Really defeated and disheartened.

So I am actually a mental health therapist and had a a few major life changes within the past month so I realize I may be overexaggerating/jumping the gun on some of this.
I left my job about a month ago. Like walked out because of ethical and mental health reasons. I was miserable and kept sinking further and further. I joined a group practice that was also starting up (I knew a couple of the people that were starting it). I was reassured that referrals shouldn't be a problem since that was probably my biggest anxiety. I had a private practice a couple of years ago that closed due to COVID/no referrals. The difference this time was that I was going to have a lot more support on virtually every end. Well...about a month in and I have yet to get a referral from the "normal" networks (Psychology today, internal referrals, facebook group for therapists). I can see the number of people that have viewed my psychology today profile and have yet to get a call or email. I have made changes, consulted with some other therapists, and nothing still. I have gotten one internal referral but they have not responded to any of my contact.
At this point I feel like there is just something wrong with me and that this whole idea of having a sustainable private practice is going to fail. I hear about these other people getting filled up so quickly from these other sources, and I have less than a handful of clients coming from one source because they have such a huge waitlist. I feel like I am disappointing my family, I am disappointing myself, and I feel embarrassed when talking to my colleagues. I know it's only been a month, but I am really banking on this succeeding and am beating myself which seems to get worse each passing day. I don't know what to do and I keep trying to reach out to places for referrals. I feel like there is just something wrong with me that is going to make this fail and I should just stop and find some job just to pay the bills.

I'm so sorry this is happening to you! It seems to me that you are the victim and not the cause of these unfortunate circumstances. Often it is the most innocent and kind-hearted people who suffer the most misfortunes in life. Wish I knew what to say to help! I think you are a very noble and heroic human being.

Sorry that you feel guilty for quitting your therapist role at that start-up practice after you experienced major life changes. Ethical and mental health reasons to leave a job makes sense to me. Why feel bad about it?

What you can do to job search is to network on websites like LinkedIn. And, volunteer your time at the local walk-in counseling center as a therapist or better yet - see if there are job openings there for a licensed therapist to oversee the operations. You could supervise graduate students who are training to be licensed therapists?

Don't beat yourself up.

If you don't think your colleagues at that small group practice would give you supportive and positive referral letters for jobs, then don't ask them. Contact your previous professors in your licensure program to ask them to write you a letter of recommendation. And, volunteer your time so you can get those people onboard as work references, even though you'd be volunteering your time.

If you truly want to be a mental health therapist: physician...heal thyself. Whatever trauma you experienced at that small group practice really has you rattled. Don't let that deter you if being a therapist is your life's calling.

Take a break and go work in a coffee shop as a barista, or work in office environments as a contract temporary through a temp agency. Anything to get income while you sort through this event/s that diverted your career path (temporarily b/c nothing in life is permanent, not even being unemployed).

Take it one day at a time. That's all you can really do. Don't let your anxiety control your actions. Anxiety is just worrying about the "what ifs" of the future that hasn't happened yet. It's a coping mechanism to cope with the unknown: worry. You can worry constructively.

By that I mean, you can set realistic goals for yourself and give yourself permission to worry for a limited amount of time every day, where you won't judge yourself for your worrying; you'll just allow yourself to go from 0 to 60 without taking any action, b/c you need to process the stress from leaving that small group practice.

Clearly, that place must have been super toxic to your well-being. Focus on the positives of leaving that horrible place.