Let’s be honest.
No one really prepares you for what happens after you become a therapist.
You finish your training. You’re ready to help people. You open your calendar…
And then it hits:
How do I get clients?
What do I even charge?
Am I doing this right?
In our latest conversation with Will Lee from Strive Counselling, we got into the part of therapy no one really talks about, the messy, uncomfortable, very real side of building a practice.
“Am I Allowed to Charge This Much?”
Pricing isn’t just a number for therapists. It’s emotional.
You’re in a helping profession. You care about people. So when it comes time to set your rate, it can feel… wrong.
Too high, and you feel guilty.
Too low, and you start to feel stretched thin.
A lot of therapists stay stuck here longer than they need to.
But here’s the truth that came up in the conversation:
Undercharging doesn’t make you more helpful. It makes you unsustainable.
And when your work isn’t sustainable, everyone loses, including your clients.
Charging your worth isn’t about ego. It’s about being able to show up fully, session after session, without burning out.
The Quiet Fear: “What If No One Books?”
Almost every therapist has this thought at some point.
You’re qualified. You care deeply. But your calendar is still empty.
That gap between being “ready” and actually having consistent clients is where a lot of people start to doubt themselves.
The therapists who get through it aren’t necessarily the most experienced.
They’re the ones who stay visible.
They talk clearly about who they help.
They show up consistently.
They make it easy for the right clients to find them.
This is also why platforms like Purple Lotus matter. Instead of hoping the right client stumbles across you, you’re meeting people who are already looking for support and trying to find the right fit.
When Therapy Feels Like It’s Not Working
From the outside, therapy can seem like it should be straightforward.
Talk about your problems → feel better.
But in reality, it’s rarely that linear.
Sometimes therapy feels slow.
Sometimes it feels uncomfortable.
Sometimes it feels like nothing is happening at all.
And that’s usually the moment people start to question it.
What came up in this conversation is something more people need to hear:
That “stuck” feeling is often part of the process.
Growth in therapy isn’t always obvious. It can look like confusion, reflection, or even resistance before things start to shift.
If You’re a Therapist Feeling Stuck Right Now
It’s tempting to think you need to do more.
More marketing.
More certifications.
More strategies.
But most of the time, the issue isn’t effort. It’s clarity.
Who do you actually want to help?
What do you want to be known for?
Why should someone choose you?
When you get clear on that, everything else becomes easier. Your messaging, your confidence, even your ability to attract the right clients.
Why This Conversation Matters
There’s a polished version of therapy that people see online.
And then there’s the real version.
The one where therapists are figuring things out, navigating self-doubt, learning how to charge, and trying to build something sustainable while still showing up for their clients.
That’s what this conversation is about.
If you’re a therapist, you’ll probably see yourself in it.
If you’re a client, you’ll understand the process in a completely different way.
And if you’re somewhere in between, trying to make sense of it all, this is the kind of honesty that actually helps.
Watch the full episode to hear the full conversation with Will Lee and see what building a therapy practice really looks like behind the scenes.
Written by
Cher Peng
Co-Founder, Marketing & Community Lead
Cher Peng (she/they) is a community-driven builder based in Vancouver who completed her studies at the University of British Columbia. She is the co-founder of Purple Lotus, a Canadian platform improving access to mental wellness care by helping people find the right therapist quickly and intuitively. Her work sits at the intersection of product, research, and community, with experience spanning UX innovation, venture development, and nonprofit leadership. Cher is driven by a commitment to building human-centered solutions that create meaningful, real-world impact.
