About Alicia Murray | Therapist Business Coachapist NYC
So you want to build your own practice but not sure where to start?
You've tried Googling "how to start a private practice," scrolling through conflicting advice on Instagram, and maybe even bought a course or two, but you're still stuck, overwhelmed, and unsure if you're actually cut out for this.
You're not alone, and I'm here to show you the roadmap that actually works.
I've been there. I used to work 50+ hours a week at a community mental health agency, seeing back-to-back clients who weren't even in my specialty, and barely making enough to feel secure.
Like you, I thought starting my own practice was only for therapists who had it all figured out, not someone like me who was just trying to survive grad school debt and raise two young boys.
But here's what I realized: I didn't need a business degree or tens of thousands in savings.
I just needed to take the first step and learn as I went. Once I stopped waiting for everything to be perfect and started building my practice with the real-world guidance I wish I'd had, everything changed. I went from burnt-out and overwhelmed to running a thriving group practice with five therapists, and I actually love what I do again.
Now? I help therapists like you do the same, without the trial and error I went through.
And I get it, starting a private practice may be scary..
You might believe that you need to have everything perfect before you can launch your practice, but it's not true, you just need to start and refine as you go.
You may feel guilty every time you think about raising your rates or saying no to reduced-fee clients because you've been told that wanting to make good money as a therapist is greedy.
If you're like many therapists I work with, you might be staying in your burnt-out agency job because the "security" feels safer than the unknown, without realizing that security is costing you your mental health, your time, and thousands of dollars in lost income.
You probably think you're not "business-savvy" enough to run your own practice, but here's the truth: starting a private practice doesn't require a business degree, it requires the right guidance and a willingness to learn.
You may be trying to figure this out alone through endless Googling and conflicting advice, which only leaves you more overwhelmed and convinced you're not cut out for this.
But feeling confused isn't a sign you can't do it, it's a sign you need someone who's actually done it to show you the way.
It's possible to build a sustainable, fulfilling private practice when you have real-world guidance, accessible resources, and support from someone who's actually done it, not just read about it in a business book.
My purpose is to help you create a practice that gives you freedom, financial stability, and alignment with what truly matters to you, so you can work 20-25 hours a week with your ideal clients and actually love being a therapist again.
I believe every therapist deserves to thrive—not just survive—in their career, and you shouldn't have to choose between making a living and having a life.
I'm the type of person who loves a good spreadsheet and gets genuinely excited about marketing strategies (yes, I know I'm a nerd), but I'm equally passionate about helping you work fewer hours and actually enjoy your weekends.
My approach is simple: I share what actually worked for me in real time, the wins, the mistakes, and the messy middle, because I built my solo practice into a thriving group practice with five therapists while raising two young boys. This isn't theory from a business book. It's lived experience.

Why should you trust me? I've helped hundreds of therapists go from burnt-out and overwhelmed to confidently launching their own practices.
I've built sustainable systems that let me work with my ideal clients, grow a team, and still have time for my family, and that's exactly what I want for you. A practice that gives you freedom, financial stability, and a life you don't need to escape from.
I wasn't always where I am today. In fact, I used to believe that charging what I was worth made me a bad therapist.
I constantly reduced my fees, said yes to every client (even those way outside my specialty), and stayed in jobs that drained me because I thought the "security" was worth it.
Here's what I learned: You can't build a sustainable practice, or a sustainable life, on guilt and burnout. Charging what you're worth doesn't make you greedy. It makes you able to show up as your best self for your clients long-term.
I've tried the hustle culture approach, the "just figure it out yourself" method, and the perfectionist trap of waiting until everything was ready.
And here's the truth bomb I landed on: Your private practice doesn't need to be perfect to launch. It needs to be started.
And with the right roadmap and support, you can build something that honors both your financial needs and your quality of life, without sacrificing one for the other.
My HQ Community members have gone from overwhelmed and stuck to confidently putting in their notice, filling their caseloads with ideal clients, and building practices that actually give them the freedom and fulfillment they deserve.
I've been featured on multiple therapy podcasts sharing my story and strategies (you can check those out on my site if you want to get to know me better), and I genuinely love watching therapists realize they're way more capable than they thought.

When I'm not geeking out over marketing strategies or celebrating HQ member wins, you'll find me chasing my two young boys around, probably with an iced coffee in hand, and reminding myself that done is better than perfect, in business and in life.
