Filling a Group Psychology Practice: Marketing for Practice Owners and New Associates

The short answer: in a group practice, the hard part isn't getting enquiries for your established clinicians; it's filling a new associate's diary and keeping everyone's caseload balanced. Practices that do this well market each clinician individually (their own profile, issues and schemes), route enquiries by fit and availability, keep GPs and other referrers informed about who has space, and track where clients come from so they spend only on what works. A separate ClearAccess listing for each psychologist means each one appears in searches for their own issues, schemes and location.

Part of our marketing series for Australian psychologists.

Why new associates are hard to fill

• Referrers ask for the psychologists they know by name.
• Your website talks about "the practice", so clients pick the clinician with the longest bio.
• Early-career associates often haven't yet built a niche.
• The associate is keen, but empty slots cost both of you.

Every practice owner has watched a new associate's first months crawl. They don't have to.

Market each clinician, not just the practice

• A proper profile page for each psychologist on your website: approach, issues, client groups, schemes they bill, languages, telehealth, availability.
• A distinct focus for each associate. "Adolescent anxiety and school refusal", "veterans and first responders", "perinatal". Specific clinicians get specific referrals.
• Individual directory listings. On ClearAccess, each psychologist has their own listing under their own AHPRA number, so a new associate who treats PTSD and bills DVA appears in DVA and PTSD searches in your suburb, alongside your senior clinicians rather than behind them. Practices managing many clinicians' listings together can get in touch.

Build an intake system that fills the right diaries

1. One intake point (form or email) for the practice.
2. Triage by fit, then availability. Match the issue, scheme and client group to the clinician; if two fit, offer the one with space.
3. Reply within one business day. A client who has finally decided to reach out often contacts several practices.
4. Track every enquiry: source, scheme, issue, outcome.

Use the scheme mix to fill diaries

Scheme clients are a reliable way to fill new associates' diaries, because they're searching for someone who will bill their scheme with no gap and are less likely to insist on a particular senior name:

• DVA: no gap by rule; DVA's 1 July 2026 schedule pays psychologists $167.65 for a 50-minute-plus session in rooms or by video.
• NDIS: steady demand through support coordinators.
• WorkCover, transport accident and Comcare: referrals via GPs and claim managers.
• Medicare bulk billing for some groups, if it suits your model.

See attracting DVA, NDIS and WorkCover clients for the detail of each.

Keep referrers informed about who has space

Send GPs and case managers a short monthly update: who's new, what they treat, which schemes they bill, and current availability. Turn "accepting new clients" off for clinicians who are full, on every listing, so referrers trust your availability.

Spend on what the data says works

• Ask every new client how they found you.
• Compare sources by booked clients, not just enquiries.
• On ClearAccess, each clinician's Statistics tab shows search appearances, profile views, inquiries, and the postcodes and schemes clients searched. That tells you which clinician-suburb-scheme combinations are in demand.
• Upgrade where it pays. A paid plan (Essential or Growth) puts a clinician ahead of free listings a similar distance away and adds an availability calendar, "Next available" in search results, and client contact details in every inquiry email. Many practices start everyone on free and upgrade the clinicians who have space to fill.

Think of the practice six months from now: every associate with a clear focus, every diary filling from more than one source, and a simple report telling you exactly where your next client will come from.

Frequently asked questions

How do I fill a new associate psychologist's diary?

Give them a clear focus, a proper profile page, and their own directory listings; route matching enquiries to them; tell referrers they have availability; and offer scheme clients (DVA, NDIS, WorkCover, bulk billing) who are searching for someone with space who bills their scheme.

Should each psychologist in a practice have their own listing?

Yes. Clients search by issue, scheme and location, and each listing appears for its own psychologist's details. On ClearAccess each psychologist has a listing under their own AHPRA number.

How do I know which marketing is working for my practice?

Record the source of every enquiry and booking, and compare sources by booked clients. Directory statistics, such as ClearAccess's search appearances, profile views and inquiries, show where demand is coming from.

Can a practice manager manage several clinicians' ClearAccess listings?

Each psychologist has their own listing, created with their own AHPRA number. Practices that want to manage many clinicians' listings together can contact ClearAccess about an organisation arrangement.

List every clinician, starting free

Create a free listing for each psychologist, or compare the plans for the clinicians with space to fill.