How to market your therapy practice to clients in multiple states

1. Update your Psychology Today profile

Therapy directories like Psychology Today make it easy for potential clients to find you when they search by location. According to clinical psychologist Tanya Siff, who practices in four states, many directories — including Psychology Today — only allow you to list three zip codes for your practice. For that reason, you’ll need to be strategic when you’re deciding which area to prioritize.

If your main goal is to book more clients in general, then it’s a good idea to list the zip codes in the most populated area, which likely has more demand. But if you want your other practice areas to grow, you can list those instead. For example, Siff considers New York her primary state, so she finds it more productive to list three zip codes in NYC rather than adding Ohio or Pennsylvania zip codes. If you aren’t seeing results with your existing zip codes, you can always experiment with different ones. For example, if you work with young adults, consider adding a zip code near a large university.

2. Join other therapist directories

To increase your reach in a new area, consider signing up for another directory. Sites like Zocdoc offer paid subscriptions that make it easy for people to find clinicians in their area (and book appointments simultaneously). According to Siff, you can add several zip codes to the same profile, so it’s a great way to build a practice.

3. Tweak your website

Your professional profiles aren’t the only content you should update. Once you expand your practice to a new state, be sure to update your website and social media profiles to include the additional areas of practice. For people who may be searching for a therapist online, incorporate search-engine-optimized keywords like “therapist in [city] or “CBT in [state]” into your website copy. That way, your website will be more likely to show up toward the top of the search engine results (so people don’t have to dig around to find the support they’re looking for).

4. Send an email blast

If you have an email list, be sure to update your subscribers about your new area of practice so they can refer out-of-state friends and family to you. Therapist Emily Feigenberg also recommends writing an email describing the work you do (and where you work!) with a link to any professional profiles and a list of insurance you accept. “Send this to family and friends and any schools where you did trainings,” Feigenberg says. If you already sent a similar email when you started your practice, re-send it as an “expanding practice to [new area]” notice.

5. Join local groups

When you first started your practice, you probably joined professional groups in your area of license or expertise. Once you expand your practice to a new state, Feigenberg suggests researching and joining groups there, too, and attending events when you can. Some may be new-to-you groups, while others may be state chapters of the same organization. Either way: It pays (sometimes literally!) to be connected.

6. Network!

Forging connections with professionals who can refer clients to you is a great way to build your practice in a new place. Online, LinkedIn is a great way to network with other therapists or referral sources. Be sure to update your profile to include your new practice state, and create an update post introducing yourself and sharing that you’re taking new clients. You can also introduce yourself online or in person to other referral sources, whether other therapists or primary care doctors or specialists.

7. Be patient

It’s exciting to get credentialed in a new state, but as you probably remember from when you first started your practice, growing your caseload doesn’t happen overnight. As you take steps to market your practice, you may need to be patient. Focus on doing your best to support the clients you already see and building credibility in your professional network, and your practice will grow organically — in due time.

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