4 Striking Details From a New Report on Independent Mental Health Practice

SimplePractice, a practice management platform, today released their Annual State of Private Practice Report, which draws on data from more than 245,000 practitioners and survey responses from over 2200 clinicians.^1,2 The report shares that independent clinicians collectively delivered 113.6 million sessions of mental health care over the course of the year, and 87.9% of clinicians surveyed indicated they intend to remain in the field of mental health through 2026.

The report establishes baseline metrics about independent mental health clinicians and their practices. Lindsay Oberleitner, PhD, a full-time faculty member at the Yale University School of Medicine and head of clinical strategy at SimplePractice, offered a snapshot of the most important details of the report for Psychiatric Times:

• Approximately 88% of clinicians are satisfied with their independent practice and intend to stay in private practice.
• Most clinicians reported having zero business training, highlighting a significant gap in their education.
• Private practice is prevalent in rural areas, with clinicians in rural regions providing 7.8 million sessions in the past year.
• There is a clinician shortage, but many clinicians have available appointments, indicating a mismatch in patient access.

Independent clinicians make up the majority of outpatient mental health care, according to the report, with solo practitioners accounting for 49.8% of clinicians and 85.3% of practices. Overall, Oberleitner noted that independent mental health providers have a significant impact on their communities, but face difficult challenges such as limited resources and a lack of business training.

Dr Oberleitner is a full-time faculty member at the Yale University School of Medicine and head of clinical strategy at SimplePractice.

References

1. SimplePractice releases first-of-its-kind report on independent mental health practice. News release. May 13, 2026. Accessed May 13, 2026. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260513758800/en/SimplePractice-Releases-First-of-Its-Kind-Report-on-Independent-Mental-Health-Practice

2. Annual State of Private Practice Report: 2025 in Review. SimplePractice. May 13, 2026. Accessed May 13, 2026. https://www.simplepractice.com/resource/state-of-private-practice-2025-report/?utm_source=press-release&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=private-practice-report-25&utm_content=announcement