Dear Therapist: You're Not Broken. The Business Model Is.
Why So Many Therapists Feel Like They're Failing, Even When They're Fully Booked
If you’ve ever felt like you’re working nonstop yet still barely making ends meet, you're not alone.
😓 Working hard but struggling to pay your bills?
😨 Anxious every time you check your bank account?
🤔 Unsure how many clients you need to hit your income goals?
😥 Feeling guilty about taking time off?
🚀 Ready to grow, but unsure where to start?
The truth is, these aren’t personal failings. They’re signs of a broken business model.
You Were Taught to Heal, Not to Run a Business
Grad school trained you to be a clinician, not a business owner. Most therapists were never taught how to:
Pay themselves consistently
Navigate cash flow without stress
Plan for time off without income loss
Grow without burning out
So if you feel like you’re flying blind when it comes to your finances, that’s not your fault. The traditional therapy business model (especially one based on insurance reimbursements) simply isn’t built to create sustainable income.
Just Starting Out? Let’s Build It Right From the Beginning
Thinking about launching your own practice or being in your first year of business? This is actually the best time to set up the systems that will support your financial peace of mind later. You don’t have to wait until you’re overwhelmed or burned out to get serious about income planning. When you build with intention now, you create a practice that pays you well, protects your time, and grows with you.
What If the Problem Isn’t You, But the System?
You are not broken. And you’re definitely not bad at business. You just haven’t been given a system that works for therapists, one that honors your clinical heart and your financial needs.
That’s where Profit for Keeps® comes in.
A New Way to Think About Profit: Keep More, Stress Less
This blog is the start of a new series where I’ll be pulling back the curtain on what really works when it comes to therapist finances-and sharing how Profit for Keeps® is helping me and my clients rewrite the rules.
Profit for Keeps® is a therapist-friendly cash flow system that helps you stop flying blind with your money. It’s a values-aligned strategy that empowers therapists to:
Get clear on how much money they actually need
Create a simple cash flow system for allocating income
Pay themselves first (without guilt)
Build a profitable, sustainable practice
Let me be real for a second - I didn’t always have this figured out either. I remember a time when I had a waitlist and still felt panicked checking my bank account. I kept wondering, “How am I working this hard and still feeling broke?” That’s what led me to this work. I knew there had to be a better way, and now I get to teach it to others.
I’m currently training to become a Profit for Keeps® Certified Coach because I’ve lived the chaos of inconsistent income, and now I help therapists build practices that pay them well and with ease.
Join Me Live Every Tuesday for "Profit & Beyond with Maren"
Inside my free Facebook group, Profit with Purpose: The Empowered Therapist Collective, I go live every Tuesday at 1 PM EST / 10 AM PST for a new series called Weekly Live with Maren: Profit & Beyond, real talk for therapists who want real income.
Here’s some of the recent topics and what's coming up:
✳️ Why Your Practice Isn’t Paying You (Even If You're “Full”)
✳️ Part-Time to Full-Time: What You Really Need to Know Before You Leap
✳️ Do You Have a Business… or Just a Caseload?
✳️ Why You Feel Financially Stuck (Even If You’re Booked Out)
✳️ Pay Yourself First: The Therapist’s Guide to Cash Flow (Without Math Meltdowns)
✳️ What Every Therapist Should Track (But No One Teaches You)
Want to See What This Could Look Like for You?
🎁 I’m giving away a $100 Profit for Keeps® Blueprint session (usually $997) inside my Facebook group each week for those who join me for our Weekly Live: Profit & Beyond! Join us to learn more, get support, and grab your free "Profitable Therapist Calculator" just for signing up.
You’re not failing. The system is. Let’s build a better one together.
