How to Choose a Niche as a Therapist (Without Boxing Yourself In)
Whenever the topic of niching comes up with therapists, there’s often a moment of hesitation.
Someone will say something like:
“I know niches are important… but I don’t want to box myself in.”
And I completely understand that reaction.
You’ve trained to work with a wide range of issues and people. The idea of narrowing your focus can feel like you’re cutting off opportunities, or limiting the kind of work you’re “allowed” to do.
But here’s something important to know:
A niche isn’t about restricting your practice. It’s about helping the right people recognise you.
Why niching matters more now than it used to
Ten or fifteen years ago, someone looking for a therapist might have been choosing between two or three names recommended by a GP or a friend.
Now they’re scrolling through dozens of profiles, websites and Instagram accounts — and making quick judgments based on very little information.
When every therapist says something broad like:
“I help people with anxiety, stress and low self-esteem.”
…it becomes almost impossible for someone to know who is actually right for them.
Everything starts to blur together.
But when your message becomes more specific, something different happens.
The right person pauses. They think: That’s me.
Therapy niche examples (what “specific” can sound like)
For example, a therapist might say:
“I support new mothers experiencing anxiety in early motherhood.”
“I work with high-achieving millennials navigating burnout and chronic stress.”
Notice how much easier it is for the right person to recognise themselves in those descriptions.
The fear therapists have about niching
Now, at this point, many therapists start to worry:
But what if I don’t want my whole practice to become that one thing?
What if I actually enjoy working with diversity?
This is where I often introduce what I call…
The Special Interest Approach (a niche without the box)
Instead of forcing yourself into a narrow niche across your entire practice, you simply identify one area of special interest — something you feel particularly drawn to, curious about, or energised by.
Your therapy practice can still remain broad if you enjoy variety.
So your website or directory listing might say something like:
“I work with anxiety, depression, low self-esteem and relationship challenges. I also have a special interest in supporting late-diagnosed ADHD women navigating burnout.”
Or:
“I work with anxiety, low mood and relationship challenges. I also have a special interest in supporting mothers who feel they’ve lost themselves in the intensity of parenting.”
See what’s happening there?
You’re not closing the door on other clients.
You’re simply giving people a clearer signal about the kind of work you care deeply about.
Why this is especially powerful if you want to expand beyond 1:1
Here’s the part most niching advice misses:
If you ever decide to expand beyond 1:1 therapy, that special interest naturally becomes the foundation for it.
Your private practice can remain varied.
But the work you create beyond the therapy room can be focused.
That might look like:
a workshop for late-diagnosed ADHD women
a course for mothers navigating identity shifts after children
a group programme for professionals recovering from burnout
even a retreat designed for a very specific life stage or challenge
In other words:
Your practice can stay broad, while your visible work becomes more focused.
The special interest acts like a bridge between the two.
So niching doesn’t have to feel like a box.
Think of it more like a beacon.
A way for the right people to recognise you quickly — while your practice still retains the depth and variety that many therapists value.
How I Used This Approach in My Own Practice
This is exactly the approach I took in my own private practice.
When I first started sharing content online, my therapy practice itself remained fairly broad. I was still working with a range of clients and issues in the therapy room.
But in my writing and on Instagram, I began focusing heavily on imposter syndrome — something I noticed appearing again and again in my work with clients.
Over time, that theme became the focus of my visible work.
I wrote about it.
I created resources around it.
Eventually, I launched an online course about overcoming imposter syndrome.
That first launch generated around £20,000 in revenue - while my private practice itself continued to include a variety of clients and concerns.
In other words, my therapy work remained broad.
But my visible niche became much clearer.
How to find your therapist niche (or special interest)
If you’re not sure what your special interest might be yet, try asking yourself:
Which clients tend to energise you most?
What themes or life situations keep appearing in your work?
What kind of enquiry would make you genuinely excited to reply?
Often, your niche isn’t something you invent. It’s something you notice.
Common Therapist Niches (Examples)
If you’re still figuring out your special interest, here are some examples therapists often focus on:
• Anxiety and perfectionism in high-achieving professionals
• Late-diagnosed ADHD in women
• Burnout and workplace stress
• Imposter syndrome and confidence at work
• Motherhood identity shifts and matrescence
• Fertility struggles, pregnancy and postpartum adjustment
• Perimenopause and menopause transitions
• Relationship patterns and attachment styles
• Dating and modern relationships
• Divorce and relationship breakdown
• Trauma and nervous system regulation
• Adult children of emotionally immature parents
• Life transitions in your 30s or 40s
• Grief, loss and major life changes
• People-pleasing, boundaries and self-worth
How I Support Therapists
If you’re a therapist wanting support with niching, messaging, or growing your practice, here are a few ways you can work with me:
1:1 Support
Work with me either through a one-off Power Hour (for clarity and strategy), or my 1:1 three-month mentorship (for deeper support and implementation).
https://www.therapywithabby.co.uk/therapistcorner
Instagram Growth Masterclass
My on-demand training on how therapists can grow on Instagram without burning out or feeling performative.
https://www.therapywithabby.co.uk/instagramgrowth
The Expansive Therapist Mentorship
My small three-month group programme for therapists who want to build meaningful income beyond 1:1 sessions — intelligently, ethically, and sustainably.
https://www.therapywithabby.co.uk/expansive-therapist-mentorship
Meet Abby
Hi, I'm Abby - a psychotherapist, author, and business coach. My mission is to help therapists build businesses that are profitable without being exhausting, so you can do the work you love and still have a life you enjoy.
Over the past few years I’ve built a portfolio-style career alongside my therapy practice - growing an Instagram community of 200k+, publishing my first book (Reclaiming You, Penguin, 2024), creating online courses and digital products that have reached thousands, running workshops and masterminds, collaborating with brands, contributing to wellness apps, and being featured in outlets like Elle, BBC, Women's Health, Forbes, and Marie Claire. I want therapists to know the same possibilities are available to them too.
I’m a marketing nerd (forever bingeing podcasts on business and creativity) and a toddler mum figuring out daily how to balance ambition with presence. At the heart of my work is a belief that therapists deserve businesses that sustain them as much as they sustain others.