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Wondering how to create an online course for therapists over the summer break? These seven course creation steps will help you map out an online course for private practice that people want to buy and are likely to finish, before you record a single lesson.

We begin with the honest question of why you want to make a course in the first place, because if the answer is that you need money now or you do not have enough clients, a course will not fix either one, and your marketing systems or existing financial structures are the better place to start, particularly if passive income for therapists is the hope behind it.

From there we look at how to validate a course idea through market research for an online course, and I share the story of the marketing course I built that nobody wanted until I listened to what my clients were asking for, stripped it back and relaunched it as Clients On Demand, which sold out the first time it opened.

You will also hear why the average online course completion rate sits at around 12 percent for self-paced courses, how that number can shape the format you choose, and how to place your course inside your private practice business model so it supports your wider vision to grow a private practice instead of sitting untouched on your website. We finish with creating your content and then taking time to beta test an online course (or pilot it, if that word feels more familiar) so honest feedback can polish it before you go live.

If you would like help mapping a course that has been researched and tested, the Programmed Passive tool is included inside my Skool community, which is $7 a month with the first seven days free: https://www.skool.com/brooklyn/about

And if you would like support to start, grow or scale your private practice, you can visit my website at https://brooklynstorme.com

Keywords used: how to create an online course for therapists, online course for private practice, course creation steps, validate a course idea, market research for an online course, online course completion rate, passive income for therapists, beta test an online course, grow a private practice, private practice business model

Mini FAQ:

Q: Why isn't my online course selling? A: Often it is because the course was built around what you know your clients need instead of what they are asking for, so research the demand first and meet them where they are, the way I did when my marketing course became Clients On Demand.

Q: Will an online course fix a lack of clients? A: No, because a shortage of clients usually points to your marketing, such as your messaging, niching, visibility, lead generation or conversions, so that is the place to look first.

Q: What is the average completion rate of a self-paced online course? A: It sits at around 12 percent, which means roughly 12 out of every 100 buyers finish, so it is worth designing your duration, format and deliverables to lift that number.

Q: How do I test my online course before I launch it? A: Pilot it with a small group who give you honest feedback in exchange for access, and ask how easy it was to use, what results they got, whether they would recommend it and what they would change.

Q: Should I create a course if I need money quickly? A: No, because making a course is a big job that adds pressure on top of a full diary, and building on your existing financial structures is the faster way to bring revenue into your practice.

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Are you team ChatGPT, team Claude, or happily on neither side? As of October 2026, I've landed firmly on Claude when it comes to Claude vs ChatGPT for private practice, and I walk you through why, including how each platform handles privacy and data retention, which is a big part of whether Claude is safe for therapists compared with the alternatives. If you're writing work cover reports, TAC reports, medico legal letters, funding letters or tenders, Claude wins for me every time because of its larger context window and its tendency to hallucinate a little less, while ChatGPT is where I go when I need an image for a freebie. We also talk about the two things that happen behind the scenes with AI that most of us never hear about, which are AI hallucinations (confident, invented facts, including references that look completely legitimate) and AI drift (when a helpful suggestion leads you down a rabbit hole and your to-do list is still untouched at the end of the day). I share the hard way I learned to check sources while preparing journal articles, plus what happened to Deloitte when fabricated content ended up in front of a court. From there we get into why treating your AI like a best friend can soften your judgement, and how using AI as a thinking partner, where you write the first draft yourself and ask it questions to sharpen your own work, keeps your voice and your credibility intact. This one is for AI for counsellors and psychologists who want to use these tools well, and if you'd like support with AI report writing, team training or AI consulting for private practice, you can find me at brooklynstorme.com or join Claude for Therapists, where the first week is free and it's $7 after that. Take the experiment I suggest and run the same task on both platforms, because your own results will teach you more than my opinion ever could.

Keywords used: Claude vs ChatGPT for private practice, AI for therapists in Australia, AI hallucinations, AI drift, is Claude safe for therapists, AI privacy and data retention, using AI as a thinking partner, AI for counsellors and psychologists, AI report writing, AI consulting for private practice

Mini FAQ:

Q: Is Claude or ChatGPT better for private practice? A: For documentation like work cover, TAC and medico legal reports, I find Claude better because of its larger context window and its tendency to hallucinate a little less. ChatGPT is stronger for image creation, so many people end up using both.

Q: What is an AI hallucination? A: It's when AI invents or falsifies information, including references, and presents it with so much confidence that you accept it without questioning. Asking for clickable sources and checking each one yourself is the best protection.

Q: What is AI drift? A: Drift is when a stream of follow-up suggestions pulls you away from your original task, so you lose time in a rabbit hole and the thing you sat down to do stays unfinished.

Q: How can therapists use AI as a thinking partner? A: Write the piece yourself first, then bring it to Claude and ask what you missed, where the gaps are and whether your metaphors work. You make the edits in your own words, which keeps your voice and your authority intact.

Q: Is Claude safer than ChatGPT for privacy? A: Claude has historically had data sharing and retention settings switched off by default, whereas ChatGPT worked the opposite way, which is why I currently see Claude as the safer option for private practice. Platforms change quickly, so it's worth checking the settings yourself.

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Money tends to land in your business in drips and drabs, and if you have ever handed your accountant a shopping bag full of paper receipts once a year and then spent the next few weeks working just to pay the tax bill (I did exactly that in my first years in private practice), this episode is for you. I walk you through how to give yourself a pay rise in private practice, and it starts with seeing that the money coming in is a response, both to how you see yourself and to how well you are stewarding your private practice finances. We look at why reactive money decisions keep you stuck under a financial thermostat, why you need to separate your business and personal bank accounts, and how to pay yourself a weekly wage through a scheduled payment so the money for tax, GST and business expenses stays put in your business account, which is also why the last quarter of the year is such a good time to build these foundations.

Then we get into the numbers, because it is very easy to look at a $200 session fee and assume the whole $200 is yours. I pulled together a rough breakdown of how much therapists take home per session in Australia, and the take-home pay after tax, Medicare, bookkeeping fees, business expenses and super is sobering: about $37 from an $80 session, $46 from $100, $55 from $120, $69 from $150 and $92 from $200. From there you can work out what it costs to fund your personal life, add 10% for the things you have forgotten, and calculate how many clients you need to see each week to cover it, and you will see why charging your cancellation fee is so important to your income. I also share why you need to track your income so you can feel safe with money, and what to do when your fees are right but you still need more clients through the door, which is where my 90 day sprint comes in. You can explore my group programs at https://brooklynstorme.com/group-programs, and do grab the companion guide in the show notes for resources to help you build financial systems for private practice that leave you feeling safe.

Keywords used: how to give yourself a pay rise in private practice, private practice finances, pay yourself a weekly wage, separate your business and personal bank accounts, how much therapists take home per session in Australia, take-home pay after tax, how many clients you need to see each week, cancellation fee, financial systems for private practice, track your income

Mini FAQ:

Q: How do you give yourself a pay rise in private practice? A: Work out your take-home pay per session, separate your business and personal accounts, and set up a scheduled weekly payment to yourself. Knowing your numbers is the thing that makes the biggest difference the most quickly.

Q: How much does a therapist take home per session in Australia? A: On my rough calculations you take home about $37 from an $80 session, $46 from $100, $55 from $120, $69 from $150 and $92 from $200, after tax, Medicare, bookkeeping fees, business expenses and super. These figures are a ballpark and are not accounting or financial advice.

Q: Should I pay myself a wage from my private practice? A: Yes, a regular weekly wage by scheduled payment from your business account gives you structure even when client money arrives at random times. The money for tax, GST and business expenses stays in the business account.

Q: How many clients do I need to see to fund my life? A: Add up what it costs to fund your personal life, add 10% for the things you have forgotten, then divide by your take-home per session. For example, funding $1,000 a week on a $120 session fee means around 19 sessions every week.

Q: Why do I need to charge a cancellation fee? A: Because every cancellation you do not charge for comes out of the money you need to fund your life. If 6 of your 19 clients cancel at $55 take-home each, you have donated around $330 back to clients.

The transcript says "$100" twice when listing take-home figures, so I used $150 for the $69 figure, based on Loom's summary of the video.

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If you have been in private practice for a year or three and your diary is still not full, or you are close to finishing your studies and wondering how to start a private practice in Australia that fills quickly, this episode is for you. I recorded it in the middle of a week of being down for the count, using the time to dust off my business foundations, and it got me thinking about the one thing I would tell every woman before she opens her doors.

How to get clients in private practice has changed, because information used to be valuable simply because it came from a health professional, and now anyone can make mental health resources with AI. Your wisdom is what people are looking for now, more than your knowledge, and AI can only recommend a practice it can see and tell apart from the rest, which is why learning how to get recommended by AI as a therapist starts with standing out.

We talk about private practice positioning in a way that does not mean more courses or more work. Learning how to niche as a therapist is the first step, and your niche might be a modality you love, a personal philosophy or something you stand against, and then you decide what you want to be known for and identify three ways you deliver your service differently from the other practices in your niche. Those three ways can come from your lived experience, your personality or an innate skill, and I share how mine came through in client surveys as being blunt, calling a spade a spade and spotting gaps. Summarise it in two or three sentences, put it everywhere and use it as the anchor for every blog, podcast, post and program you create, and you have a simple way to stand out as a counsellor while cutting through the overwhelm.

I also cover undercharging in private practice (I still hear of women with master's degrees charging $60 to $80 a session), why your website is where people convert and not what gets them there, what my 21 post-it notes of daily marketing look like, why 90 days is the average time it takes to build trust with a vulnerable audience, and how a private practice marketing plan grows out of your business plan. Once you know what to be known for, you are in the best position to fill your diary in private practice, even before day one.

If you would like a personalised plan and weekly live support to put your positioning into action, you can find the 90 Day Sprint here: https://brooklynstorme.com/group-programs

Take care of yourselves, my lovelies, and I will talk to you soon.

Keywords used: how to get clients in private practice, how to start a private practice in Australia, how to get recommended by AI as a therapist, private practice positioning, how to niche as a therapist, what to be known for in private practice, how to stand out as a counsellor, undercharging in private practice, private practice marketing plan, how to fill your diary in private practice

Mini FAQ:

Q: How do I get clients in private practice now that AI is recommending therapists? A: Stand out with a specific niche and a clear idea of what you are known for, because AI can only recommend a practice it can see and tell apart from the others.

Q: Is niching still enough to stand out as a counsellor? A: Niching on its own is no longer enough, so add what you want to be known for and three ways you deliver your service differently from other practices in your niche.

Q: What can my niche be if I do not want to focus on one age group or problem? A: Your niche can be a modality you love, a personal philosophy or something you stand against, as long as it makes you easy to tell apart.

Q: How long does it take to fill a diary in private practice? A: Allow around 90 days of consistent marketing on average, because building trust with a vulnerable audience in mental health takes time.

Q: Should I lower my fees to fill my diary? A: No, undercharging is a path to burnout, and clear positioning is the easier way to fill your diary. how to get clients in private practice, private practice positioning, how to niche as a therapist, how to stand out as a counsellor, what to be known for in private practice, how to fill your diary in private practice, how to start a private practice in Australia, private practice marketing plan, undercharging in private practice, how to get recommended by AI as a therapist.

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You know that feeling when you sit down to work in your private practice and your chest goes tight before you have even opened your laptop? That is what this episode digs into, and Brooklyn is talking about why you feel anxious working for yourself even when nothing outwardly stressful is happening.

She walks through her own week of rearranging furniture, painting kitchen tiles, and falling hard for peel and stick wallpaper, then gets into the heart of it, the butterflies that show up the moment you open your business laptop and start bouncing between dozens of open tabs. If you have ever wondered why you cannot focus on your business the way you focused when you worked for somebody else, this episode has an answer worth sitting with.

Brooklyn breaks down a five step process for working through procrastination in private practice, starting with noticing the anxious feeling, checking in with what you are saying yes and no to, identifying the story underneath the obstacle, doing the work to clear it, and getting yourself back on track. She talks through how imposter syndrome in private practice often traces back to a lack of direction rather than a lack of ability, and why avoidance in private practice marketing is rarely about not knowing how.

This episode is also a good primer if you are weighing up business mentoring for therapists Australia wide, because Brooklyn shares how she works through this exact process with her own private practice clients. She closes out talking about the 90 day business sprint for therapists, starting the first week of October, a small group container capped at four women, running three weeks on and one week off with weekly group calls and a private community for support. You can read more and apply at https://brooklynstorme.com/group-programs, find everything else at www.brooklynstorme.com, and if you want more free resources you can hang out inside the Claude for Therapists community at https://www.skool.com/brooklyn.

Keywords used: why do I feel anxious working for myself, how to stop procrastinating in private practice, private practice business mindset, how to focus when self-employed, imposter syndrome private practice, business mentoring for therapists Australia, why can't I focus on my business, avoidance in private practice marketing, how to overcome self-doubt in business, 90 day business sprint for therapists

Mini FAQ:

Q: Why do I feel anxious every time I sit down to work in my private practice? A: It usually is not about the work itself, it is because part of you does not know exactly what you are meant to be focusing on, and in that gap you start telling yourself a story about not knowing how or not being ready.

Q: Is feeling scattered and jumping between tabs a sign of ADHD? A: You do not need to have ADHD to experience this, it happens to plenty of business owners regardless of how their brain works, it is just rarely talked about openly.

Q: What is the first step to stop procrastinating on your business goals? A: Notice the feeling first, the tight chest or the butterflies, before you try to fix anything, because you cannot address a story you have not clocked yet.

Q: How do you know if procrastination is really about not knowing how to do something? A: It almost never is, most of the time saying I don't know how is a way to calm your nervous system rather than an accurate account of what is going on.

Q: What is the 90 Day Sprint and who is it for? A: It is a small group business mentoring container with Brooklyn and four other women, running for 90 days with weekly group calls, built for anyone who wants focused support on one goal before the end of the year.

You've followed the strategy to the letter and still didn't get the result you wanted, and this episode is about why that happens. I start with something unexpected that happened to me this week, a volunteer shift in a local bookstore that looked nothing like the version of "working in a bookstore" I'd been picturing for the last twenty years, and use it to talk about staying open to unexpected opportunities in business even when they don't match the picture in your head. Pinching yourself off from something just because it looks different can cost you more than you realise. Then I get into why business goals need a clear purpose behind them, not just a number, and how mindset vs strategy in private practice plays out with the women I mentor, including one who turned over nearly $200,000 in her first 12 months because her goal had a reason strong enough to keep her going when it got hard. I walk you through how to set goals for your private practice, why tracking KPIs in private practice is non-negotiable if you want to hit them, why self-accountability in private practice is on you and no one else, and why private practice goals Australia-wide get derailed by the same handful of mindset blocks, whatever your specialty. If you've ever wondered how long it takes to build a profitable private practice, I share the Australian Bureau of Statistics figure that might change how you're measuring your own progress. This one's for anyone thinking about how to grow a private practice in Australia and wondering why the goal alone isn't enough.

Mentioned in this episode: my Claude for Therapists community (https://www.skool.com/brooklyn/about) and the 90 Day Sprint (https://brooklynstorme.com/group-programs), with three places left this round.

Keywords used: staying open to unexpected opportunities in business, why business goals need a clear purpose, mindset vs strategy in private practice, how to set goals for your private practice, tracking KPIs in private practice, self-accountability in private practice, private practice goals Australia, how long does it take to build a profitable private practice, how to grow a private practice in Australia, private practice business mentor Australia

Mini FAQ:

Q: How long does it take for a private practice to become profitable? A: The Australian Bureau of Statistics puts it at 24 to 36 months, so if you're three months into a 90-day sprint wondering why your diary isn't full, that's not a fair way to measure your progress.

Q: Why do private practice owners resist setting a goal? A: Usually it comes down to fear of success, fear of failure, imposter syndrome, or not having found a planning system that works with how your brain operates.

Q: What makes a business goal work? A: A reason behind it strong enough to keep you motivated when things get hard, not just a number that sounds good on paper.

Q: Should I say yes to opportunities outside my usual niche? A: I say yes within reason. I once said yes to webinars for chiropractors and optometrists that led to more clients, income and standing than I expected from staying in my own lane.

Q: Is it strategy or mindset that gets private practice owners results? A: Mindset, most of the time. I can give the same strategy to ten different people and get ten different results depending on what's going on in their head and their heart.

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A client I'll call Jess sat across from me and had no idea she'd made $16,825 for her practice in four weeks, because she'd never been shown what numbers to track. This episode walks through exactly how that happened, and what it means for anyone in private practice who wants a dependable way to bring in the right kind of enquiries without living on social media all day.

Jess came to Momentum 90 wanting help filling her diary, and when we looked closely, the problem had nothing to do with effort. She simply didn't have a lead magnet for private practice that was doing its job properly. Once we looked at her existing freebie for therapists and adjusted a few key pieces, she shared it in two Facebook communities and on her own website, and the enquiries and bookings followed.

The episode covers how to create a lead magnet for private practice that people want rather than something generic, and the lead magnet mistakes therapists make over and over: content that could have come straight off Google or ChatGPT, design pulled from a template with the Canva Sans font never changed, text running edge to edge with no margins, and PDFs that open in Google Drive with no opt-in and no email sequence behind them.

There's also a section on why interactive lead magnet ideas are outperforming the standard downloadable PDF right now, and why building a private practice marketing Australia strategy around one or two well made freebies can grow your audience while you sleep. If you've been wondering how to grow your therapy practice email list, or you're after lead magnet ideas for psychologists and counsellors who want to know how to get clients without social media, this one walks through the whole thing, including the difference between a PDF lead magnet vs interactive lead magnet and why that difference is showing up in conversions.

If you want help figuring out your own freebie strategy, come and join Claude for Therapists, my Skool community, at https://www.skool.com/brooklyn/about, where there's a seven day free trial and a business manifestation coaching app built around this exact approach. Or if you'd rather talk it through one to one, you can book a consultation with me at https://calendar.app.google/KqBm3VEyVvUhCgSb7.

Keywords used: lead magnet for private practice, freebie for therapists, how to create a lead magnet for private practice, lead magnet mistakes therapists make, interactive lead magnet ideas, how to grow your therapy practice email list, private practice marketing Australia, lead magnet ideas for psychologists and counsellors, how to get clients without social media, PDF lead magnet vs interactive lead magnet

Mini FAQ:

Q: What is a lead magnet for private practice? A: It's a free resource offered in exchange for an email address rather than money, and its job is to bring the right people into your world so you can build trust before they ever book with you.

Q: How much can a lead magnet earn for a private practice? A: One Momentum 90 client generated $16,825 in bookings in four weeks from a single lead magnet shared in two Facebook communities and on her website.

Q: Why do most therapist freebies not get downloaded? A: Usually it comes down to weak design, no clear value shown on the cover, and generic content that reads like something already available on Google or ChatGPT.

Q: Should a lead magnet for private practice be a PDF? A: A PDF still works if it's fillable online rather than printable, but interactive formats are converting better right now because people expect to click, type, and get a response rather than just read.

Q: How often should a freebie be promoted to keep working? A: It needs to be shared regularly, even just thirty seconds in a story or a post, because a freebie left alone on a website will convert far more slowly than one that's actively being shared.

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You've set up your website, your Psychology Today profile, your Google Business listing, and you're still asking yourself where the clients are. In this episode I pull that fallacy apart and walk you through what actually works when you need clients now, not eventually.

I recorded this one with chainsaws going in the background and Buddy trying his best to get my attention from his own little couch, so you're getting the full unedited version of how private practice marketing strategy actually gets built in real life. I also give you a behind the scenes update on why I've dialled back my audience, renamed my community again (it's now the Business Manifestation Academy), and cleaned a thousand people off my email list on purpose.

The core of this episode is about how to get clients fast in private practice, and it comes down to one thing: people have to know you exist. I break down the difference between a cold audience and a warm one, and the actual numbers behind how many touch points you need. If you're wondering whether you should do paid ads or organic marketing, I walk through how to make that call based on your own situation rather than what worked for somebody else.

I also get into building an email list for therapists, why a lead magnet ideas for therapists strategy only works if you're driving traffic to it, and why email segmentation for therapists is the difference between a click through rate that's working and one that's quietly killing your deliverability. If you've got EAP clients finishing their sessions, I cover exactly how to approach converting EAP clients to private work without it feeling awkward.

And because somebody at an ACA chapter meeting told a colleague of mine that packages are unethical full stop, I go into package deals for therapy sessions ethics properly, because a blanket rule isn't the same as good practice. I finish with what networking for private practice actually looks like when you strip away the business card handout, and a goal tracker I made and shared with my community that you can grab in the show notes.

Keywords used: how to get clients fast in private practice, private practice marketing strategy Australia, should I do paid ads or organic marketing, how many touch points to get a client, email list for therapists, lead magnet ideas for therapists, converting EAP clients to private clients, package deals for therapy sessions ethics, networking for private practice, email segmentation for therapists

Mini FAQ:

Q: What's the fastest way to get a new client in private practice? A: People have to know you exist first, so you need to be actively driving traffic to your website rather than waiting for it to be found.

Q: Should I do paid ads or organic marketing for my private practice? A: If you've got money coming in and aren't in a rush, organic works well but takes 12 to 18 months to build momentum. If you need clients urgently and your website converts well, paid ads make sense.

Q: How many touch points does someone need before they book with me? A: A cold audience needs between five and seven hours with you and between 50 and 70 touch points of short form content over a 90 day period.

Q: Is it unethical to offer packages or bundles of sessions? A: No, as long as you're clear about terms and conditions, who it's for, and what happens if someone doesn't use all their sessions.

Q: How do I convert an EAP client into a private paying client? A: Tell them early, before their allocated sessions run out, what it will cost to continue working together privately so they can plan for it financially.