You Can Be a Healer and a Successful Business Owner: Busting the “Broke Therapist” Myth

therapist life

Mar 11

If you’ve attended graduate school to become a therapist or mental health professional, you’ve probably heard a familiar message whispered in classrooms and supervision:

“If you’re here to make money, you’re in the wrong field.”

Maybe your professors meant well. Maybe they believed financial struggle was simply the cost of choosing a helping profession. But comments like this are only partially true, and dangerously outdated.

Most therapists and healers get into this work because we care passionately about people. We want to support individuals, couples, and families in healing trauma, strengthening connections, and stepping into their full humanity AND let’s emphasize this intentionally, you are still worthy of financial abundance.

The idea that therapists should barely scrape by is a myth. And it’s time we bust it.

Why the “Broke Therapist” Stereotype Must Go

This belief stems from outdated narratives:

Helping professions = sacrifice
Charging what you’re worth = greed
Accessibility = constant undercharging

But here’s the truth many of us were not told in graduate school:

You can be a healer and a business owner.
You can serve your community and build wealth.
You can hold values of accessibility and expect fair pay.

This shift is critical for the longevity of the field. Burnout doesn’t help clients. A therapist barely making rent doesn’t create accessibility — it creates turnover.

Thriving therapists = thriving communities.

Therapists Deserve Abundance Because Our Work Has Value

Let’s be direct. Therapists:

Hold space for intense emotional experiences
Navigate trauma, grief, identity, and relational wounds
Complete advanced education, licensing, and ongoing training
Manage ethical and legal responsibilities daily
Carry emotional labor that most professions never touch

This is highly skilled work.
This is energy-intensive work.
This is life-changing work.

Short-changing that labor doesn’t make us better therapists. It only reinforces an exploitive system. You deserve financial sustainability because your expertise changes lives.

Reframing Money Mindset for Therapists

As clinicians, we teach clients that humans can hold more than one truth. It’s not black or white. It is:

Service AND prosperity
Compassion AND financial security
Healing AND entrepreneurship
Boundaries AND generosity

AND is the keyword that unlocks possibility.

When therapists internalize “I shouldn’t want money,” it limits not just their life, but their impact. The truth? Money is simply energy. A balanced exchange ensures that your energy doesn’t constantly pour out without replenishment. When we receive well, we can give well.

How Therapists in Private Practice Can Remain Accessible

Building a thriving therapy private practice does not mean abandoning ethics or inclusivity. There are many business models that support both abundance and accessibility:

Smart Accessibility Strategies for Therapists

Offer a limited sliding-scale structure
Add group therapy or support circles
Create digital products or therapy-adjacent courses
Provide consulting or supervision to other therapists
Partner with nonprofits for community access programs
Host workshops that reduce cost per person

Accessibility does not require self-neglect. In fact, therapists who are financially resourced are more capable of giving back sustainably. Thriving therapists contribute more. Not less.

Therapist Entrepreneurship Is Expanding, And That’s a Good Thing

Today, therapists are boldly stepping into entrepreneurship:

Private practice consulting
Niche-based coaching
Online courses
Marketing for therapists
Therapy-informed retreats and events
Writing, speaking, and brand partnerships

This expansion is not “selling out.” It’s evolution for the sake of both therapist and client well-being. Your skills are valuable in the world beyond 1:1 sessions.

Therapists in Private Practice Can Lead with Alignment AND Abundance

We can rewrite the story: Financially empowered therapists create more accessible, innovative, and values-driven care. We can choose a model where:

Success doesn’t compromise integrity
Money supports mission
Abundance fuels service

Our profession needs healthy, energized therapists, not martyrs. You are allowed to thrive.

A New Narrative for Healers and Business Owners

Let’s be clear:

✅ Wanting stability does not dilute your compassion
✅ Charging appropriately does not harm your clients
✅ Growing your income does not diminish your purpose

Your work is powerful.
Your presence is impactful.
Your financial goals are valid.

This permission slip is yours to keep:

You are capable of creating a healing business that supports others and supports you.
You can desire a thriving private practice and still be deeply ethical.
You can make money and make a difference.

The only requirement is staying aligned, authentic, and aware of the value you bring to the world.