Before You Hire Your First Therapist, Ask Yourself This One Question
Aug 12, 2026
There comes a moment in almost every private practice when you think:
"I can't keep doing this by myself."
Your calendar is full.
People are waiting to get in.
You know you could help more people if you had another therapist on your team.
So you start thinking about hiring.
I get it.
On the surface, it feels like the next thing you're supposed to do.
But this is where we get tricked.
We spend so much time thinking about who we're going to hire that we forget to ask why we're building a group practice in the first place.
That one question changes the rest of the story.
A Full Calendar Isn't Always Freedom
Most therapists never set out to become business owners.
You became a therapist because you wanted to help people.
Then your practice started growing.
The referrals kept coming.
Your schedule filled up.
Before long, hiring seemed like the obvious next step.
Sometimes it is.
But sometimes we build a bigger practice when what we really wanted was a better life.
Those aren't always the same thing.
You can end up with more therapists, more meetings, more questions, and less room to breathe.
That's the trap.
The Question That Shapes Everything
One of my favorite moments from this week's conversation with Brie Chrisman and Allison Dixon from boss co wasn't about hiring.
It wasn't about interviews.
It wasn't about onboarding.
It was one simple question.
Why do you want to build a group practice?
That sounds almost too simple.
But don't skip past it.
Your answer starts shaping every decision you make.
Who you hire.
How you lead.
What kind of culture you build.
Even the people you're hoping to serve.
If you don't know where you're going, it's hard to know who should come with you.
Culture Starts Before Day One
We usually think company culture starts after someone signs the paperwork.
It doesn't.
It starts with the first conversation.
It starts with the first interview.
It starts with how you make people feel before they ever become part of your team.
Brie and Allison talked about something I wish more practice owners understood.
People aren't just looking for another place to work.
They're looking for a place where they can do meaningful work.
They want to know what you believe.
They want to know what matters.
They want to know they're joining something bigger than a job description.
When you're clear about your mission, the right people tend to recognize it.
Nobody Wants to Feel Like a Checklist
The conversation also reminded me how easy it is to reduce onboarding to paperwork.
- Forms.
- Policies.
- Logins.
- Technology.
Those things matter.
But think back to your own first day at a new job.
You probably weren't worried about tax forms.
You were wondering:
"Do I belong here?"
"Am I doing this right?"
"What's expected of me?"
Those first few weeks tell people whether they belong or whether they're just another name on the schedule.
That's why good onboarding isn't about checking boxes.
It's about helping someone feel seen.
It's about giving them a clear path forward.
It's about making sure they never leave day one wondering what happens next.
People Usually Leave Long Before They Leave
One statistic Brie shared really stuck with me.
The average therapist stays at a practice for about a year and a half to two years.
Think about that. By the time you've recruited someone, onboarded them, helped them build a caseload, and finally started to breathe again...
...you're getting ready to hire all over again.
That isn't just expensive. It's exhausting.
And here's the hard part.
People usually don't leave because of one bad day.
They leave after months of feeling disconnected.
People stay where they feel seen.
- where expectations are clear.
- where trust is built one conversation at a time.
Helping people shouldn't stop with your clients.
It should shape the way you lead your team too.
One Honest Question
So before you
- post another job opening...
- write another job description...
- schedule another interview...
Ask yourself one question.
Why am I building this practice?
Don't rush past it.
Sit with it.
Because that answer shapes everything that comes next.
A full calendar isn't the goal.
A practice that still helps people five years from now that's worth building.
Listen to the Full Conversation
If hiring, onboarding, or retaining great therapists has been on your mind, I think you'll really enjoy this conversation with Brie Chrisman and Allison Dixon from Bosco.
We go much deeper into what it looks like to build a practice people actually want to be part of.
🎧 Listen to Episode 175 of The Scaling Therapist Podcast:
Resources Mentioned
- Boss co
- The Science of Scaling by Benjamin Hardy
- Course Creation Studio
Ready for What's Next?
Helping people has always been your mission.
The question is whether you've built a business that can carry that mission for years to come.
If this Blog post got you thinking about what's next, I'd love to invite you to our August Workshop Series.
We'll walk through practical ways to turn your clinical expertise into workshops, and other educational offers that continue helping people long after the session ends.
If you're ready to build something that creates more income, more independence, and more impact not more hours, visit Course Creation Studio.
You'll find the upcoming workshop series, free resources, and more episodes of The Scaling Therapist Podcast, all designed to help you build a business that supports your calling instead of competing with it.
Because helping people shouldn't cost you your life.
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