How to Trust Your Gut as a Holistic Therapist: A Real-Life Lesson

The Client That Seemed Lovely (But Set Off My Alarm Bells)

I met a woman at a holistic fair. She was warm, polite, and friendly. She booked a massage for herself and her daughter. All good, right? But something seemed off.

I ignored it, because I was just being silly and it made no logical sense. Because she was lovely. And it's always great to get new clients.

The Treatment That Didn’t Go to Plan

On the day of the treatment, two therapists from my centre were looking after her and her daughter. Then I got the call:

“Jenny… they don’t want to pay.”

My little inner voice was really shouting this time. And I listened.

I said: “Tell them to go. I’ll pay you. Get them out and block them.”

Afterwards, the therapist explained what happened:

• The daughter was fine, even enjoyed the session.

• The mother complained from the moment she walked in:“It’s cold. It’s still cold. I’m freezing.”(The room was heated and blankets were provided.)

• At the end, she said: “That was terrible. I’m not paying.”

The daughter paid half.

The Plot Twist: She Was Known for This

Later that week, another therapist saw her name in our appointment book and said:

“Oh my God, you didn’t actually have her in, did you?!”

I asked why.

Turns out, this woman is well known for pulling this exact kind of stunt: - Hiring people for work, then refusing to pay. She once refused to pay a tradesman for a bathroom job — he had to go to Small Claims Court to get just some of the payment. Four or five other people had similar experiences with her.

The therapist is a friend of a friend of the bathroom guy, and she had heard all the stories.

Hilariously, The "Client" Tried To Book Again!

About a month later, she rang back — from a different phone number — trying to book another treatment. Clearly hoping I wouldn’t recognise her.

I kept it polite:

“I’m terribly sorry, we’re actually fully booked up.”

She said: “Oh, I can take something next week.”

I thought, “You most definitely can NOT”

I said:  “I’m afraid we’re booked out for the next two months. Very sorry.”

Then she asked:  “Is there anywhere else in the area you’d recommend?”

I wouldn't inflect her on anyone else and I replied:  “No, I’m very sorry. There’s nowhere I’d be able to recommend. All the best now. Goodbye!”

Blocked. Again.

Why You Should Always Trust Your Gut as a Therapist

When you’re running a holistic practice, it’s easy to second-guess yourself. But having a steady stream of clients and confidence in your work gives you the freedom to say no without guilt, stress, or overthinking.

After that experience, I made a promise to myself:

When something feels off, I listen. Even if they’re nice. Even if there’s no obvious red flag. Even if it makes no sense.

If you’re working in holistic therapy, trusting your gut isn’t just intuition — it’s a skill. One that helps protect your time, energy, and sanity.

That’s why I'm creating the Holistic Business Accelerator — to help therapists like you attract consistent bookings, build rebookings naturally, and feel secure enough to trust your instincts and walk away from clients who aren’t a good fit.

You can join the waitlist here and I'll let you know as soon as it's ready.

Dealing with Difficult Clients in Holistic Therapy: Final Thoughts

While there’s never a 100% guarantee that you won’t attract the occasional tricky client, I’ve found that when you’re offering treatments you genuinely love and feel passionate about, you give off a certain energy — and that energy tends to attract the right kind of clients.

In over 30 years of doing this work, I’ve only had to deal with this kind of situation a couple of times. And I only got bitten once — because the other times, I listened to my gut and said no.

Your instincts are there for a reason. In this line of work, learning to trust your gut as a therapist isn’t just about avoiding stress — it’s about creating a safe, respectful space for you and your clients.

Have you ever ignored your gut and regretted it? Or listened to it and been glad you did? Leave a comment below or share your story — I’d love to hear it.