Key Takeaways

• Having multiple income streams makes your practice more adaptable when your caseload is full or demand dips.
• Weigh the upfront time and effort of a new income stream before you commit to it.
• Some streams, like info products and online content, can become a source of (mostly) passive income once they're built.
• Side income is usually self-employment income, so plan for self-employment tax and quarterly estimated payments.

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When I first began my career as a therapist, the main stressors I faced came from the work itself: trying to meet clients’ expectations, struggling to find community, and feeling varying degrees of self-doubt.

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What surprised me, though, was just how quickly and intensely financial stress began to impact me.

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This combination of professional and financial stress led me down the road of burnout and made me seriously reconsider my career choice. If my income was always going to be directly tied to how many clients I could see any given week, I doubted how long I would last in the field.

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That’s when I started exploring how to develop other streams of income. I wasn’t the only one. In fact, Heard recently surveyed their audience on Twitter and more than half (53.8%) reported having more than one source of income.

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Heard's 2026 Financial State of Private Practice survey of 1,950 therapists points the same way: nearly half (48%) see clients through platforms like Headway, Alma, or Grow, and more than one in five (21.9%) also take on 1099 contract work for another practice.

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As I learned more, the benefit of diversifying my work became abundantly clear: freedom. Freedom from the weight and uncertainty of financial stress. Freedom from the heavy demands of a constant and overflowing caseload. Freedom from a broken system that makes you choose between serving marginalized populations and having financial security.

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The first step toward that freedom is knowing what options for "side hustles" are available to you. Here we'll cover the complete list of income streams available to therapists.

How to Select an Income Stream for Therapists

I'd suggest you pick one that comes easiest for you. What skills do you already have that would be needed to succeed? Who is in your professional network that might be able to support, guide, or give you the push you need? What are you passionate about that you could envision yourself spending time exploring and learning more about?

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Start with the path of least resistance and lean into your strengths.

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A quick disclaimer: Always make sure you are operating within the ethical bounds and expectations of your licensing board. Proactively check whether any of these income streams might put your license at risk and always contact your board with questions. It's better to be safe than sorry.

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Therapy

Revenue: Median $150 per individual session and $180 per couples session (private pay); median $107 per session (insurance reimbursement), per Heard's 2026 survey of 1,950 private practice therapists

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The first and most obvious stream of income is providing therapy. You can provide individual therapy, couples therapy, family therapy, or group therapy. One thing to financially consider is the varying compensation that comes with providing therapy with different payment structures (notably private pay vs. insurance), modalities, and settings.

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For example, some insurance companies reimburse less for couples and family therapy compared to individual therapy. So, if you're planning on strictly being a couples and family therapist, you may have to see more clients or charge more to earn the same income as someone who strictly sees individuals.

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The other consideration here is the model of income you are being compensated by. If you are a salaried therapist then you have the stability and peace of mind of knowing what your paycheck will be week-to-week regardless of cancellations or no shows.

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However, if you work from what is sometimes referred to as the "production model," you'll often have the opportunity to earn more per client that you see than someone who is salaried, but you sacrifice the peace of mind of knowing what your paycheck will be week to week. If your clients no-show, that's lost income, depending on your policy.

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Pros: It's your core skill; it's the fastest way to start earning; you control your private-pay rates; referrals and directories bring in most new clients (83% and 82% of therapists use them, per Heard's 2026 survey).

Cons: Income is tied to your hours; no-shows cost revenue; insurance pays less (median $107 vs. a $150 median private-pay fee); once your caseload is full, it's hard to earn more without raising rates.

Telehealth

Revenue: Most therapists charge the same hourly rate for telehealth as for in-person sessions.

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If you exclusively treat clients in person, telehealth could represent a new income stream for your practice. Treating clients remotely allows you to expand your practice statewide.

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To see clients in other states, you generally need a license (or a compact privilege) in the state where the client is physically located during the session. Interstate compacts are making that easier, but the details depend on your license:

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• Psychologists: PSYPACT allows telepsychology across 40+ participating jurisdictions once you hold the required authorization.
• Professional counselors: The Counseling Compact began issuing privileges to practice in 2025. As of November 2026, 11 states are live (Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Indiana, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Wyoming), with more in progress. You apply, and pay, for a privilege in each state.
• Social workers: The Social Work Licensure Compact has been enacted in 30+ states but was not yet issuing multistate licenses as of late 2026.
• Marriage and family therapists: There's no operational compact yet, so you'll need a separate license in each state.

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Participating states change often, so check the compact's official site and your board before you take on out-of-state clients.

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Telehealth also makes your practice more resilient. If local demand for therapy dips, opening your doors to out-of-town clients with remote sessions helps you fill your client list. And you may find that shaking up your routine—going into the office some days, and seeing telehealth clients from home on others—prevents fatigue and burnout.

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A couple things to keep in mind: First, to offer remote therapy, you’ll need a HIPAA-compliant teleconferencing tool. (The free versions of Zoom and Google Meet won’t cut it.) Many EHR platforms include HIPAA-compliant teleconferencing, but there are also free and low-cost standalone options available (Doxy.me is a good place to start).

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Second, telehealth therapy is not for everyone. While many clients find remote therapy convenient, many others prefer in-person sessions. As a clinician, you may also find you prefer to treat clients in-person. And certain treatment types—like EMDR and somatic therapy—may be difficult to deliver via telehealth.

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Pros: Reach clients anywhere in your state; potential to see out-of-state clients with additional licenses or compact privileges; lower office overhead.

Cons: More competition from national platforms; telehealth-only practices reported lower median revenue than hybrid practices in Heard's 2026 survey ($70,000 vs. $93,000); some modalities (EMDR, somatic) are harder to provide remotely.

Coaching

Revenue: Can range from roughly $100 – $300 per session, depending on your niche.

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Coaching is a mix of teaching, motivating, and problem solving. It's a great option for therapists because, in theory, you already possess the skills required to be a good coach. Dr. Alex Auerbach, a licensed counseling and sport psychologist and mental performance coach, explains: "Mental health providers are uniquely qualified to offer coaching services at a level of quality and sophistication that's hard to match."

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Technically, anyone can say they are a coach. There are certification programs you can complete to add credibility to your name, but that is not a necessity to get started.

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One of the biggest challenges to getting started as a coach is finding clients. It's best practice to specify what specializations you offer as a coach. Having a niche allows you to see clients within your scope of practice as well as build credibility in a specific topic.

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Important: You should never treat coaching as therapy. It is unethical to provide clients therapy under the guise of coaching and could result in you losing your license.

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Be especially careful with coaching across state lines. Some boards look at what you're actually doing rather than what you call it, so mental-health-focused "coaching" for a client in a state where you aren't licensed can be treated as unlicensed practice. Use a separate coaching agreement that explains coaching isn't therapy, don't diagnose or treat, confirm your malpractice policy covers coaching, and remember that coaching isn't billable to insurance.

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Pros: Per-session earnings similar to therapy; reach clients who aren't in the market for therapy; leverage your niche for a competitive edge.

Cons: Finding clients can be slow at first; lots of competition, since coaching doesn't require a license; scope-of-practice and cross-state risks if coaching drifts into therapy.

Supervision

Revenue: Can range from roughly $50 – $250 per hour for individual supervision; group supervision is usually billed at a lower rate per person

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Providing supervision is a great way to diversify your schedule, increase your income, and give back to up-and-coming therapists.

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The path to becoming a supervisor varies greatly depending on what license you have and what state you are in. Typically, you need a certain number of years of experience and to complete training before you can become an approved supervisor. Requirements vary by license type and state, so check with your board.

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With telehealth becoming more popular, the accessibility of being a supervisor has also greatly increased. Companies like Motivo help supervisees connect with supervisors online, reducing the geographic barrier for those hoping to add supervision as a stream of income.

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Pros: Steady weekly hours for a year or more per supervisee; group format multiplies hourly income; lower emotional load than therapy; telehealth widens your market.

Cons: Board-required training and years of licensure before you can start; legal and ethical liability for supervisees' cases; board paperwork; many supervisees can't afford private supervision.

Case Consultation

Revenue: Can range from roughly $75 – $200 per hour

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Case consultation involves consulting with other therapists on their difficult cases. Unlike supervision, consultation tends to focus solely on the cases therapists bring rather than their professional development. You can offer case consultation services to individuals, dyads, and even groups.

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Elizabeth Hinkle, LMFT says the biggest challenge of offering case consultation has been connecting with other clinicians looking for consulting. An accessible way to get started is offering free consultation to those you know.

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Once you have a specific topic that you would like to offer consultation for, go back to those you know and ask if they would be willing to write a testimonial if you offered free or discounted consultation. After a month of consultation and a few testimonials, you can add your offer to your website or any therapy directories you are associated with.

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Pros: No board approval needed for most peer consultation; easy to run in a group format; builds referral relationships.

Cons: Clinicians seeking consultation can be harder to find than supervisees; usually requires a recognized specialty or certification to attract clients.

Clinical Assessment, Evaluation, and Testing

Revenue: Full evaluations can range from roughly $1,400 – $5,000; complex ADHD, autism, or neuropsychological evaluations may cost more

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Offering clinical assessments is a great way to pad your schedule where there might normally be gaps. Any therapist can typically offer one-time diagnostic assessments (DAs) which are often needed for folks looking to receive additional services and a heightened level of care.

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While DAs do mean additional paperwork, a diagnostic evaluation (CPT 90791) generally pays more than a standard 45-minute therapy session (90834), which could give you the opportunity to see fewer recurring clients week to week. Additionally, DAs tend to be less emotionally draining as they center around information gathering.

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In order to offer higher level evaluations such as ADHD testing, ASD testing, and neuropsychological testing, you need to have the necessary credentials. Dr. Amy Marschall notes that you typically need the psychologist license to do these kinds of assessments, but it varies state-to-state. "It's a great service to be able to offer — it's so needed and I constantly get referrals for folks who need testing."

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Pros: High fee per client; long waitlists mean less marketing; information-gathering work is less emotionally draining than ongoing therapy.

Cons: Most full evaluations require a psychologist license (varies by state); test kits and scoring software are costly; report writing adds office work; prior authorization and coverage limits on psychological testing are common.

Consulting

Revenue: Can range from roughly $100 – $300 per hour

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Once you have a certain level of expertise and experience with a specific population, theory, or diagnosis, you can explore offering consulting services to other therapists, professionals, or companies.

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Kenya Crawford, LMHC noticed a common complaint among her clients of color: workplace racism. She started Kenya Crawford Consulting to disrupt workplace trauma before it reached her therapy couch.

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For anyone interested in getting into consulting, Crawford suggests starting with what you are passionate and knowledgeable about, and starting with the connections you already have. The barrier to entry is a little higher because you need to demonstrate your expertise — but as long as you are a few steps ahead of someone else, you could be considered an "expert."

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Pros: Leverage a specific niche or skill set; reach customers beyond typical therapy clients; lower emotional cost than one-on-one therapy.

Cons: Success depends on your expertise and network; can be slow to start; income can be uneven, so plan for slow periods.

Writing

Revenue: Varies widely. Paying publications may offer roughly $0.25 – $0.90 per word, and freelance blog posts can range from $400 – $1,500

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Writing was the first income stream I explored. Writing is far more mentally taxing than emotionally taxing, which is what I was looking for. It's a skill that still helps people and something I can master throughout my life.

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The tricky part about writing is that earning income from it is far less a straightforward path.

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Options include:

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• Writing articles for publications that offer pay for work
• Platforms like Medium, where Partner Program writers earn based on how long paying members spend reading their stories and how they engage with them
• Publishing a book — self-publishing via eBooks and Amazon is easier than ever
• Starting a newsletter to deepen trust with your audience

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Dr. Marina Harris shares this wisdom: "Writing is a very slow process and not always scalable, so if someone wants to get started with writing they should really love it. Otherwise it can feel like a slog."

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Pros: Published work builds your brand and attracts clients; can be done alongside your practice; may become steady income once established.

Cons: Requires real enthusiasm for writing; skills take time to build; paying markets usually want a portfolio; competition from AI-generated content.

Speaking

Revenue: Varies widely. Fees can range from around $500 per engagement for emerging speakers to $10,000+ for established speakers

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Speaking is another great way to generate income as a mental health professional. Diamond James, LCSWA got started through the relationships she already had — people who know her and her work either asked her directly to speak or passed her information along.

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Start with the connections you have: your grad school or college, faith community, local support groups. Offer to speak for free and see what people connect with. Once you've gotten some practice and have a topic you feel confident speaking about, then you can start charging for speaking engagements.

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As therapists we're constantly immersed in the therapy world and it's easy to forget what a discrepancy in knowledge and experience there is between our field and the general public. Even if you're relatively new to the field, you have valuable perspective and insight that people would be happy to pay for.

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Pros: Opportunities often come through your existing network; builds your reputation and attracts clients; leverages what you already know.

Cons: Speaking skills take time to develop; early engagements are often unpaid; you need to be comfortable in front of an audience.

Teaching

Revenue: Adjunct pay can range from roughly $1,100 – $5,000 per course, depending on the institution

Teaching opportunities tend to be available within colleges and graduate programs. Dr. Lindsay Snow suggests therapists start by looking for adjunct positions at local institutions, as colleges and universities post available adjunct positions online.

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If you would like to start with less formal education, Dr. Snow recommends looking into community education opportunities by connecting with local schools, churches, non-profit organizations, or community centers.

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As for the benefits of teaching, Dr. Snow highlights the difference in relationship between therapist and client versus teacher and student: "Teaching is both mentally stimulating and relationally gratifying. It pushes me to think and speak more clearly about topics that I'm passionate about and that inform my clinical practice."

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Pros: Share your knowledge with a wide audience; you may get to shape your own curriculum; leverages existing skills.

Cons: Pay per hour is low compared to clinical work; adjunct roles are limited and competitive; outside a school, building a reputation takes time.

Clinical Training

Revenue: Can range from roughly $500 – $3,000 per course or workshop; royalties for recorded content vary

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Dr. Kevin Handley suggests "spending some time reflecting upon what you want to teach, who you want to teach, and why you want to teach. Knowing these things about yourself will direct your journey to finding opportunities to train others."

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Logistical challenges include structuring a training or course, finding people willing to pay you, and finding a venue. If you are offering professional continuing education, you also need a CE sponsor so that therapists can use your training for re-licensure.

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The mindset challenge is that most therapists don't think they are "experts" or have anything to offer. Dr. Handley says: "Don't confuse credentials, publications and notoriety with expertise and value. You have something to offer."

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Pros: Potentially high revenue; leverages existing knowledge; builds your network and brand.

Cons: Developing a course takes significant time; finding a venue or platform can be hard; you need a CE sponsor to offer continuing education credit.

Info Products

Revenue: Varies widely. Products can range from $5 – $500 per download or access pass, and online courses $100 – $1,000.

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Information products are online educational material that you create and sell. Examples range from worksheets to e-books to courses.

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Getting started can be as easy as compiling a set of reflection questions, calling it a worksheet, and selling it on a platform like Gumroad. The difficult part is creating something truly valuable and getting that product in front of those who would find it valuable.

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Whitney Goodman, LMFT shares: "Therapists are not trained to sell and this was something I had to learn as I went. Selling mental health related products is quite different from selling other consumer goods and there aren't a lot of resources out there to help you do this in an ethical, appropriate way."

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The benefits of info products are that they tend to be more scalable and help separate your time from your income.

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Pros: Can become a source of passive income; scalable as your audience and catalog grow; initial time investment can be low.

Cons: Competition from AI-generated content; requires ongoing marketing; marketing mental health products ethically takes care.

Masterminds and Cohort-Based Courses

Revenue: Varies widely. A single launch may earn $9,000 or more.

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In a cohort-based course you tend to teach a group of people with some sort of live component. You may still have pre-recorded lessons, but then meet with the group periodically to dive deeper into the content and offer your guidance.

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Dr. Melvin Varghese started creating courses after therapists asked him how he launched his successful podcast. His first cohort-based course launch made around $9,000. His second made around $13,000. Now his mastermind, which has a cohort-based course rolled into it, averages about $10,000 per month.

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While cohort-based courses tend to require more of your own time, you typically can charge a premium because of this. Another benefit is that students can make connections with others in a similar position, which often incentivizes them to complete the course.

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Pros: You can charge premium fees for live access; higher completion rates than self-paced courses; peer connection encourages renewals.

Cons: Live delivery ties income to your schedule; a launch can flop; you need an existing audience.

Memberships and Communities

Revenue: Highly variable depending on community size. Membership fees can range from roughly $20 – $100+ per member per month.

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Memberships and paid communities have become more popular as society becomes more isolated. The Teletherapist Network was founded in July 2020 by Kathryn Esquer in response to the burnout of doing teletherapy and feeling isolated. The community offers case consultation groups, co-working sessions, workshops and more.

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If you're interested in starting a paid community, there are great platforms that make it easy to host an online community. Like many of the challenges of previous income streams, the biggest will be in finding people who would be interested in joining your community and offering something of value to them.

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The benefits include forming a community you yourself can benefit from, learning directly from your community what they need, and solidifying yourself as a leader in whatever niche you choose.

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Pros: Recurring, predictable revenue; member input helps guide what you build; positions you as a leader in your niche.

Cons: Constant marketing to offset churn; moderation takes time; small communities earn little.

Brand Partnerships and Influencer Marketing

Revenue: Varies widely. A sponsored post can range from around $100 to several thousand dollars, depending on follower count and engagement

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Building an audience on social media can enable you to monetize through brand partnerships and influencer marketing. Kelly McKenna, LCSW, MBA got her first brand deal in April 2021 when she had 3,000 followers on Instagram.

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One of the major challenges that come with working with brands is maintaining trust with your audience. Kelly is thoughtful with which brands she works with: "I only partner with brands that fit within my niche and that wouldn't feel out-of-place to recommend or talk about on my page."

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The financial upside of working with brands can be significant. In 2022, Kelly earned $37,516 just from brand partnerships, ending the year with 50,000 followers. She suggests taking on fewer deals if it means they'll pay a rate that fits better with your financial goals.

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Whenever you're paid (in cash or free products) to promote something, the FTC's Endorsement Guides require you to clearly disclose the relationship, for example with "#ad" or "paid partnership" in the post itself. Check your licensing board's rules on endorsements and testimonials, too.

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Pros: A huge audience isn't required to start; credentials can command higher rates; rates rise as your following grows.

Cons: You need to vet brands carefully to keep your audience's trust; FTC disclosure rules and licensing board rules on endorsements apply; income depends on platform algorithms.

Podcasting

Revenue: Varies widely. Most small shows earn little or nothing; larger shows with sponsors can earn thousands per month

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Podcasting can be another great way to monetize through sponsorships and advertising. Starting a podcast may be easier than you think, with options like Spotify for Creators (formerly Spotify for Podcasters) providing built-in recording, editing tools, and audio assets.

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While starting might be easy, getting people to listen is more challenging. Podcasting is often thought of as a way to deepen your relationship and trust with your community rather than building a community. It's best practice to start building your community on other social platforms and then direct them toward your podcast.

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The monetary benefits of podcasts largely come from sponsors and advertising. A secondary benefit is making meaningful connections with other therapists and professionals in the wider community.

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Pros: Deepens trust with an existing audience; host-read ads can command a premium; guests expand your network and referrals.

Cons: Sponsors usually want thousands of downloads per episode; most podcasts earn very little; booking, recording, and editing take real time.

YouTube

Revenue: Varies widely. Ad revenue can range from roughly $2 – $11 per 1,000 views, depending on your niche, audience, and season

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Another way to generate income is through YouTube. Creating videos involves capturing video, audio, editing, and having an on-camera presence — but video is a wonderful medium for your audience to get a better sense of who you are.

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Dr. Marie Fang of Private Practice Skills (45,000 subscribers at the time we spoke) highlights the "evergreen" aspect of videos: "Though income from YouTube isn't truly passive as I need to create content for it to work, people are still watching all my old videos for years to come and my income holds steady even if I don't work for a few weeks."

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Most YouTube income comes from ads, so the more views your videos attract, the more you can make. To earn ad revenue, you'll need to join the YouTube Partner Program, which currently requires 1,000 subscribers plus either 4,000 public watch hours in the past 12 months or 10 million Shorts views in the past 90 days. YouTube also has a powerful suite of analytics on the backend to help you understand what is connecting with your audience.

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Pros: Evergreen videos can keep earning after they're published; builds trust and demand for your services; complements speaking, podcasts, and other streams.

Cons: Slow growth early on; you can't earn ad revenue until you qualify for the Partner Program; ad rates change seasonally; recording and editing take time.

Retreats

Revenue: The total for each event varies widely. Fees can range from roughly $500 – $2,500 per attendee, before venue and travel costs.

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If you love to travel and plan events, offering retreats for therapists can be a great option. The ordinary and necessary costs of running a retreat business (venue, catering, marketing, and your own business travel) are generally deductible against retreat income, but personal vacation time isn't, and international trips come with stricter rules for allocating travel costs. Talk to your tax advisor before you book. Patrick Casale, LCMHC, LCAS offers retreats through his business, All Things Private Practice.

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Patrick chose retreats because the power of travel is so transformative. "Retreat planning for me is so much more than just travel and experience. It's an intimate incubator-like setting in a destination and it allows people to work through their self-doubt, perfectionism, and imposter syndrome together."

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You don't have to start with an international destination retreat — it could be as simple as a day-retreat for your colleagues. The opportunity for income is extensive. In Patrick's first year, he hosted two retreats. The following year, he hosted five, and it became a primary income source for him.

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Pros: High revenue per attendee; combines travel with work; builds community and your network; successful retreats lead to repeat bookings.

Cons: Venue deposits create upfront financial risk; you must hit minimum enrollment to break even; logistics take heavy time and effort.

Corporate Wellness Contracts

Revenue: Varies by contract type. EAP vendor rates can range from roughly $60 – $100 per hour, one-off workshops from a few hundred dollars to $2,000 or more, and retainer contracts roughly $150 – $300 per hour.

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Corporate clients can afford to pay more than individuals, particularly when your services as a therapist help to maintain employee wellbeing and satisfaction.

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As an income stream, corporate wellness contracts may take the form of occasional workshops and lunch-and-learn sessions. If you have the skillset and experience, you may also be able to contract as an executive coach.

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Employee assistance programs (EAP) make up another piece of this income stream. Some companies administer their own EAPs, in which case you contract with them directly. Others work through vendors like Lyra, Spring Health, or Optum. You contract with the vendor as a provider, and they connect you with corporate clients.

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Large companies will typically ask for a W-9 (ideally with an EIN rather than your Social Security number), proof of liability insurance, and a signed service contract, so have a simple contract template drafted in advance. Some therapists also form an LLC for liability protection before taking on corporate work. An LLC doesn't change how you're taxed by default, so talk to an attorney or tax advisor about whether it makes sense for you.

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To attract corporate clients, include a section on your website listing your experience and relevant training, and the services you offer. Also, consider creating a simple brochure that describes services in depth and includes a price range for each.

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Your hourly rate doesn’t apply here. Take into account the value you offer companies, the number of employees you’ll be instructing or teaching, and the rates other therapists charge for comparable services. If you’re unsure about how much you should charge, reach out to therapists in your network who also offer corporate services. They may be able to help you set reasonable fees.

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Pros: Corporate clients can pay more than individuals; EAPs can supply clients; can be an occasional or ongoing source of revenue.

Cons: Unpaid upfront work to credential with EAPs and draft contracts; larger clients may require insurance, contracts, and vendor paperwork; pricing is less standardized, so research rates in your network.

Group Practice Ownership

Revenue: Varies widely. In Heard's 2026 survey, group practice owners reported median revenue of $169,121 and median profit of $80,000, compared with $75,000 in revenue and $52,663 in profit for solo practitioners.

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Once your own caseload is full, hiring other clinicians lets your practice grow beyond the hours you can personally work. You earn the difference between what the practice collects for each session and what it costs to pay and support the clinician who provides it.

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That margin comes with real responsibility. You take on hiring, payroll, credentialing, supervision, and compliance, and payroll becomes the biggest expense for most group owners (71% named it among their most costly expenses in Heard's survey). Decide early whether to hire W-2 employees or 1099 contractors, since misclassifying workers carries tax penalties.

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Pros: Income isn't capped by your own hours; you can build an asset you may one day sell; you can shape a team and culture around your values.

Cons: Significant management and admin work; payroll and overhead risk if the caseload dips; employment, classification, and credentialing rules to get right.

How to Make More Money as a Therapist

Before you add a new income stream, check whether your existing one is priced and structured to pay you what it should. A few levers to consider:

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• Raise your fees. Only 33.1% of therapists in Heard's 2026 survey raised their rates in 2025, and those who did reported higher median revenue ($94,792 vs. $74,979). That's a correlation, not proof that raising fees alone drives the difference, but if your rate is below the $150 median for an individual session (or $185, the 75th percentile), it may be time to revisit it.
• Review your payer mix. The median insurance reimbursement in the survey was $107 per session, versus a $150 median private-pay fee. Dropping your lowest-paying panel, or adding private-pay slots, can raise your average without adding hours.
• Add group therapy. Only 11.6% of surveyed therapists offer it. At the survey's $50 median per person, a group of six brings in about $300 for a single session hour.
• Grow into a group practice. Hiring clinicians lets revenue grow past your own caseload (see above).
• Layer on a second stream. Supervision, consultation, assessment, and corporate work all build on clinical skills you already have.

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Passive Income Ideas for Therapists

No income stream is truly passive: everything on this list takes real work up front and some ongoing upkeep. But once they're built, these streams can earn without a matching hour of your time:

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• Info products: worksheets, workbooks, templates, and e-books you create once and sell repeatedly.
• Self-paced courses: recorded courses for the public, or CE courses for clinicians (through a CE sponsor).
• YouTube: evergreen videos can keep earning ad revenue for years once your channel is in the Partner Program.
• Books: self-published books and e-books earn royalties on every sale.
• Recorded trainings: license recordings of your workshops to training platforms for royalties.

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The common challenge is distribution. Passive products only earn when people find them, so most therapists build an audience first (through writing, social media, a newsletter, or speaking) and then sell to it.

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Taxes on Side Income

Income from coaching, consulting, speaking, products, or sponsorships is usually self-employment income, and it's taxed differently from a W-2 paycheck:

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• Self-employment tax: If your net self-employment earnings are $400 or more, you'll owe self-employment tax (15.3% for Social Security and Medicare) on 92.35% of those earnings, on top of income tax.
• Quarterly estimated taxes: If you expect to owe $1,000 or more for the year, you generally need to make quarterly estimated tax payments. Only 41% of therapists in Heard's 2026 survey actually made all four.
• 1099 forms: For payments made in 2026, clients generally send a 1099-NEC only if they pay you $2,000 or more (up from $600), and payment apps send a 1099-K only above $20,000 and 200 transactions. Either way, all of your income is taxable, whether or not you receive a form.
• Deductions: Expenses that are ordinary and necessary for each income stream, like course platforms, recording equipment, or conference travel, can reduce your taxable profit. Keep side-income expenses well documented.

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AI tools for therapists

Don’t think of AI as an income stream. Think of it as a supplement to your multi-income-stream practice, making it easier to manage and freeing up more time to focus on expanding your practice.

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Some tools for your kit:

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• An AI scribe to record and transcribe sessions and generate clinically formatted notes.
• An AI assistant to manage bookings, optimize your schedule, and run your back office.
• AI marketing support to help you invest in the most effective marketing for your income streams.

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For more, check out Five Essential AI Tools for Therapists and Saving Time as a Therapist in 2025: Automation and AI.

Start by Helping One Person with One Problem

I'm often reminded of what entrepreneurial inspiration Pat Flynn often says: "Just start by helping one person with one problem." All business boils down to helping people solve their problems. This is something we therapists are intimately familiar with.

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Instead of providing therapy, what other ways might you help those in need? You have the skill, the expertise, and the experience. All you need to do is channel that into a new medium.

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It won't be easy, but like all the difficult things you've experienced and helped your clients walk through, it will be worth it.

Frequently asked questions

Why should therapists have more than one income stream?

Multiple income streams make your practice more adaptable when your caseload is full or demand dips. They can also bring freedom from financial stress and from the demands of a constantly overflowing caseload.

How common is it for therapists to have more than one source of income?

Quite common. In a Heard Twitter poll, 53.8% of respondents said they had more than one source of income. Heard's 2026 Financial State of Private Practice survey of 1,950 therapists found that 48% see clients through platforms like Headway, Alma, or Grow, and 21.9% also take on 1099 contract work for another practice.

How do I choose a side income stream as a therapist?

Start with the path of least resistance and lean into your strengths. Think about the skills you already have, who in your professional network could support you, and what you're passionate about. Weigh the upfront time and effort before you commit, and check with your licensing board that the stream won't put your license at risk.

Do I have to pay taxes on side income as a therapist?

Side income is usually self-employment income. That means you should plan for self-employment tax and quarterly estimated payments.

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Ben Behnen is a therapist who loves helping other beginning therapists. He's getting close to attaining his license in marriage and family therapy and is using his experience and love for writing to help other beginning therapists on their journey to licensure. You can follow him on Twitter where he posts daily or subscribe to his free newsletter that he sends every Friday with practical ways to grow as a therapist.

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Disclaimer: This post is to be used for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, business, or tax advice. Each person should consult their own attorney, business advisor, or tax advisor with respect to matters referenced in this post.

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Earning is one piece of the puzzle. Smart spending and tax planning is a way to ensure you keep more of what you earn. See our complete list of deductions for therapists.

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Want more ideas of how to grow your income? Book a free consult here.

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