courtesy of McKenna
- Kelly McKenna started her own virtual therapy practice in February 2021.
- Last year, she booked $350,000 in revenue from working 30-hour weeks.
- McKenna shares how therapists can diversify their revenue streams and grow their businesses.
Kelly O'Sullivan McKenna knew something was missing from her job in 2020.
She worked in nonprofit business management, but the role lacked the client relationships she'd fostered seven years earlier while earning her master's in social work. She started a part-time job as a therapist in March to fill that void, and two weeks later, she transitioned from in-person work to telehealth.
Her longing for customer connection and her experience with telehealth prompted McKenna to launch a virtual therapy practice in February 2021 called Sit With Kelly. Today, McKenna meets with 15 clients per week – a decrease from 20 clients per week in 2021, to make room for more streams of income – and teaches other therapists how to start their own virtual practices. What's more, she booked $350,000 in revenue last year— more than double what she made at her previous job — which Insider verified with documentation.
The telehealth industry grew in popularity during the pandemic, and virtual therapy and mental-health services saw substantial increases. By February 2021, 50% of psychiatry appointments and 30% of substance-use treatments were being conducted virtually, a study by the management-consulting firm McKinsey & Company found.
There has never been a better time to start a virtual practice, McKenna said. Her Instagram account, which had 55,300 followers at the time of writing, brought in most of her clients.
McKenna shared her advice for finding clients, developing multiple revenue streams, and finding a foothold in the telehealth industry.
The interview with McKenna has been slightly edited for length and clarity.
Take advantage of a virtual world to connect with clients
courtesy of McKenna
Two weeks after I started with the private practice as a therapist, COVID-19 sent the world into lockdown and moved our clients online. That made the idea of starting my own business much more attainable. With telehealth, I saw a new opportunity.
I went from working more than 60 hours per week — including nonprofit work and evening private-practice hours — to about 30 hours per week when I started my own business.
But when shifting from insurance-based pay to private pay, therapists either have to be well known in the community or have a strong online presence in order to generate referrals. Whether that's through Instagram or a blog, clients need a reason to make the shift from "I'm looking for a therapist who takes my insurance" to "This therapist understands my issues. I want to work with her."
Most therapists weren't taught anything about marketing in school. It's important to invest in learning those skills if you want to run a successful business, and social media is a great way to make sure those potential clients know you exist. Building that presence can ensure you keep your caseload full.
Expand business offerings authentically
Many of my Instagram followers are therapists who want to start their own business, so I launched an online course and additional coaching products to help them. The course comes in three tiers, which focus on specific aspects of running a virtual business. That way, I'm able to connect with people at all stages of their business-launching journey.
Brand partnerships on social media are another arm of my business – bringing in $37,000 in revenue in 2022. But I keep my "influencing" posts separate from my therapy business.
In an industry as focused on ethics as therapy, I make sure to only work with brands I use and love. Creators have to be careful with brand partnerships. You don't want to lose trust with your audience. I always make sure it's something that makes sense for my brand, such as CBD gummies or weighted blankets, and that I actually use and believe in.
The future of therapy is digital, but not all platforms are equal
Virtual therapy is a great opportunity for therapists, but we have to be conscious of the way we perform our services. As a virtual-only practice, I don't take any high-risk clients or those who need in-person meetings, where the therapist might have to physically see the patient to assess their progress.
My biggest advice for early therapists is to create a network of other mental-health professionals who specialize in the services you don't. If I'm not the best fit for a client, I'll refer them to other psychiatrists or doctors I know. If you don't have a big professional network yet, starting a professional Instagram page is a great way to begin.
Another recent change mental-health professionals have to be mindful of is the arrival of new startups in the virtual-therapy space. These can be affordable options for clients, but they often don't pay therapists nearly what they're worth.
That's one of the reasons I'm so passionate about business coaching. Teaching therapists how to do it themselves, market themselves, and create a practice of their own is important to me and the future of the therapy space.