The Therapist’s Guide to Surviving the Summer Slowdown (and Bouncing Back Strong in the Fall)
Let’s talk about the elephant in the room: the summer slowdown.
If you’ve been in private practice for a while, you know exactly what I mean. Clients are traveling, without the demands of school, parents are apt to let kids "take a break”, and suddenly you’re staring at your calendar wondering, “Wasn’t I booked solid a month ago?!”
You’re not imagining it. Summer can be tough for therapists. But here’s the thing: it doesn’t have to feel like a crisis. With a little strategy, this can actually be one of the most productive, and restful, seasons in your business.
Let’s break it down:
What Exactly Is the Summer Slowdown?
The summer slowdown is just what it sounds like: fewer clients, more cancellations, and a different rhythm than the rest of the year. Clients are out of town, mental health sometimes takes a backseat to “summer fun,” and if you work with kids or parents, their schedules are pure chaos.
But it’s not all bad news. Many therapists actually plan for this dip. One therapist said it perfectly:
“Honestly, I just decided to take a good chunk of PTO in the summer. The clients want to be outside and so do I!”
So, if you feel your caseload shrinking, know this: you’re not failing, you’re just in the natural flow of seasonal work.
How to Prepare for the Summer Slowdown
The best way to survive the summer slump? Plan for it before it happens. Here’s what experienced therapists recommend:
Build Rest Into the Plan
If you can swing it financially, take some intentional time off. Move to “summer hours” or schedule that beach trip guilt-free. The fall and winter can be tough on therapists as increased stress and seasonal mental health concerns can fill up a caseload to waitlist levels in no time. So taking a slower pace in the summer can be a good way to build up your emotional reserves.
Shift Your Services for Summer
Some services naturally fit the season better:
✅ Intensives which could be a one-day lock in or a series of 2-3 half days where you focus on a particular goal (I offer these to my coaching clients as well)
✅ Short-term support groups Think 30 day midlife tune-up for moms or 4 weeks anxiety support
✅ Workshops to cover a specific need for clients, community or corporate partners
If you’re typically booked solid, these seasonal offers can keep your income steady while giving clients more flexible options.
Use It to Work On Your Business
I’m going to hold your hand while I say this, the best private practice owners, the ones who are not afraid of summer slumps or insurance contract clawbacks, the ones who are secure financially, spend just as much time working on their business as they do in their business, and sometimes they actually spend MORE.
If you find yourself with some open spots on your calendar, it might be a good time update your website, tweak your marketing, or clean up your systems. Sometimes the dip in your caseload can highlight gaps in your systems or areas for improvement. Instead of being frustrated by the phone not ringing, remember all the things you wanted to do while it was ringing off the hook.
Future you will thank you when the fall rush hits.
Build Other Revenue Streams
Many therapists use summer to grow other income sources. Some of the most common for therapists just like you include:
Trainings & supervision – Making yourself accessible to new grads can fill a few empty slots and give you a change of pace.
Speaking gigs – From state and regional conferences to private events for local and national companies.
Consulting or Corporate partnerships-This has been a game changer for keeping a financial buffer in the bank account. At $5-10k on average and as much as $100,000+ per contract, these can go a long way toward filling in the financial gaps.
Digital products – Ebooks, courses, worksheets, and more can bring in quick and semi-passive dollars by taking your expertise and turning it into an easy and instantly consumable product for existing clients or customers who live states away. Check out my templates that make this process quick and painless.
The key? Build something now that keeps paying you long after summer’s over. Check out more counselor approved side hustles here.
Already Stuck in the Slowdown? Here’s What to Do Right Now
Maybe you didn’t plan ahead, and now you’re staring at a half-empty calendar. Take a deep breath, you’ve got options.
Get Visible Fast
Need income? Visibility is your friend. Don’t fall into the trap of hiding away in frustration. An old coach friend of mine gave me some great advice when I was starting out. Look at your calendar and for every hour that you want to be booked, do SOMETHING that lets people know that you are available to help. So if you have 10 hours of openings on your books, that’s 10 hours that you should be using to market your practice by showing up. There’s no way that you won’t see results from that amount of effort. Now what should you do?
Network with other therapists. Do you have a specialty that you love? Make sure people know that you are the go-to girl for that niche. You can also do a joint venture webinar or series to spark some buzz around both of your practices.
Tell your network you’re accepting new clients. This may seem to simple, but it’s not. Friends in your phone, that dusty Facebook page that you barely use, your LinkedIn connections. They should all know that you’re accepting new clients.
Send some emails to prime the pump. If you have electronic medical records, you have access to former and potential clients emails. We send a newsletter each week, but you can send more as a method of email marketing to remind clients why they should schedule an appointment.
Pitch the media or guest podcasts. I like to use Help A Reporter Out(HARO) as a quick tool. They will send you daily alerts and you just respond to the ones that make sense for you.
Get on camera. I saw a documentary recently about how a very popular podcaster got her start by creating YouTube videos after she couldn’t get a job as a journalist. Video is a powerful connection tool and it helps people know, like and trust you which is a great way to get them on your books. You can use clips of longer form webinars or simply start talking to your camera and upload either on your social media. These are much more useful than only having static posts and free to get started.
These ideas come highly recommended from therapists just like you.
Supplement If You Need To
Short-term gigs can keep cash flowing and there is no shame in doing what you need to do to keep the lights on. Some of the easiest ways are:
EAP sessions
Crisis or Intake work
Offer consults or supervision hours
The Bottom Line: Be as proactive as you can and keep your outlook balanced
You get to decide how to use this season. Maybe that means sitting by the pool with a good book, or maybe it means finally finishing that course or workshop you’ve been dreaming about.
What you don’t want is to let summer slip by and enter fall still scrambling. The therapists who thrive after a slowdown are the ones who use this time intentionally, either for rest or for strategy.
Ready to Create Your Summer Survival (and Fall Bounce-Back) Plan?
If you’re tired of riding the seasonal rollercoaster in private practice, let’s fix that. My last suggestion for fixing the summer slump is to invest that free time into getting support from someone who can help you make a plan.
I help therapists like you design a practical, money-making, peace-protecting strategy for seasons like this, so you’re not just surviving the summer slump, but setting yourself up for a strong, profitable fall.
We’ll look at your business as a whole and choose one specific area of focus.
We’ll map out exactly what to focus on now to hit your goals in a way that is customized to you.
You get to walk away with a simple plan you can execute immediately. No more stressing or spinning wheels.
Click here to book your Summer Strategy Session now.
Because you deserve to enjoy your summer and feel confident about what’s coming next.