Challenging Assumptions
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Five weeks ago I had surgery and post-surgery restrictions meant I couldn’t pick up my 3-year-old son for over a month. As any parent knows, lifting, carrying, and physically comforting our children is woven into nearly every interaction we have with them.
I braced myself for the worst. Meltdowns when he couldn’t be lifted into his favorite rocking chair. Tears when bedtime hugs had to happen differently. Frustration when our established routines suddenly didn’t work anymore.
But something remarkable happened instead.
When a Child Shows You What Adaptability Really Looks Like
My son completely blew me away. Not only did he adapt—he thrived. When I couldn’t lift him into our rocking chair, he problem-solved with me, finding creative ways to climb up himself. He became my gentle reminder when I unconsciously reached to pick him up, offering his hand instead and saying, “Remember mama, you can’t lift me right now.”
His flexibility exceeded every assumption I had about how a 3-year-old would handle such a significant disruption to his world.
That’s when it hit me: if I was this wrong about my own child’s adaptability, what else was I getting wrong?
The Invisible Barriers We Create in Our Practices
As therapists, we’re constantly making assumptions that become invisible barriers to our growth. I see this pattern everywhere in the therapy community, and I’ve been guilty of it myself:
Client Assumptions:
- “My clients could never afford self-pay rates”
- “They wouldn’t want early morning or evening sessions”
- “Group therapy wouldn’t work for my client base”
- “They’re not ready for intensive or specialized treatment”
Market Assumptions:
- “There’s no demand for my specialty in this area”
- “Online therapy won’t work for my population”
- “My community isn’t ready for innovative approaches”
Self-Limiting Beliefs:
- “I’m not experienced enough to charge premium rates”
- “I need more training before I can specialize”
- “I can’t handle a bigger caseload”
- “I’m not ready to expand my practice”
Just like I underestimated my 3-year-old’s problem-solving abilities, we often underestimate our clients’ flexibility, our market’s readiness for change, and our own capabilities.
The Cost of Unchallenged Assumptions
These assumptions don’t just limit our thinking—they limit our reality. When we assume our clients can’t afford higher rates, we never test whether that’s true. When we assume there’s no market for our specialty, we never explore the possibilities.
The result? We stay stuck in patterns that may have outlived their usefulness, just like I initially assumed my son couldn’t handle change.
Testing Your Assumptions: A Framework for Growth
The beautiful thing about assumptions is that they’re just theories waiting to be tested. Here’s how to start challenging yours:
1. Name Your Assumptions
Write down the beliefs you hold about your clients, your market, and your capabilities. Be brutally honest. What stories are you telling yourself about what’s possible?
2. Question Their Origins
Where did these assumptions come from? Are they based on actual evidence, or are they stories you’ve inherited from others, fears you’ve internalized, or outdated experiences?
3. Design Small Experiments
The key is to test your assumptions with low-risk experiments:
- Ask three current clients about their interest in a service you’ve been hesitant to offer
- Survey your email list about session times or formats you’ve assumed wouldn’t work
- Research one specialty area you’ve been convinced has no local demand
4. Gather Real Data
Replace assumptions with actual information. Sometimes you’ll discover your assumptions were protecting you from real challenges—and that’s valuable information too. But often, you’ll find that your clients, your market, and you yourself are more adaptable than you imagined.
Your Clients Are More Resilient Than You Think
Here’s what I’ve learned from both my son’s adaptability and years of practice: people are incredibly resilient and creative when given the opportunity. Your clients have likely navigated far more challenging changes than adjusting to new session times, payment structures, or treatment formats.
That busy professional you assume can’t commit to weekly sessions? They might jump at the chance for a 7 AM slot before their commute. That client you think can’t afford your full fee? They might be willing to invest more in their mental health than you realize.
The Ripple Effect of Challenged Assumptions
When we challenge our assumptions, we don’t just grow our practices—we model adaptability for our clients. We show them that change is possible, that old patterns can be questioned, and that growth often requires stepping outside our comfort zones.
My son didn’t just adapt to our new reality; he taught me something profound about human resilience. He reminded me that our capacity for change and creativity often exceeds our assumptions about what’s possible.
Your Next Step
I challenge you to identify one assumption you’ve been carrying about your practice. Maybe it’s about your clients’ financial capacity, their willingness to try new approaches, or your own readiness to expand your services.
Design one small experiment to test this assumption. Ask the question you’ve been avoiding. Offer the service you’ve been hesitant about. Research the market you’ve been convinced won’t support your specialty.
You might discover that the biggest barrier to your practice’s growth isn’t external circumstances—it’s the assumptions you’ve been carrying about what’s possible.
After all, if a 3-year-old can teach us about adaptability, imagine what we might learn about our own potential when we’re willing to question our limitations.
What assumption about your practice are you ready to challenge? Sometimes the biggest breakthroughs come from testing the beliefs we’ve never questioned.
