Stalled Caseload? Here's What I'd Do [Alumni Check-In Session #4] (Episode 68)
If your caseload has slowed down recently, you’re not alone—and this episode is going to give you a clear path forward.
In this alumni check-in, Anna answers two powerful questions from Confident Copy graduates: one about what to update on your website when things feel stuck… and one about how to get more creative with visibility and referrals.
Together, they highlight the two sides of marketing you have to get right in today’s landscape: your foundation (your website) and your visibility (how people find you).
Here’s what you’ll learn in this episode:
1️⃣ The three key updates to make on your website to reflect how clients are searching today
2️⃣ Why specificity (including micro-niches and method pages) is more powerful than ever
3️⃣ How to use FAQs and authority signals to improve trust, SEO, and AI visibility
4️⃣ A creative, underused networking strategy to get in front of your ideal clients (without relying only on referrals)
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Hey, hey, welcome back to Marketing Therapy. Today is another alumni check-in episode, so if you're new around here, these alumni check-in episodes are opportunities for our Confident Copy graduates. So graduates who have been through our Confident Copy program have implemented our framework, have worked on getting a website launched and are now thinking about their marketing in new ways.
They have a chance to submit questions to me, and so you get to sit in on these check-in sessions just like you might have a check-in session with a client who graduated from therapy 3, 6, 9, 12 months ago, this is a chance for me to check in with these therapists and for you to get to listen in. This is exactly what I would say to these therapists if we were in a one-on-one session. But we've learned and seen and heard from y'all that the answers here and the discussions are useful and applicable to lots and lots of practices, not just the one who submitted. Right.
So we're actually answering two questions today. The first one is from Tara, the second is from Ellie, and they are related in some ways. The reason I'm choosing to answer them together is because they address the two ways you need to be thinking about your marketing if you're finding in Tara's words that your caseload has stalled.
So let's start with Tara's here. Tara is a PsyPact clinician. She is a psychologist who has been long well known in things like A DHD executives, entrepreneurs, anxiety, trauma, things like that. And so Tara graduated from Kata copy a number of years ago and her question is essentially what are the top three changes I should make on my website? Since I took the course in 2023, she gave a little bit of background noting that things have stalled. It's been like this for a while. I know other clinicians are feeling this way and it's worrying and Can we just take a minute, Tara?
Of course it is. You are so not alone. The market has shifted. This has been a really consistent thing I've heard from many, many therapists in the last two years, for sure, but even more acutely in the last six months or so. So may I first normalize that experience? As you noted, Tara, other clinicians are feeling this way. You may be listening to this episode because you find yourself in that position. But although the market has shifted, it isn't broken. There are absolutely still clients out there seeking therapy at full fees, premium fees all the things right, and I have wonderful evidence and helpful evidence to back that up.
Now, what I'm glad to see here, Tara, is that you are thinking about A, what's in your control, and B, how do we make sure that your website is doing what it needs to do? Your website is still your most important asset, and in these cases it's good news because it's something you have control over. So I wanna give you, as requested, the three areas I would recommend revisiting when it comes to your website to make sure that it's doing its job for you in the current market.
Okay, so the first one, explore additional specialty page or method page topics the way people search for things have changed definitely since 2023 when you took the competent copy curriculum and we've updated a lot of our, especially SEO related lessons related to that. So definitely feel free to jump back into the vault and check those out. But we know, we talk about this often here on the podcast that the way people search has changed. AI in particular has made specificity more viable and also more powerful than ever. And so there's always been some power and some viability in what we call the micro niche.
But in this market, I think it's even more exciting. Micro niches aren't a liability. You're not at risk of being too narrow, especially when micro niches are paired with some more general specialties. I think that they're an advantage. So this would mean looking at specialty page topics that are ultra, ultra specific to a particular demographic or presenting issue that you enjoy. So not just for instance, like pregnancy and perinatal, but a page about postpartum rage, or not just a page about professionals, but entrepreneurs or lawyers.
Okay, so kind of doing a double click down on the specificity of your specialty page topics. Now there's a balance between having too many specialties and it watering you down and being like, yeah, of course you're a quote unquote expert in 16 specialties. Right? So there's a balance between having too many, but also having ones that support one another and that are specific and relevant to particular demographics or issues. Consider what specific things your ideal client, your current ideal client here in 2026 is actually typing in, asking, searching, talking to AI about, and how could you potentially create a page to align with that?
So exploring micro niche pages in terms of specialty. So that would be, like I said, a specific topic or demographic that is a hyper-specific area that you specialize in. The other thing on this point to think on are those method pages. So we have a unique framework for method pages in Confident copy, we approach them a little bit differently. You know, the way that you're gonna talk about DBT, for instance is gonna be different than the way you talk about trauma. So it's worth considering layering in some method pages, you already have some, perhaps some net new ones.
If there are any updated methods that you're using in your practice, or if you've never used them, consider adding one or two. We know that clients are more psycho savvy than they've ever been, and that's only going to continue to grow. They're often walking into therapy having done some research, or at least been given some answers around EMDR or IFS or somatic work. And so they want to know if you offer what they're looking for, and so consider adding a method page or two relevant to your kind of primary methods, especially if your clients tend to be interested in those types of things. Or you wish they were. If you wanna be attracting more people that are interested in IFS are interested in DBT, then having a page specific to that is going to allow you to leverage that in a new way.
So the specialty and method pages together, kind of that combo is a really powerful one right now, especially when there's a level of specificity that could be relevant to some of your ideal client. Method pages are all about enhancing authority. They're about communicating your expertise in particular areas, meeting clients where they are in that research process. And then those specialty pages are about helping that very specific client feel, seen, feel understood, and view you as an expert in that area. Because if I land on a site that talks about postpartum rage in particular, I'm gonna be way more compelled to reach out to that therapist than one that just talks about postpartum in general.
Okay. So I would explore additional specialty page topics and potential method pages. As you revisit your website, it's quite possible in the three years since you graduated that your ideal clients have shifted that your approach, your methodology, your symptomology that you are addressing has changed. And so I would definitely revisit that part.
Next up, pretty low hanging fruit, but revisit your specialty page FAQs. Your frequently asked questions are one of your greatest assets in the age of ai. If you have specialty pages for 2023, when was the last time you looked at those FAQs? It's probably time to add to that list. Previously in Confident copy, we would recommend three to five These days, seven to 10 is totally fine per page, especially if they're incredibly specific to that specialty. This is where search engines, AI tools, learning language models, whatever you wanna call 'em, whatever they are, are polling from In this conversational world, we're moving to where we're asking questions and having conversations with Google, with ai.
FAQs are a huge asset to you, so this is really low hanging fruit. Go revisit those. Go Add a handful of FAQs to the bottom of your specialty pages that you already have and the new ones you might consider to make sure that you are answering the really specific questions that your ideal client is likely to ask on those things. The more relevant your FAQs, the more quotable, and ultimately the more searchable your site becomes.
Okay. The last thing that I would do here, Tara, is I would add what we're calling authority signals to your website. Now, Tara is someone who has years and years of experience, right? You are a licensed psychologist, you're a PsyPact provider. You've got a lot of chops. I remember that from supporting you back in 2023, but making sure that we have signals throughout your site about how long you've been practicing your specific training, why you're trusted, what experience you have working in these different areas of specialty. We know that clients are more discerning than ever, absolutely. But we also know that those signals are supporting your ability to be found and ultimately to be surfaced in AI and SEO results. So making sure that those authority signals are really, really clear throughout your site, your about page, your specialty pages, things like that.
And this doesn't really fit. You asked for three, but man design. It matters more than it used to. And so revisit your design. If you built your site in 2023, take an honest look at where that design is today. Three years is a long time, right? Has the experience kept up? Does this represent what you're offering to clients, are they getting a premium feel from what it is that they're experiencing on your website? And this doesn't necessarily mean you need to go do a full rebuild, right? But it does mean that you might want to look critically at the visual experience of your website because we're seeing the way that design matters more than it ever has because we're seeing the way that your website really does go before you and set expectations, prime people for your fee and things like that.
Tara. That's what I would recommend for you here. So change number one. Go ahead and explore additional specialty page topics. Integrate your methods. Change Two. Go ahead and revisit your specialty page, FAQs. Make sure that they are robust and specific. And then change Number three, add those authority signals throughout your website. Consider refreshing the design or at least looking critically at it and making some improvements there. These are all focused on making sure that your website is doing some extra heavy lifting for you.
What I wanna remind you, Tara, and everyone, is that if your marketing has worked in the past, it can work. Again. Marketing does not just stop working overnight, and so nothing I suggested for you here, Tara, is ripping up the pavement and re doing absolutely everything, but it is upleveling what's happening on your site to meet the current needs of the market. And I've talked a lot about AI here only because we're seeing that really drive a lot of these changes. But the fact is all three of these updates can serve you in whatever marketing strategy you are using. What is most important is that, as we talked about, your website is the foundation of your marketing. Which is awesome because you are in control of it.
And so before you step into the additional marketing required in this type of market, and I'm gonna talk about that with Ellie's question, let's make sure your website is set up for success, right? Is going to do its job so that we know whatever traffic or visibility efforts you're putting in are driving back to something that's really working.
All right. Now let's shift over into Ellie's questions. So Tara's question was all about your website, and that is 100% correct. We have to start there. We need to make sure that is doing its job. We know that if it's not pulling its weight, everything else is gonna get harder. But once that foundation is solid, okay, Anna, my website is doing what it needs to do, then what? Okay. And that's kind of Ellie's question. It's quite specific in this regard, but like I said, speaks to sort of that larger expectation. We need to have that once the website is set up, then we've gotta go take action.
So Ellie is a clinician based in the Chicago area. I've had the pleasure of supporting Ellie in lots of different ways, in Confident Copy and some of our done for you services. And Ellie asked a great question. She said, would there be any value to reaching out to corporations or companies that employ your ideal client to introduce yourself, especially given that most have EAP programs. So there's a lot here. Ellie, and I'm glad you asked this question. And my answer straight up is yes, wholeheartedly. This is a smart and quite frankly, likely underused strategy. I mean, think about it. If you were to get in with a corporation or a company where your ideal clients already are, you are entering into an ecosystem where your ideal clients are already interacting, already talking at the water cooler, right? Already slacking each other between meetings. Getting your foot in the door in companies or corporations, especially if they're on the medium to smaller size, is absolutely opening you up to access to not just that contact, but that contact coworker and colleague and peer.
All right. So that's really, really fabulous. And EAPs are a really powerful access point. I hear from lots of private pay clinicians that they find EAPs really, really useful. Now, not every single EAP client's gonna stay on for a long-term engagement, but they can be a great way to bring in ideal clients at a higher fee and potentially convert them into long-term clients as well. So yes, the EAPs are helpful, but I think just in general, this is a sign of Ellie thinking really creatively about how you get into the right rooms. And we talk a lot about networking and with good reason because the data shows us about how powerful it is.
But when we think about networking, it's kind of in four primary categories. So one same niche therapists, so people that actually share a niche with you that is not competition. It's actually really viable networking adjacent niche therapists. So these are people that are running into your ideal client, but not necessarily serving them directly. So if you work with men, an adjacent niche therapist would be a couple's therapist. Then we think about complimentary professionals, so all the other professionals that are employing in this case or seeing your ideal client. And then we have what are called aligned wellness providers. So that would be other full fee wellness providers, chiropractors, acupuncturists, things like that.
So corporate outreach, like what Ellie's thinking about fits really squarely into that complimentary professionals ecosystem. And like I said, the cool thing is that it is an ecosystem that if you were to get your foot in the door with one person, you are gaining access to an entire network of people who likely share a lot of the qualities that you enjoy in your ideal clients. As always, if this is something you choose to experiment with, and I think that there's absolutely no reason not to always enter into these with a spirit of curiosity and a desire to serve. Not, I need referrals. Not, I'm hoping your employees turn into clients, but instead, I serve this type of population and I think I might have some value to offer. I'd love to provide some education. Do you see any needs on your team that a professional therapist could potentially support you with?
Going in with a desire to serve and a spirit of curiosity? It's very possible that your micro niche, which I was just talking to Tara about, is going to be an advantage here. Right. If you have a really specific demographic, if you're deciding to focus in on lawyers, for instance, and you engage in some networking with a firm, for instance, the more specific you are, the more memorable you're gonna be, and the more memorable you are, the more referable you become. Okay? How could you bring value here? Could you offer, you know, a lunch and learn, a resource, something that demonstrates your expertise before you're asking for anything or sharing your website right?
Now EAPs are absolutely a great avenue if that's something that you're able to get in on. But in a decent sized company, there's also HR teams, right? There are sometimes wellness coordinators. There are employee resource groups. There are lots of contacts you could potentially be making and exploring. And if you live in a metropolitan area, which I know Ellie you do, there's lots of those out there as always. You're not gonna form a really deep, meaningful relationship with every single one of these. You might not hear back from every single one of these, but this presents really rich opportunity that most therapists are probably not even thinking about. So think about who inside that company could be championing employee wellbeing and how you could get connected with them.
This is going to take time as all networking does. It is a volume game. It is a relationship game, but. It's powerful and there's a lot of potential fruit to be harvested here if this is something that you are willing to engage in. So, Ellie, fantastic question. I love seeing your head there and what I wanna offer as a reminder in this entire session in general is the thought process that goes into this, right? If you are listening to this episode because your caseload has stalled, if you are not experiencing the number of referrals that you used to, then first and foremost, make sure your website is doing its job. If you've not been through Confident copy, if you don't have that framework, maybe that's where you need to start.
But make sure your website is pulling the weight that it needs to, and then go out there and make sure people know you exist. That's the sequence here, and that's why I chose to answer both of these questions together because we got some really great practical ideas about how to improve the website. And then we also started getting some creative gears turning around how to make sure people know that you exist and some underutilized strategies out there that could potentially be connections into your ideal client that you have never even thought of. These two things work together. Website visibility. We can't have one without the other, but we do wanna make sure that we have the foundation in place before we start building on it so that when you go out there and you start making those connections, the effort is worth it.
Okay, so I love these questions. Confident Copy alumni, if you are listening, please go submit yours. I would love to know what you are thinking about, what you would like insight on, but if this episode got you thinking about your own website, like I said, maybe Confident Copy is the right next step for you. Maybe you're looking for, you know, a professionally designed template or whatever. We've got great resources for that. But what I want you to take away to today is primarily the thought process. Okay? If client referrals have slowed down, what is within my control? How do I make sure my foundation is solid? How do I build thoughtfully and creatively and consistently upon that foundation?
That's the process right now when I am looking at clinicians who are continuing to move through slow seasons, I'm not saying that I know therapists who are immune to it, 'cause most therapists I've talked to have noticed a change in the last six months. The ones who are continuing to move through it, the ones who do absolutely still have wait lists who are still maintaining their caseload at levels that they're feeling good about. They're going through this. They're regularly revisiting this process. The foundation is strong. How do I build upon it? That's what I invite you to do here, to remind yourself of what you have within your control, because there's a lot that's not. And then how do you take what you have within your control and make sure that it's working for you?
Doing it in a sustainable way, thinking about it creatively, and entering into it with that spirit of curiosity and a belief in your ability to do this because you absolutely, positively can even when things are changing out there. Thanks for joining me for this check-in episode. Ellie Tara, thank you. Wishing you well, cheering you on and that goes for all of you listening as you go out there and seek out the clients that you are best equipped to serve. Thanks for being here today. I'll see you next week.
Resources & Links Mentioned:
Birthday Sale: https://walkerstrategyco.com/bs26
Confident Copy: https://walkerstrategyco.com/cc
Squarespace Templates: https://walkerstrategyco.com/templates
DIY Brand Kit (DBK): https://walkerstrategyco.com/dbk
Done-for-you Services: https://walkerstrategyco.com/services
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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.
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