Substack in 2026 (And What You Can Quietly Stop Doing)
This month, Therapists Corner turns three and I’ve been marking it by sharing what I actually know not theory, not what the gurus say, but what three years of doing this has actually taught me.
This is the practical piece.
Before outlining the strategy, I think it’s worth explaining why this matters. Most therapists are trained to earn in one way: one client, one hour, one fee. That model can work well until your diary is full and the only way to earn more is to work more. There comes a point when that starts to feel too tight.
That’s what Substack changes. Not overnight, and not instead of therapy, but alongside it.
You write something once, and it keeps working. A post you wrote six months ago can still be found today. It can still build trust, still bring someone into your world, still do its job while you’re doing something else. Therapy doesn’t work like that. It happens in an hour and then it’s gone.
Are there too many therapists on Substack already? Read this from Kate Harvey
Three years in, Substack makes up around a third of my income. More than the money, it’s what that income allows. It means I can keep my caseload smaller, charge in a way that reflects my experience, and make decisions from something other than financial pressure.
That’s the real value. Not just extra income, but more choice.
It also gives your work somewhere to live beyond the therapy room. It helps people find you, trust you, and get a feel for how you think before they ever book. And unlike social media, it’s your platform not someone else’s; it’s your writing, your email list, your connection with readers.
What grows a Substack is usually not better writing. It’s connection, which therapists are great at, and it’s the structure underneath it: the rhythm, the Notes, the way paid and free content are positioned.
If I can do this, you absolutely can
Also, the good news is, it doesn’t need to be relentless.
One post a week is enough. A few Notes across the week is enough. One collaboration a month is enough. The problem usually isn’t that you’re not doing enough. It’s that you’re putting energy into the wrong things and exhausting yourself in the process.
And the paywall matters too.
Not because you’re withholding, but because you’re building something sustainable. free subscribers can have the insight, paid subscribers can have the ‘how to’ the deeper support, community, connection and the frameworks.
That isn’t greed. It’s a business model. And you’re allowed to have one.
The rest of this post is for paid subscribers,
The Substack Growth Guide for Therapists — your practical starting point.
I made this for you.
Everything I wish I’d had in year one: how to set up, how to structure free and paid content, how to grow steadily without burning out, how to use Substack as part of a practice that actually sustains you. Paid members download below
