaving the field early on in their practice, however that, you know, they might resonate with your story, what would you, what would you tell them?
Uh, I
think just. Try something different. You know, like it doesn't it, it may not be like it was for me. It may not be that you totally need to leave the field. Maybe you just need to do something a little bit differently or see things from a different perspective, right? Like even marketing and networking, if you just look at it a little bit differently or shifting the way you like, look at your yearly cycle, and that can change a lot.
So just try. To do something, just even if it's one thing a little bit differently, and see how that goes. Because I, I think one of the things that I often forget is this is my own business. I can do whatever I want. Like literally I can do whatever I want. And I have, yeah. And I have moments where I'm just like, oh, I can't do that.
Like that. And then when I sit back and I'm like, well, why, why can't I do something that way? And there's no real reason. I think we're just. Either conditioned by some of the other environments that we've been in, or you know, bigger picture things that you were generally kind of conditioned into thinking you have to work a nine to five, or you have to do, you know, these sort of things and you don't.
So I would say just kind of. Take some time and sit with yourself and really even start, like I said too at the beginning, start to just dream and ask yourself, what do you really want? And I think truly that's how I've accomplished some of my goals. I remember a couple of years ago, I was like, it would be really great if I could see 10 clients a week and do brain spotting intensives like once or twice a month.
And I didn't really see. Set out and was like, this is how I'm gonna do that and this is how I'm gonna make it happen. I just like brought that goal up Often. I talked about it with people in my life and it was something that I just sat and thought about and, and was like, that would be great. That would be really cool, and here are all the things that I could do if that came true.
And it was just from allowing myself to want that and to, you know, think about it that I didn't even realize, but I started making decisions that. Put me in that, on that path. So I think even just, you know, thinking about things a little bit differently and then allowing yourself to dream just a little bit bigger and a little bit more, and then
see what happens.
That's really wonderful, Natasha. Thank you. I'm so happy you're here today. We are wishing you all the success in the world. If someone wanted to check out the wonderful website that you've referenced here, uh, where can they find you?
Yeah, so it's www.goldenhourcounseling.com. Perfect. We'll put that in the show notes as well.
Natasha, thanks
so much for being here today.
Thank you.
Resources & Links Mentioned:
Natasha’s practice: goldenhour-counseling.com
Confident Copy: walkerstrategyco.com/cc
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).
