Retaining Therapists In Your Group Practice for Long-Term Success
The Cost of Losing a Therapist
In the past 6 plus years of having a group practice, I have only had two therapists leave to start their own practice. Yes, only two, and none in over five years.
In fact, one of the current therapists at the practice said she researched starting her own practice. She realized that she made better income with less headaches while working at Waters Edge Counseling. Isn’t that what we want to hear from practice owners! Woohoo!!!!
Losing a therapist affects not only the bottom line but also the overall morale and stability of the practice. When a clinician leaves, there are disruptions in client care, increased workload for remaining staff, and added costs associated with recruiting and onboarding a replacement.
While some contracts may include non-compete clauses or restrictions on taking clients, there will always be a financial impact when an employee departs. However, a strong retention strategy can mitigate these risks and foster a thriving, committed team.
Water's Edge Counseling now has 17 therapists. So, I know a thing or two about the ups and downs of hiring therapists and the retention strategies that come along with that.
Key Strategies for Retention
1. Structured Hiring and Onboarding
A well-organized hiring process is the first step in retaining quality therapists. It’s important to establish your standards as a company in the very beginning, as well as getting the opportunity to weed out people that aren’t desirable for the business. It makes it easier for you to see what people are going to be the right fit.
In my practice, we use an Enneagram test to see what personality types we have in our hands. Now, this isn’t the end-all-be-all, but I think it is an important factor when it comes to getting an idea of how well the candidate aligns with the role and how well the candidate will mesh with other therapists around the office.
A common question I get about the Enneagram is which test I use. My favorite one is through the Wagner Enneagram Personality Style Scales. It is fairly low cost with tons of great information.
Key things to do when it comes to structuring an effective hiring and onboarding process are as follows:
Use an extensive interview process to assess alignment with your practice culture.
Implement standardized onboarding procedures, whether through one-on-one training, videos, or group orientations.
Assign designated team members to handle different aspects of training (e.g., HR systems, clinical supervision, and operational protocols).
Clearly communicate expectations and success measures, such as timely documentation and client retention goals.
You’ve created a group practice for a reason. Don’t be afraid to show your therapists what that looks like for you upfront. Communication is key, so why not start with good communication from the jump?
2. Building a Supportive Practice Culture
Culture plays a vital role in therapist retention. Employees need to feel connected, valued, and part of a greater mission. This topic is actually something I’m working on right now. As I was opening my second location, I wondered how to best maintain the culture of Water’s Edge Counseling in two different locations. I can’t be in two places at the same time, so it’s important to me that I teach what the culture and standards are that we hold here so that there is no confusion or missteps. I’ve also learned that it’s important that I reiterate what this culture looks like over and over again to emphasize how important it is to me and how important I desire it to be for them to uphold when I’m not present.
Last year, as we were preparing for our new location, we had a three-hour workshop where we defined our mission, values, and goals, as well as opened up the floor for new ideas. This allowed each member to feel seen and heard. It also puts a mark of responsibility on everyone when it comes to practicing what we said our mission statement says and holding each other accountable. It wasn’t just a Whitney command but a group effort in which everyone took part in.
Key things to do when it comes to building a supportive practice culture are as follows:
Define and communicate the core values of your practice.
Reinforce these values through regular discussions in staff meetings.
Create a team-oriented environment where therapists feel heard and supported.
Offer opportunities for professional growth, including mentorship and continuing education.
3. Ongoing Team Engagement and Feedback
Engagement doesn’t stop after onboarding—it must be maintained throughout an employee’s tenure.
As mentioned above, I sat down with my therapists, and we came up with the mission statement, goals, and values for the practice together. With that comes maintenance and a continued conversation about these things long after it is set in stone. My team and I have recurring meetings where we discuss how things are currently going and how it aligns with those missions, goals, and values that we established as a whole.
This opened the door for people to share questions, comments, and concerns as time went on. Things change, so it’s good to hear what’s working, what’s not working, and how we can pivot from there. It’s just like therapy. People don’t just need it when times get rough, but as a continuous venture so that they can better handle hard or confusing situations in the future.
Key things to do when it comes to ongoing team engagement and feedback are as follows:
Conduct regular check-ins to address concerns and celebrate successes.
Gather feedback on workplace dynamics and be open to making adjustments.
Encourage collaboration and relationship-building among staff.
Recognize and reward contributions to reinforce a positive work environment.
4. Compensation and Benefits
Fair and competitive compensation is essential for long-term retention. I think it’s so important to be transparent about money. Now, these may be hard and intense conversations for you and your therapist to have, but they're absolutely necessary. No, I don’t believe they need to know where every single dollar is going in regards to the business, but it is beneficial to talk about things that could be clarified to your therapists.
For example, I had a conversation with one of my therapists who assumed their pay was not sufficient based on the money coming into the business. But, with this conversation, I was able to shed some light on the expenses that it takes to run a private practice, such as retirement, taxes, health care, marketing, and other things that are often forgotten about costs. This allowed us to have a really good conversation that otherwise could have created resentment with the lack of communication.
Key things to do when it comes to compensation and benefits are as follows:
Offer structured pay scales with opportunities for raises based on performance and tenure.
Provide benefits such as health insurance, retirement plans, or paid time off.
Consider bonuses, profit-sharing, or incentives for high-performing employees.
5. Clear Career Pathways and Growth Opportunities
Therapists are more likely to stay if they see a future within the practice. I’ve found that having sessions where people feel like they’re heard keeps them wanting to stay. In my practice, we have recurring meetings where we discuss in both large and small groups growth opportunities as well as culture.
Even little gatherings for holidays and birthdays can be really beneficial and impactful. It’s one of those things that make you feel closer and perhaps more comfortable to discuss the hard topics. Overall, I think it’s important to implement things to show your team that you appreciate them.
Key things to do when it comes to clear career pathways and growth opportunities are as follows:
Offer leadership roles, supervision opportunities, or specialization tracks.
Support continuing education and professional development.
Foster a culture of internal promotion rather than hiring externally.
Creating a Culture That Keeps Therapists Invested
Ultimately, retaining therapists requires intentional leadership, consistent communication, and a workplace culture that supports both professional and personal fulfillment. By investing in structured hiring, strong onboarding, supportive leadership, and ongoing engagement, group practice owners can build a team that not only stays but also thrives.
Check out the podcast I did with The Practice of Therapy, where we discussed all the things mentioned above and more!
WATCH NOW!:
On Apple Podcast & LEAVE A REVIEW 👀
Grow your practice today!
Navigating tough conversations with your team can be overwhelming, especially if you are unsure of what is the best route to take. This is why I offer a range of personalized business coaching services to help you make a plan, execute it and track the results. I offer 3-month and 6-month business consulting packages, Enneagram Training, and a Wise Practice Community Membership. Implement tracking methods for your practice today and reach out to Wise Practice Consulting if you need help getting started! Get in touch today to learn more.
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