August 2, 2025 • 8 mins
Feeling stuck in a saturated market?
In today’s Ask Allison, I’m diving into what it really means when it feels like there’s a therapist on every corner. You’re not imagining things—some markets are crowded. But that doesn’t mean you can’t thrive. I’ll walk you through how to think strategically about your niche, how to assess real vs. perceived saturation, and what steps you can take to build a practice that actually works—right where you are.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:07):
(Transcribed by TurboScribe.ai. Go Unlimited to remove this message.) Welcome to Ask Allison.
Y'all ask the questions about having a
fun and thriving practice and I answer them.
We have a worksheet for you today so
you can bring this answer into your life.
You can access that at abundancepracticebuilding.com slash
links where you'll also be able to ask
any questions you have for Ask Allison.
If you want more support, we've got some
free trainings in there too.
(00:28):
If you can't get enough Ask Allison, check
out our YouTube channel for our entire Ask
Allison library.
Welcome back to Ask Allison.
Here's today's question.
I live in a saturated market.
It feels like there are therapists on every
street.
Should I focus on online therapy and other
areas, even if I prefer in-person?
Before I answer this, I want to thank
(00:49):
Therapy Notes.
They have sponsored Ask Allison for quite a
long time.
We've talked about them for years.
You probably know their features by heart, but
what really sets them apart is that they
genuinely care about your experience.
It's not just about troubleshooting.
They actively implement user-suggested features like secure
messaging, clinical outcome tracking, real-time insurance checks,
(01:09):
and their AI feature therapy fuel.
Everyone at Therapy Notes believes in the product
and they want you to love it too.
Plus, they're independently owned, which means no venture
capital and no pressure to prioritize their investors
over their customers.
This independence allows them to keep prices fair,
focus on innovation, and prioritize customer experience.
With over 100,000 therapists already on board,
(01:30):
they've proven you don't have to compromise success
for quality.
If you're ready to see for yourself, try
Therapy Notes free for two months with the
code ABUNDANT at TherapyNotes.com.
Okay.
I hear this all the time about saturation.
When I moved to Seattle, this phrase, saturated
market, came up again and again.
I'll admit that I started to worry a
bit.
(01:50):
How could I possibly stand out in a
city with thousands of therapists on psychology today?
It's a lot of competition.
Instead of letting the idea of market saturation
dominate my thoughts, I decided to focus on
what I could control and apply the same
approach I was using in my personal life
to my business, creating a smaller community within
a much larger system.
You know what?
(02:10):
It worked beautifully.
I'm going to share exactly how and why
I think that's possible, so stick with me.
Then, when we moved to Asheville, I heard
the phrase, saturated market, again.
Actually, somebody told me, you can't, this is
so weird, you can't swing a dead cat
without hitting a therapist here.
It's a really strange metaphor, but the whole
point was there are a lot of therapists
in this area.
(02:31):
I mean, like, a lot, and there's even
more now.
And here's the kicker.
Most of us are doing pretty well.
There are probably 50 to 100 therapists within
a two-block radius of my office, and
you'd think, like, okay, well, that's overrun because
this is not a huge city.
There's no way you could succeed in that
environment.
But in Asheville, therapy is a part of
the culture.
(02:51):
People here are committed to personal growth.
In fact, many folks have not just therapists,
but they also see Reiki practitioners and functional
medicine doctors and maybe even a guru or
two.
In Asheville, therapy isn't just an option.
It's kind of woven into the community.
So yes, while it's true that there are
many therapists around, the abundance of therapists is
(03:11):
actually a good thing because it shows that
people are willing to invest in their mental
health.
And here's the big point I want you
to take away.
If there are a lot of therapists in
your area, it's because there are a lot
of clients.
So let's back up for a second.
What happens when you're in a truly saturated
market?
Let's say you live in a town of
3,000 people, and there are 500 therapists.
(03:33):
That might be what we call true saturation.
But here's the thing about saturation is it's
relative.
What you need to ask yourself is how
does your niche, your specific offering fit within
that market?
Is there a demand for your skills, for
your services, for your unique way of approaching
therapy?
And here's the cool part.
Even in those small, more saturated towns, you
(03:54):
can still succeed.
And I'm going to explain how.
Have you ever noticed how Starbucks seems to
open up right across the street from your
favorite local coffee shop?
And you might think, well, wait a minute.
Doesn't that hurt their business to open up
across from a different cafe?
But here's the thing.
Starbucks is actually learning from that local coffee
(04:15):
shop.
They're not opening in a place where there's
no demand for coffee.
They're choosing locations where demand already exists.
If a local coffee shop has been doing
well, Starbucks knows it's a prime spot to
open another store.
That's what makes Starbucks move successful.
They're not opening in an area with no
customers.
They're choosing places that are already showing there's
(04:36):
a market for what they're offering.
Let's apply the same principle to therapy.
If you're worried about the saturated market in
your area, think of it this way.
Your competition actually shows there's demand for what
you do.
The presence of other therapists means that people
in your community are open to therapy, they
value mental health, and they're actively seeking out
support.
That is a great thing for you.
(04:58):
But what if you're in a small town
or a place where therapy isn't as ingrained
in the culture?
What if you're an area with limited demand
and there are already 10 or 20 therapists
and business seems tough?
Well, first of all, you're not stuck.
You can still thrive even in these environments.
And here's how.
If you're in a location where therapy isn't
as widespread, you don't have to limit yourself
(05:19):
to just local clients.
You can offer virtual therapy to people in
bigger, more saturated cities, or even from other
parts of the country or the world if
you're licensed properly.
Now, if I had truly believed that Seattle's
market was too saturated, I would have made
some very different decisions.
While networking, I was offered two different jobs,
one with my population but working at a
(05:40):
higher level of care, and one working with
a population I wasn't particularly skilled with.
If I bought into this scarcity of a
saturated market and I took one of those
jobs, it would have set me up for
a lot of frustration and burnout.
It's not what I wanted.
I would have felt like I wasn't cut
out for private practice because I hadn't gotten
the leverage yet that I wanted to get
in private practice.
(06:00):
And my personal life would have suffered too.
But instead, I pushed through that fear of
market saturation.
I stayed committed to building my practice.
And not only did I thrive professionally, but
personally, it was one of the most empowering
things I've ever done.
It provided stability for my family.
We were able to hire a nanny so
I could have dedicated child-free time, travel
(06:21):
for conferences that improved my clinical skills, and
take better care of myself through self-care.
And looking back, I'm so grateful for that
decision because it's made my life, my practice
so much better.
So I want to make some things clear.
If you're stuck thinking your market is oversaturated,
I need you to let go of that
excuse.
You don't need to fall into the trap
(06:41):
of thinking it's too late for you.
If other therapists in your area are doing
well, it's because there are plenty of clients
to go around.
They didn't get them all.
There are plenty of clients to go around.
On the flip side, if you see other
therapists struggling, it's possible that they just aren't
marketing themselves effectively or reaching out for help
in building their practice.
If you're the one who's watching or listening
(07:01):
to this, taking courses, learning from experts in
practice building, you have a huge advantage.
So here's the big takeaway.
Even if you feel like your market is
saturated, you can still succeed.
All you need is the right mindset, the
right strategies, and a willingness to invest in
yourself and your business.
You don't have to be like an expert
in everything, but you can become an expert
in your niche, and that's going to help
(07:23):
you stand out from the crowd.
I've got something helpful for you.
I want you to DM me the word
Sheets, and I'll send you this week's free
worksheet, Six Tools to Shift Scarcity Mindset.
And you'll also get access to all the
previous worksheets in the series.
These are designed to really help you move
past and build your marketing strategy, like move
(07:43):
past the scarcity stuff, build your marketing strategy,
stay focused on your goals, no matter what
market you're in.
If you want strategy and step-by-step
guidance on how to build your practice, I
want you to DM the word Party, and
I'm going to send you the link for
the Abundance Party, which has helped thousands of
therapists build their practice.
Remember, there is always room for you.
I will talk to you soon.
(08:06):
If you're ready for a much easier practice,
TherapyNotes is the way to go.
Go to TherapyNotes.com and use the promo
code ABUNDANT for two months free.
I hope that helped.
If you have questions for Ask Allison, or
you want to get your hands on the
worksheet for this episode, go to AbundancePracticeBuilding.com
slash links.
(08:30):
If you're listening, you probably need some support
building your practice.
If you're a super newbie, grab our free
checklist using the link in the show notes.
I'd love for you to follow, rate, and
review, but I really want you to share
this episode with a therapist friend.
Let's help all our colleagues build what they
want.
(Transcribed by TurboScribe.ai. Go Unlimited to remove this message.) Welcome to Ask Allison.
Y'all ask the questions about having a
fun and thriving practice and I answer them.
We have a worksheet for you today so
you can bring this answer into your life.
You can access that at abundancepracticebuilding.com slash
links where you'll also be able to ask
any questions you have for Ask Allison.
If you want more support, we've got some
free trainings in there too.
(00:28):
If you can't get enough Ask Allison, check
out our YouTube channel for our entire Ask
Allison library.
Welcome back to Ask Allison.
Here's today's question.
I live in a saturated market.
It feels like there are therapists on every
street.
Should I focus on online therapy and other
areas, even if I prefer in-person?
Before I answer this, I want to thank
(00:49):
Therapy Notes.
They have sponsored Ask Allison for quite a
long time.
We've talked about them for years.
You probably know their features by heart, but
what really sets them apart is that they
genuinely care about your experience.
It's not just about troubleshooting.
They actively implement user-suggested features like secure
messaging, clinical outcome tracking, real-time insurance checks,
(01:09):
and their AI feature therapy fuel.
Everyone at Therapy Notes believes in the product
and they want you to love it too.
Plus, they're independently owned, which means no venture
capital and no pressure to prioritize their investors
over their customers.
This independence allows them to keep prices fair,
focus on innovation, and prioritize customer experience.
With over 100,000 therapists already on board,
(01:30):
they've proven you don't have to compromise success
for quality.
If you're ready to see for yourself, try
Therapy Notes free for two months with the
code ABUNDANT at TherapyNotes.com.
Okay.
I hear this all the time about saturation.
When I moved to Seattle, this phrase, saturated
market, came up again and again.
I'll admit that I started to worry a
bit.
(01:50):
How could I possibly stand out in a
city with thousands of therapists on psychology today?
It's a lot of competition.
Instead of letting the idea of market saturation
dominate my thoughts, I decided to focus on
what I could control and apply the same
approach I was using in my personal life
to my business, creating a smaller community within
a much larger system.
You know what?
(02:10):
It worked beautifully.
I'm going to share exactly how and why
I think that's possible, so stick with me.
Then, when we moved to Asheville, I heard
the phrase, saturated market, again.
Actually, somebody told me, you can't, this is
so weird, you can't swing a dead cat
without hitting a therapist here.
It's a really strange metaphor, but the whole
point was there are a lot of therapists
in this area.
(02:31):
I mean, like, a lot, and there's even
more now.
And here's the kicker.
Most of us are doing pretty well.
There are probably 50 to 100 therapists within
a two-block radius of my office, and
you'd think, like, okay, well, that's overrun because
this is not a huge city.
There's no way you could succeed in that
environment.
But in Asheville, therapy is a part of
the culture.
(02:51):
People here are committed to personal growth.
In fact, many folks have not just therapists,
but they also see Reiki practitioners and functional
medicine doctors and maybe even a guru or
two.
In Asheville, therapy isn't just an option.
It's kind of woven into the community.
So yes, while it's true that there are
many therapists around, the abundance of therapists is
(03:11):
actually a good thing because it shows that
people are willing to invest in their mental
health.
And here's the big point I want you
to take away.
If there are a lot of therapists in
your area, it's because there are a lot
of clients.
So let's back up for a second.
What happens when you're in a truly saturated
market?
Let's say you live in a town of
3,000 people, and there are 500 therapists.
(03:33):
That might be what we call true saturation.
But here's the thing about saturation is it's
relative.
What you need to ask yourself is how
does your niche, your specific offering fit within
that market?
Is there a demand for your skills, for
your services, for your unique way of approaching
therapy?
And here's the cool part.
Even in those small, more saturated towns, you
(03:54):
can still succeed.
And I'm going to explain how.
Have you ever noticed how Starbucks seems to
open up right across the street from your
favorite local coffee shop?
And you might think, well, wait a minute.
Doesn't that hurt their business to open up
across from a different cafe?
But here's the thing.
Starbucks is actually learning from that local coffee
(04:15):
shop.
They're not opening in a place where there's
no demand for coffee.
They're choosing locations where demand already exists.
If a local coffee shop has been doing
well, Starbucks knows it's a prime spot to
open another store.
That's what makes Starbucks move successful.
They're not opening in an area with no
customers.
They're choosing places that are already showing there's
(04:36):
a market for what they're offering.
Let's apply the same principle to therapy.
If you're worried about the saturated market in
your area, think of it this way.
Your competition actually shows there's demand for what
you do.
The presence of other therapists means that people
in your community are open to therapy, they
value mental health, and they're actively seeking out
support.
That is a great thing for you.
(04:58):
But what if you're in a small town
or a place where therapy isn't as ingrained
in the culture?
What if you're an area with limited demand
and there are already 10 or 20 therapists
and business seems tough?
Well, first of all, you're not stuck.
You can still thrive even in these environments.
And here's how.
If you're in a location where therapy isn't
as widespread, you don't have to limit yourself
(05:19):
to just local clients.
You can offer virtual therapy to people in
bigger, more saturated cities, or even from other
parts of the country or the world if
you're licensed properly.
Now, if I had truly believed that Seattle's
market was too saturated, I would have made
some very different decisions.
While networking, I was offered two different jobs,
one with my population but working at a
(05:40):
higher level of care, and one working with
a population I wasn't particularly skilled with.
If I bought into this scarcity of a
saturated market and I took one of those
jobs, it would have set me up for
a lot of frustration and burnout.
It's not what I wanted.
I would have felt like I wasn't cut
out for private practice because I hadn't gotten
the leverage yet that I wanted to get
in private practice.
(06:00):
And my personal life would have suffered too.
But instead, I pushed through that fear of
market saturation.
I stayed committed to building my practice.
And not only did I thrive professionally, but
personally, it was one of the most empowering
things I've ever done.
It provided stability for my family.
We were able to hire a nanny so
I could have dedicated child-free time, travel
(06:21):
for conferences that improved my clinical skills, and
take better care of myself through self-care.
And looking back, I'm so grateful for that
decision because it's made my life, my practice
so much better.
So I want to make some things clear.
If you're stuck thinking your market is oversaturated,
I need you to let go of that
excuse.
You don't need to fall into the trap
(06:41):
of thinking it's too late for you.
If other therapists in your area are doing
well, it's because there are plenty of clients
to go around.
They didn't get them all.
There are plenty of clients to go around.
On the flip side, if you see other
therapists struggling, it's possible that they just aren't
marketing themselves effectively or reaching out for help
in building their practice.
If you're the one who's watching or listening
(07:01):
to this, taking courses, learning from experts in
practice building, you have a huge advantage.
So here's the big takeaway.
Even if you feel like your market is
saturated, you can still succeed.
All you need is the right mindset, the
right strategies, and a willingness to invest in
yourself and your business.
You don't have to be like an expert
in everything, but you can become an expert
in your niche, and that's going to help
(07:23):
you stand out from the crowd.
I've got something helpful for you.
I want you to DM me the word
Sheets, and I'll send you this week's free
worksheet, Six Tools to Shift Scarcity Mindset.
And you'll also get access to all the
previous worksheets in the series.
These are designed to really help you move
past and build your marketing strategy, like move
(07:43):
past the scarcity stuff, build your marketing strategy,
stay focused on your goals, no matter what
market you're in.
If you want strategy and step-by-step
guidance on how to build your practice, I
want you to DM the word Party, and
I'm going to send you the link for
the Abundance Party, which has helped thousands of
therapists build their practice.
Remember, there is always room for you.
I will talk to you soon.
(08:06):
If you're ready for a much easier practice,
TherapyNotes is the way to go.
Go to TherapyNotes.com and use the promo
code ABUNDANT for two months free.
I hope that helped.
If you have questions for Ask Allison, or
you want to get your hands on the
worksheet for this episode, go to AbundancePracticeBuilding.com
slash links.
(08:30):
If you're listening, you probably need some support
building your practice.
If you're a super newbie, grab our free
checklist using the link in the show notes.
I'd love for you to follow, rate, and
review, but I really want you to share
this episode with a therapist friend.
Let's help all our colleagues build what they
want.
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