Why your referrals may have slowed down
Have referrals slowed down for your therapy practice?
If so, you’re not alone.
I got this note from a reader.
“I am curious if you have gotten an overall pull back of people going to therapy over the last 6 months. My peers and myself have felt the slowest referral rate ever in my career. Is it everywhere?”
I was curious, too, so I asked my audience on X/Twitter. The response was similar, although not from everyone.
If your referrals haven’t slowed down, that’s great! Keep doing what you’re doing.
But if they have slowed down, here are some possible, non-scientific reasons why and what to do about it.
Everything is expensive
From gas to groceries, everything is expensive right now, so people are cutting back on costs. I personally went from weekly therapy to bi-weekly therapy because of this reason. That could be keeping people from reaching out.
People are out of work
There have been a lot of layoffs this year in the tech industry. These people may not be able to afford therapy right now, especially if they were previously using their employer-sponsored health insurance.
People are less stressed
Stress and anxiety spiked during the pandemic. Maybe we’re seeing a return to normalcy in a post-COVID world, although these are hardly “normal” times, so I’m not convinced about this one.
People are using therapy platforms
Therapy platforms like BetterHelp have multi-million dollar advertising budgets, which make it difficult for therapists in private practice to stand out. They’re buying up all the podcast ads and Google Ads. It’s difficult to deny this one.
People are turning to AI
Some people may be turning to an AI like ChatGPT instead of talking to a human therapist. This is less likely to explain the slowdown in referrals but definitely something to watch as we move forward and AI becomes more popular.
So what can you do about it?
First, go back to the basics. I’ve written about this previously here.
Reach out to other therapists in your area to see if they’re having a similar experience. If they’re full, ask them what’s working for them.
I recommend doubling down on your niche. This increases the likelihood people will think of you as the person who "works with xx."
Finally, don’t panic. There are always going to be ups and downs in any business. Sometimes the only thing you can do is ride it out.