If you’ve been in practice for a while, you’ve probably noticed the seasonal rhythm that comes with summer. The sun comes out, school lets out, and suddenly your calendar starts to open up in ways you didn’t plan for. Fewer sessions. More cancellations. Clients saying, “Let’s pause until fall.”
It’s a pattern I’ve come to expect, but that doesn’t make it any less frustrating, especially when you’re trying to maintain consistency for your clients and stability for your practice.
Why Summer Brings a Slowdown
There are a few common threads I’ve seen over the years, and they’re echoed in what others in the field are noticing too. Clients often:
- Travel more
- Struggle to keep a consistent schedule.
- Feel temporarily better due to sunshine, being social, and a break from routine.
- Face childcare challenges.
- Deal with financial strain that makes therapy feel less accessible.
It’s not that therapy becomes less essential; it’s that life gets louder. Instead of resisting the slowdown, I’ve found it beneficial to reframe it. What if summer is less about productivity and more about presence? What if it’s a time to reconnect with clients, with ourselves, and with the work?
Here are a few strategies that I’ve found help me to stay grounded during this time:
Talk About It Openly. Normalize the summer dip with clients. Let them know it’s okay to feel good and that therapy can still be a space to reflect, prepare, and stay connected. Sometimes naming the pattern helps clients stay engaged.
Be Flexible. Offer telehealth sessions, shorter check-ins, or different time slots to accommodate summer schedules. A little flexibility can go a long way in helping clients stay consistent.
Shift the Focus. Summer can be a great time to explore lighter, more creative work in sessions. Think values clarification, mindfulness practices, or goal setting for the fall. Keep the work relevant to the season.
Plan for Gaps. If clients are traveling, consider offering pre- or post-trip sessions, or even a few journaling prompts or reflection exercises to keep them engaged while they’re away.
Use the Time Intentionally. If your schedule opens up, use that space for your own growth. Take a course, revisit your clinical notes, or simply rest. We are always encouraging our clients to implement self-care, so this is a good time to practice it in the sun!
Change Things Up. It can also be a great time to explore nontraditional therapy settings. If it’s clinically appropriate and you can ensure privacy and HIPAA compliance, consider offering walk-and-talk sessions or meetings in a quiet, secluded outdoor space like a beach or park. Many clients find that movement and nature help them open up in new ways and help them not wish they were outdoors versus in your office. These settings can bring a refreshing energy to the work and help clients stay engaged during a season when sitting indoors might feel especially difficult.
It’s worth remembering that summer isn’t the only time this happens. The weeks around the beginning of the school year, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s often bring similar disruptions. Clients may cancel due to travel, family obligations, or emotional overwhelm. Anticipating these patterns and planning ahead, both practically and emotionally, can help us meet these times with more comfort and less stress. Sometimes it can even be a time for you to take that vacation or time for yourself that you never end up finding the time for!
Slowdowns are real, but they don't have to feel like a loss. With a little intention, they can be a time of reconnection, reflection, and even renewal. Whether you’re navigating a lighter caseload or helping clients stay engaged, remember this is part of the rhythm of the work. And like all seasons, it will shift again.
