How Many Hours Should Therapists Work in Private Practice? (Weekly, Daily & What’s Sustainable)

One of the most common questions therapists ask when moving into private practice is simple, and surprisingly hard to answer:

How many hours should a therapist actually work?

Not how many hours you can work.
Not how many hours others claim to work.
But how many hours support good care, steady income, and long-term sustainability.

The short answer: it depends — on your model, your energy, and your systems.

Below is a realistic breakdown of how many hours therapists typically work per day and per week in private practice, how many clients that translates to, and what’s actually sustainable.

It’s Not Just How Many Hours You Work — It’s When

Many therapists find that their clients are only available in the evenings. That means private practice isn’t just about choosing a weekly caseload — it’s about deciding how to split time between daytime and evening hours. This creates a real tension between being available to potential clients and protecting personal time, relationships, and energy outside of work.

A more sustainable approach is to intentionally design your availability instead of defaulting to being “always open.” This might mean choosing specific evenings to offer sessions and protecting the rest, or pairing evening hours with lighter daytime schedules to avoid long, draining days. Some therapists limit evening sessions to certain days of the week, while others reserve evenings for existing clients only.

The key is making this a deliberate decision rather than a reactive one. When therapists set clear boundaries around when they work — and communicate those boundaries early — they’re better able to meet client needs without sacrificing their own energy, relationships, or long-term sustainability.

How Many Hours Do Therapists Work in a Week?

In private practice, therapists don’t work a standard 40-hour clinical week.

Most therapists work 20–30 total hours per week, which includes both clinical and non-clinical work.

A common breakdown looks like this:

• 15–25 hours of client sessions

• 5–10 hours of admin, including:

  • Documentation

  • Intake & follow-ups

  • Scheduling

  • Billing or insurance tasks

  • Email and communication

This means that when someone says they “work 20 hours a week,” they’re often referring only to session hours, not total labor.

How Many Clients Should a Therapist See in a Week?

This varies widely, but here are realistic ranges seen across private practice:

• 12–15 clients/week → lighter, lower burnout risk

• 16–20 clients/week → common and sustainable for many therapists

• 21–25 clients/week → manageable with strong systems

• 26+ clients/week → higher burnout risk long-term

Seeing more clients doesn’t automatically mean more income, especially if admin work is inefficient or scattered.

Many therapists find that 16–22 sessions per week is the sweet spot for consistent income and energy.

How Many Hours Do Therapists Work Per Day?

On a daily basis, most therapists work:

• 4–6 clinical hours per day

• Plus 1–2 hours of admin

That puts a typical workday at 5–8 total hours, depending on your setup.

Common daily session patterns:

• 3–4 sessions on lighter days

• 5–6 sessions on fuller days

Seeing more than 6 clients in a single day often leads to:

• Emotional fatigue

• Slower documentation

• Reduced presence

• Less energy for follow-up and admin

Why “More Hours” Often Backfires in Private Practice

Many therapists try to increase income by adding more sessions, longer days, evening or weekend hours.

But without systems, this often leads to:

• Slower response times to new inquiries

• Missed follow-ups

• Documentation backlog

• Feeling “always on”

The result: more hours worked, but not more ease or clarity.

In private practice, income is shaped just as much by organization and response speed as it is by session count.

What Actually Determines How Much You Can Work

The sustainable number of hours isn’t universal. It depends on:

• Practice model (insurance, private pay, hybrid)

• Session length (45 vs 60 minutes)

• Specialty and emotional load

• How admin is handled

• Whether systems are manual or automated

Two therapists can see the same number of clients and have completely different levels of exhaustion.

A More Helpful Question to Ask

Instead of:

How many hours should therapists work?

Try:

How many hours can I work while staying present, responsive, and regulated?

That answer usually comes from:

• Clear boundaries

• Predictable schedules

• Organized communication

• Streamlined intake and follow-up

When admin is under control, many therapists can work fewer hours and feel more stable.

The Bottom Line:

There is no single “correct” number of hours for therapists in private practice.

But most therapists thrive when they:

• Work 20–30 total hours per week

• See 16–22 clients per week

• Limit daily sessions to 4–6

• Build systems that reduce admin drag

Sustainability doesn’t come from working more.
It comes from working supported.

If you’re re-evaluating your hours, caseload, or availability — especially as your practice grows — clarity and organization make all the difference.

Breksey helps therapist-led practices:

• Track and manage inquiries

• Respond faster without more effort

• Streamline intake and follow-up

• Reduce admin overwhelm

• Build schedules that actually feel sustainable 

We’re here to support goals that actually last.