Do You Really Need a Business Partner? Alternatives for Support in Group Practice
One of the most common questions group practice owners ask themselves is: Do I need a business partner to grow my practice?
It’s an understandable question. Running a group practice can feel overwhelming. You’re balancing clinical work, admin, finances, intake, marketing, team development, and—oh yes—leadership. It’s a lot to carry. At some point, many therapists think: If only I had a partner to share the load.
But here’s the truth: you don’t always need a business partner. What you actually need is a village of support—the right people in the right roles who help you grow your practice while you remain the owner and leader. We talked about this on the podcast episode with Merrisa Little of OCD North, and I’ve been reflecting on it a bit more since. I wanted to flesh this topic out a bit more here.
Why Therapists Consider a Business Partner
If you’ve ever thought about taking on a business partner, you’re not alone. Many private practice owners start thinking about partnership when they feel:
Overwhelmed by daily operations. Managing every piece of the business on your own starts to feel unsustainable.
Unsure of their confidence as a leader. A partner feels like a safety net—someone to lean on when imposter syndrome creeps in.
Lonely in decision-making. Having someone to share the big choices can feel comforting when the weight of ownership is heavy.
And while a partner can bring complementary skills, it also comes with challenges: shared decision-making, potential conflict around vision, and the complexity of essentially being “married” to your business partner.
That’s why it’s worth considering an alternative approach: instead of one partner, build yourself a village of support.
Building a Village Instead of a Partner
Many group practice owners reach a point where they consider taking on a business partner but ultimately decide against it. What they often find is that the real key to growth isn’t partnership, but building a village of support. With the right hires, family or community backing, and trusted advisors, practice owners can scale into multiple locations and still maintain their role as sole owner and CEO.
Here are four powerful alternatives to bringing on a business partner in private practice:
1. Clinic Managers & Admin Support
One of the biggest reasons group practice owners start dreaming about a partner is that they’re drowning in the day-to-day work of running the business. Intake calls, scheduling, billing, and team questions can quickly eat up the hours you’d rather spend on clinical work or strategic leadership.
That’s where clinic managers and administrative staff come in. Even hiring a part-time admin to manage email, invoicing, or scheduling can free up several hours a week. A clinic manager takes it a step further by handling operations, supporting your team, and keeping systems running smoothly.
Example: If you find yourself spending evenings answering emails and weekends catching up on billing, that’s a sign an admin assistant could step in. If you’re constantly being interrupted by team members asking about policies, schedules, or processes, a clinic manager may be the better fit.
The right admin support helps your practice run efficiently and gives you the time and energy to focus on growth.
2. Peer Masterminds & Business Coaches
Another reason practice owners consider a business partner is because they want someone to talk through decisions with. It can feel scary to carry every decision on your shoulders, especially when you’re making financial investments or thinking about expansion.
But here’s the thing: you don’t need to give away part of your practice to get that kind of support. Joining a mastermind group, working with a business coach, or connecting with a peer network gives you a safe space to process ideas before bringing them to your team. (I’ll put in a little plug for Group Practice Connection here!)
Why this works:
You can share your ideas without creating confusion or false starts in your clinic.
You’ll get outside perspective from people who understand the unique challenges of therapy businesses.
You’ll build confidence by hearing how others have handled similar challenges.
Example: Before announcing a big change like expanding to a second location, you can run the idea past your mastermind group. They’ll ask tough questions, point out blind spots, and help you refine your plan—so when you bring it to your team, you’re grounded and ready.
3. Professional Advisors
No matter how skilled you are clinically, there are parts of running a group practice that require expertise you may not have—or want to have. That’s where professional advisors come in.
Every group practice benefits from having:
An accountant or bookkeeper who understands therapy businesses and keeps your financials clean.
A lawyer who can review contracts, policies, and agreements.
An HR consultant (when you’re ready) to support with hiring, onboarding, and compliance.
Professional advisors don’t just save you time—they give you peace of mind. You can move forward confidently, knowing the backbone of your practice is solid.
Example: Imagine trying to negotiate a contractor agreement on your own. It’s possible, but risky. A lawyer can save you from costly mistakes. Or consider your bookkeeping—if you’re spending hours every month reconciling numbers in QuickBooks, that’s time you could be using to lead your practice.
Advisors provide stability and allow you to focus on being the CEO of your business.
4. A Leadership Team
Finally, let’s talk about what might be the most powerful alternative to partnership: building a leadership team.
This doesn’t mean you need a huge staff or complicated hierarchy. It means assigning ownership for the essential functions of your practice—so you’re not the bottleneck for every decision.
Drawing from Gino Wickman’s Traction, here are some key principles:
Functions Before Titles: Start by identifying the essential functions in your practice—clinical oversight, operations/admin, intake, marketing, finance, team development, and strategic leadership. Who currently owns these? Who should own them? Where are the gaps?
Right People, Right Seats: It’s not enough to hire talented people. You need the right people, in the right roles, aligned with your values. This doesn’t always mean that they come from within your existing group of associates either. Be open to bringing in someone with a fresh perspective.
Accountability & Clarity: Use tools like accountability charts, 90-day goals, and structured check-ins to keep everyone aligned.
Healthy Team Practices: Communication, trust, and problem-solving routines are just as important as skill. A strong team should complement your leadership, not just agree with you.
Example: Maybe you have a clinic manager handling operations, a lead clinician supporting intern supervision, and a trusted admin managing intake. That’s already a leadership team—even if you don’t use formal titles. Each person owns a key function, giving you space to focus on strategic leadership.
A leadership team provides the support you need to scale your practice without giving away ownership.
Reflection Prompts for Your Leadership Journey
Take a few minutes to consider:
Who shapes your practice right now? Who do you rely on—formally or informally?
What kind of leader do you want to be? Write down three words that describe your leadership style.
Where are your gaps? Which functions are you carrying alone, and which could be delegated or shared?
Who belongs—and who doesn’t? Being clear about who isn’t the right fit protects your energy and your practice culture.
These questions help you see where you truly need support, and where adding a partner may not be the solution at all.
Choose Your Hard
As Merrisa wisely said: “It’s hard to do this alone, and it’s hard to do it with someone. It’s just hard—choose your hard.”
Partnership can be the right path for some, but for many practice owners, the real answer is to build a strong support system and leadership team. That way, you can step into your CEO role fully, without giving up ownership of the practice you’ve worked so hard to create.
