From Perfection Paralysis to Practice Growth: Evan Vukets' Practice Growth Story

You know that gorgeous website sitting in your digital garage? The one with perfect fonts, carefully chosen colours, and content you've revised seventeen times? Yeah, Evan Vukets had one of those too. And just like that beautiful lemonade stand gathering dust in the garage, no one could actually find it.

Evan's a brilliant therapist specializing in men's mental health in British Columbia, and until recently, he was doing what so many of us do - obsessing over perfection while hiding from visibility. His practice was busy enough (thanks to word-of-mouth referrals), but his schedule looked like a game of Tetris gone wrong, and the financial anxiety? Let's just say it wasn't helping anyone.

Then something shifted. And the results? A 1600% increase in website traffic and a complete transformation in how he shows up for his business.

What Evan Learned: Marketing Isn't the Enemy

Here's what Evan discovered through the Full Practice Formula Program: his aversion to marketing wasn't about lacking skills or time. It was about beliefs he didn't even know he was carrying.

The hidden thoughts that were holding him back:

• Marketing feels salesy and manipulative
• Good therapists don't focus on visibility
• Promoting mental health services is somehow unethical
• Perfection is required before going public

Sound familiar? These beliefs sit quietly in the back of our therapist brains, creating what Evan brilliantly called "perfection paralysis"- that state where we procrastinate on marketing by convincing ourselves we're just being thorough.

Your marketing beliefs aren't truths - they're distortions that need challenging just like the ones you help clients work through. Start by writing down every "icky" feeling you have about marketing and ask yourself: Is this actually true, or is this a story I've inherited?

The Transformation: From Scattered to Strategic

Evan's practice journey reads like many therapists' experiences. After graduating in 2019, he worked in treatment centers, juggled government positions for that "cozy security," and found himself leaving home at 7 AM and returning at 9 PM. New baby at home. Burnout creeping in. Something had to give.

The leap to full-time private practice came with the classic fears:

• "No one's going to book sessions"
• "I'm going to be broke"
• "What if people don't like me?"

But here's what actually happened when Evan joined the Full Practice Formula:

Week 1-2: Foundation Work

• Identified his niche (men's mental health) was already 85% of his practice
• Recognized his marketing avoidance wasn't about time—it was about beliefs
• Started challenging the narrative that therapists can't be visible leaders

Week 3-4: Taking Action

• Created a Facebook business page (yes, starting from scratch)
• Began posting on LinkedIn twice weekly
• Fired his SEO company that wasn't serving his vision
• Completely revamped his website with his ideal client in mind

Week 5-6: Results Started Rolling In

• 1600% increase in website traffic
• 1500% increase in site engagement
• More consistent bookings filling his schedule strategically - 3 new clients per week consistently
• Money saved from firing the SEO company actually paid for the entire program

The Real Win: Confidence and Clarity

The traffic numbers are impressive, sure. But ask Evan what really changed, and he'll tell you it's the confidence shift. He's no longer the jack-of-all-trades therapist trying to please everyone. He's the guy who specializes in men's mental health, who uses Adlerian therapy, and who shows up authentically in his marketing.

What shifted internally:

• Moved from hiding expertise to owning his specialized approach
• Stopped "procrasta-working" (doing busy work to avoid marketing)
• Started making decisions based on his values, not external shoulds
• Developed sustainable routines instead of reactive scheduling

"I think the biggest one is like marketing is salesy, like marketing is manipulation, marketing is like not something therapists can do ethically," Evan shared. "I think those are the main ones that I didn't know that I held them, but then I was reflecting, I was like, yeah, I really have that thought."

Practical Steps Evan Implemented (That You Can Too)

1. Niche Down Without Fear

Evan was worried niching would make his work boring. Instead, he discovered he could have six men in their 30s on his schedule and have six completely different conversations. The focus actually made his work more energizing, not less.

2. Put the Lemonade Stand on the Street

Stop perfecting in private. Evan's website wasn't getting traffic because no one could find it. His first posts on LinkedIn and Facebook were humble, but they were visible. That's what mattered.

3. Fire What's Not Working

That SEO company charging monthly fees but not delivering? Gone. Sometimes scaling means subtracting before you add.

4. Schedule Consistently

Two posts per week on specific days (Tuesdays and Thursdays). Not perfect posts. Not viral posts. Just consistent, valuable content for his ideal clients.

5. Focus on Process, Not Perfection

"What's the process, not the perfection?" became Evan's mantra. The goal isn't a flawless marketing strategy—it's showing up in a way that aligns with your values and serves your ideal clients.

What Would Have Happened Without the Shift?

When asked where he'd be without making these changes, Evan's answer was clear: "I think I'd be in the same place that I was before, just saying yes too much, not saying yes to myself, keeping the irregularity in my schedule, and a lot of progress to working."

Progress to working—that thing where we stay busy to avoid the real work of visibility and growth.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to see results from therapy practice marketing? Evan saw a 160% traffic increase within weeks of implementing changes, but the internal shifts started happening immediately once he addressed his marketing beliefs.

Do I need to be on all social media platforms as a therapist? No. Evan started with just Facebook and LinkedIn, posting twice weekly. Choose platforms where your ideal clients actually are.

Is it ethical for therapists to market their services? Absolutely. Marketing is how your ideal clients find you. It's not manipulation—it's visibility that serves the people who need your specific expertise.

What if I'm worried niching down will make my work boring? Evan had the same fear. Reality? Working with a focused client population is more energizing because you develop deep expertise and work within your wheelhouse.

How do I overcome perfection paralysis with marketing? Start by identifying the beliefs driving the paralysis. Then focus on process over perfection—what's one small, imperfect action you can take this week?

Your Lemonade Stand Deserves to Be Seen

Here's the thing about Evan's story that matters most: he's not special. He's a regular therapist with the same fears, the same beliefs about marketing, and the same desire to help people that you have. The difference? He challenged those beliefs and took imperfect action.

Your beautiful website, your specialized expertise, your capacity to help - none of it matters if your ideal clients can't find you. Marketing isn't betraying your therapeutic values. It's honouring them by making sure the people who need your help can actually access it.

Ready to put your lemonade stand on the street? The visibility might feel uncomfortable at first (Evan's Facebook page started with very few views), but that discomfort is growth. And on the other side? A practice that fills strategically, serves your ideal clients, and actually supports the life you want to live.

Because at the end of the day, you didn't become a therapist to hide in your garage.

~Cecilia

About the Author: Cecilia Mannella is a Business Coach and Registered Clinical Counselor with 25+ years in mental health practice and 18+ years building therapy practices from solo practitioner to seven-figure group practice. She hosts the "Purpose & Profit: Scale Your Therapy Practice" podcast and specializes in helping established therapists scale sustainably without sacrificing their values or sanity.

Want to connect with Evan Vukets or learn more about his men's mental health practice? Find him on LinkedIn and Facebook under Evan Vukets Counselling.