How to Design Your Ideal Working Week as a Therapist in Private Practice

Free Planning Templates for Members - Time Management Tips from Someone Who Gets It

Do you plan your working week, or do you just go with the flow? Is the flow calm and gentle like a river meandering through the countryside, or does it feel more like white-water rafting?! Things are moving quickly, you barely have time to catch your breath between tasks, and sometimes you feel like you’re drowning.

You’d never miss a client session, but what about everything else? When you run your own private practice, you’re not just a therapist, you’re also…

· A marketer responsible for attracting new clients and maintaining your online presence.

· A bookkeeper responsible for tracking income and expenses and fulfilling any tax obligations.

· An admin assistant responsible for scheduling and diary management, responding to inquiries and handling paperwork.

· A supervisee responsible for attending supervision to maintain ethical practice.

· A student responsible for keeping up with CPD, training, and professional development.

· A networker responsible for connecting with peers to stay engaged and prevent isolation.

That’s a lot of responsibilities! No wonder so many of us struggle with overwhelm at times.

Being Intentional – Why Bother?

Through trial and error, I’ve learned how to juggle the demands of running a private practice without feeling constantly overloaded. I’ve found that designing an intentional, structured working week helps ensure you have time for all the tasks on your list without working unsustainable, unhealthy hours.

Without a clear plan, it’s easy to focus solely on client work while pushing everything else to the side. But constantly playing catchup and completing business tasks when you should be resting can quickly lead to burnout.

According to research published in Psychology Today, 50% of mental health professionals experience significant burnout at some point in their career. The BACP suggests the top contributors to this are work overload, lack of boundaries, and emotional exhaustion. Moreover, research featured by the Journal of Mental Health Counselling argues therapists in private practice are at higher risk due to isolation and the need to juggle multiple roles.

Rather than letting your schedule control you, I’d encourage you to take a proactive approach by planning your ideal week. Here’s more on how I avoid burnout…

Common Mistakes to Avoid

· Not scheduling admin time ➡️ Leads to working late nights/weekends catching up.

· Overbooking clients ➡️ Causes emotional exhaustion and reduces quality of care.

· Ignoring marketing until there’s a client drought ➡️ Leads to inconsistent income.

· No boundaries on emails/admin ➡️ Results in always feeling ‘on-call.’

· No scheduled time for self-care, supervision, or CPD ➡️ Leads to burnout.

How to Design Your Ideal Working Week

1. Assess Your Natural Rhythms

We’re not computers or machines. We cannot operate in the same way, at the same level of productivity, all the time. To be effective, we often need to slow down, take breaks, or switch tasks to improve concentration.

Figuring out your own natural rhythm will help you maximise your working hours. Are you a morning person? If so, schedule intensive client work or complex admin tasks early in the day. Do you work better in the afternoon or evening? Structure your day accordingly and make your most productive hours count.

2. Block Out Essential Business Tasks

Every week, there are things we must do to keep our business afloat. Obviously, client sessions are non-negotiable, but so are many other things. When you’re planning your schedule, it’s important to include these tasks while being realistic about the time you can dedicate to each one.

Time blocking is a time management technique where you divide your day into blocks, dedicating each one to a specific task or group of tasks. By giving myself a framework, I find it promotes focus and efficiency. Research published in the Harvard Business Review supports this. Apparently, time-blocking increases efficiency by 30-50%.

So, how do you time block your working week? Start by deciding how many clients you can sustainably see per week while still allowing time for the other responsibilities listed below. You might find the following post useful…

Once you’ve scheduled your client sessions, block out time for the following tasks. Some might need to be done every day while others only need one or two blocks a week.

· Admin time - Schedule at least one or two dedicated blocks to avoid last-minute overwhelm.

· Supervision - This is a non-negotiable for ethical practice and professional support.

· Marketing and Growth - Set aside regular time for emails, content creation, or networking to maintain a steady flow of clients.

· Training and CPD - Plan ahead so you stay on track with required learning.

· Self-Care and Downtime - Burnout is real, so ensure you schedule breaks and time for yourself.

3. Review Quarterly & Allow for Adjustments

Like I said, we’re not computers or machines! External factors, both in and outside of work, can impact our productivity, require us to change our working hours, or give us cause to reflect and reassess our priorities. At the same time, trying a new approach like time blocking can take a few months to get used to.

Conducting a quarterly review will ensure your schedule is still working for you. Without a clear plan, it’s easy to end up clocking in hours that don’t suit, so stay engaged with your schedule and be open to making changes if necessary.

Download your free quarterly planning template below …….

You’re the Boss – Be a Good One!

One of the biggest perks of private practice is flexibility. When you design your working week, you’re also designing the kind of life you want to lead. Leave space for things that light you up, keep you motivated and leave you feeling inspired, both in and outside of work. Remember, you’re the boss, so be a good one… to yourself! Set clear boundaries around your working hours and avoid overcommitting just because there’s a demand.

Create Your Own Ideal Working Week Template

To help you structure your time effectively, I’ve created a free template to guide you through the process of designing your ideal working week. It‘s designed to help you map out your schedule and allocate time for everything from client work to self-care.

Additionally, Members can download their free quarterly planning template below.