Launching a private practice
Everything you need to open your doors, in one guided setup.
You've spent years training to do this work. The business side — the website, the bookings, the payments, the registrations — shouldn't be the thing that holds you back. Clay sets all of it up, so you can focus on your clients from day one.
Where most therapists get stuck
The day you qualify, the job quietly changes. You're not just a clinician any more, you're also, suddenly, responsible for a website, a booking system, payments, registrations, and tax.
So most therapists going private end up doing it the hard way — a website builder here, a scheduling tool there, a directory listing, a payment system, an accountant, and a lot of evenings lost to working out how it all fits together. It comes together eventually. But it costs time you'd rather spend with clients, and money on tools that don't talk to each other.
It's also the point where momentum starts to slip. The website that's "nearly ready" for six months. The practice that's been "about to launch" since the spring. Not because anyone's doing anything wrong — just because there's no map, and no one whose job it is to hold the whole picture.
That's the gap Clay was built to close.
What we set up for youFour foundations, set up properly the first time — so nothing's held together with tape.
Step 1 Your website
A professional, calm, therapy-appropriate website that actually sounds like you. We handle the build, the structure, and the copy guidance — and set it up on a platform you can update yourself, without needing a developer every time your fees or availability change.
Step 2 Your booking system
Online scheduling that lets clients book in a couple of clicks. Intake forms, automated reminders, session types, and cancellation rules — all configured for how a therapy practice actually runs, and connected straight to your website.
Step 3Your payments
Card payments for one-off sessions, direct debit for regular clients, and clean records underneath it all. Set up so getting paid is automatic, and so your tax return is a short job rather than a lost weekend.
Step 4The groundwork
This is the part most therapists worry about: the registrations, the business structure decisions, the bits of setup that are easy to miss because nobody tells you they exist. What applies to you depends on your situation. Working that out, and handling it, is our job.
Three of these are usually live within a couple of weeks. The fourth means your practice is set up properly — not just quickly.
How a launch worksA clear path from first conversation to open practice — with the heavy lifting on our side, not yours.
Step 1 We talk
A free first call to understand where you are, what kind of practice you want to build, and what's already in place. No pitch — just a conversation about where you're heading and whether Clay's the right fit to help you get there.
Step 2You fill in one form
Instead of a dozen scattered sign-ups, there's a single onboarding form: your specialism, your bio, your session types, your pricing, your photo. It's the one piece that needs you — and it's designed to take an evening, not a weekend.
Step 3Clay builds it
We set up the website, configure the booking system, connect payments, and handle the groundwork — your business structure, registrations, and online presence. You get on with finishing your training, or seeing the clients you already have. Most practices are ready within a couple of weeks.
Step 4You're handed the keys
A walkthrough of everything we've built, so you know how it all works. Full ownership of your accounts from day one. And we stay close afterwards — for the questions, the tweaks, and the growing you'll want to do next.
From the first call to an open practice — usually a matter of weeks, not months.
What you can count on
A few things that are true of every Clay launch, whatever your practice looks like.
Set up in weeks, not months
Most practices go from first call to open within a couple of weeks. No drawn-out projects, no website that's "nearly ready" for half a year — a clear timeline, and a date you can actually plan around.
You own everything that matters
Your domain, your client records, your payment account — all in your name, from day one. Clay sets things up and manages the parts that need managing, but the things that are yours stay yours. No lock-in, and nothing held hostage if you ever move on.
We don't disappear after launch
Launching is the start, not the finish. We stay close for the questions, the small changes, and the bigger decisions as your practice finds its feet — so you're never left working something out alone.
No surprises, no jargon, no being left to figure it out yourself.
What it costs
A Clay launch is a one-off setup fee, then a simple monthly fee that keeps everything running and supported — your website, your booking system, your payments, and us on hand when you need us.
What it comes to depends on your practice: how it's set up, what it needs, and which parts you want us to keep managing as you grow. We'll walk you through the numbers properly on the first call — clearly, with nothing hidden.
No setup fee surprises. No tool costs you didn't know about. No tying you into anything.
Straightforward pricing, with no surprises buried in the detail.
Frequently Asked Questions
-
No. A lot of the people we work with are in their final year of training — and starting the setup early means your practice is ready the moment you qualify, rather than becoming a project you take on afterwards. We'll shape the timeline around your qualification date.
-
This is a really situation, and yes — we can make sure your practice is set up and ready for it. However, whether and when a particular client moves across is something for you, your supervisor, and your placement to work through; that part stays with you. What we handle is making sure that when you're ready, the practice behind you is professional and properly in place.
-
That's fine, and you won't have wasted anything. We'll take a look at what you've got, keep what's working, and build from there rather than starting from scratch. Sometimes it's a head start; sometimes it's cleaner to rebuild — either way, we'll be honest with you about which.
-
For most practices, a couple of weeks from the first call to being open and ready. The main variable is how quickly the onboarding form comes back to us — once we have what we need, the build itself is quick.
-
It's yours. Your domain, your client records, and your payment account are all in your name from day one. Clay sets things up and manages the parts that need managing behind the scenes — but your practice is yours, and there's nothing tying you in if you ever decide to move on.
-
Not at all. Launching is the start of the relationship, not the end of it. We stay on hand for the questions, the small changes, and the bigger decisions as your practice grows — which is the point at which a lot of therapists start thinking about the next stage.
We’re ready when you are
The first call is free, with no pressure and no obligation — a chance to think out loud about the practice you want to build, and to see whether Clay's the right fit to help you build it.