Is Passive Income Right For You as a Sensitive Therapist?
As Autumn approaches, the client inquiries are increasing and your caseload is growing, while you dream of reducing your work schedule to keep the burnout away. As a Sensitive Therapist, how can you possibly work less while maintaining your income, earn more income when you’re maxed out on your capacity for 1:1 clients, or find other ways to be fulfilled in your work? These are common roadblocks that often bring up thoughts of “passive income” projects. I hear from so many Sensitive Therapists who want to add a passive income source to find a more energetically/emotionally sustainable or financially stable way to be a therapist.
I’m a big proponent of exploring passive income and other ways to bring fulfillment into your work as a Sensitive Therapist, but I also like to be realistic about the investment and commitment. The idea of passive income looks so appealing on paper, doesn’t it? Create a workshop, online course, digital download, or another resource that sells on autopilot. To make money without expending precious social energy or adding to your overstimulation levels sounds dreamy, right? I'll admit it is VERY appealing to make course sales in the evenings or on the weekends. I get excited every time because it’s so fulfilling to create something that is impactful to others while bringing in additional income outside of client work.
On the flip side, many people will tell you that passive income isn't really passive. The reality is that it can take many hours, months, or even years of work to get to this point. As you’re thinking about whether or not passive income is something you want to pursue in addition to your clinical work, let’s explore a few questions…
How to Know if You Should Consider Passive Income
Are you considering it because you need to reduce your caseload immediately due to burnout and other circumstances?
Yes: Could potentially increase feelings of depletion.
No: You’ll have the energy you need to create and market your passive income project.
Do you need to earn income immediately?
Yes: Passive income is rarely lucrative right away.
No: You’ll have the time you need to create and market your passive income project.
Do you currently have time in your schedule with no other commitments, that is separate from sleep and self-care time?
Yes: You’ll have the space to work on your passive income project without burning yourself out.
No: You would be sacrificing essential rest and self-care in order to make this work.
Are you willing to create a social media audience, maintain an email list, and/or market yourself in other ways?
Yes: You’ll have a community of people who feel connected to you and are interested in what you are creating.
No: Cold selling rarely works and can feel disingenuous to everyone involved.
To summarize, passive income is a good fit for Sensitive Therapists when you have the time, energy, and interest to nurture an audience, create an offering, and then market in a way that feels aligned with your values. Although some passive income projects can begin generating money quickly and allow you to reduce your caseload, it’s not a guarantee.
What to Do Instead?
If you realize that passive income isn’t the best fit for you, but you still need to make some changes in your practice, let’s explore what some of those options may be.
If you need additional income immediately:
Consultation with licensed therapists who are pursuing a similar specialty or modality that you practice
Supervision with prelicensed therapists
Teaching continuing education classes to local agencies or universities
Begin engaging on your local therapist email listservs, Facebook groups, or other forums to share your services
Increase your fee to new and existing clients
Request an insurance rate increase
Add or begin enforcing your cancellation policy
Pursue another type of work part-time
If you’re looking for more fulfillment:
Consultation with licensed therapists who are pursuing a similar specialty or modality that you practice
Supervision with prelicensed therapists
Teaching continuing education classes to local agencies or universities
Pursue another type of work part-time
Writing (blog, articles, book)
Creating educational content (podcast, Youtube videos, etc.)
Explore additional trainings or interests
If you need to reduce your caseload:
Refer out clients who are ready to graduate or are not making progress towards their treatment goals and could benefit from working with another clinician
Pursue the options above
Diving Deep or Expanding Outward
Although so many therapists are pursuing other projects these days - consultation, coaching, podcasts, Youtube, webinars, online courses, membership communities - there is also a lot of value in focusing solely on seeing 1:1 clients. Diving deep into your psychotherapy work can be extremely fulfilling and be enough to keep you engaged on its own. Splitting focus can also be overstimulating and overwhelming for Sensitive Therapists. As we all know, being a therapist, especially if you’re in private practice, means wearing many hats already and constantly learning new approaches.
If you feel called to expand outside of your psychotherapy work, have the bandwidth to create content, and would benefit from the engagement in other projects, passive income could be a great option for you. It certainly has been for me. Since HSPs tend to dive deep and then burn out, make sure you pace yourself along the way because passive income is best when you stick it out past all the initial work.
Additional Support
If you’re looking for support in adding a passive income source or exploring ways to make your practice more sustainable, you’re welcome to book a consultation session with me. Start by filling out the form here and sharing a little about your current struggles.
