Daily I receive emails from therapists who are struggling to keep their private practices going. The note of desperation in these emails is hard to miss. “This economy is killing me. I need more clients. How do I find them and get them in the door?”
Over the years, those of us who are practice-building coaches for therapists have been teaching the marketing skills that will draw more private-pay clients into waiting rooms. The question to which we keeping addressing ourselves and our efforts is and always has been: What can I do to fill more private-session hours?
What’s the real question?
Now I’m wondering if this isn’t the wrong question. Especially in a difficult economy, it seems that the right question really isn’t “How do we help therapists do more of the same—get more individual clients?” Perhaps the real question should be, “How do I do meaningful clinical work and sustain a good income over the short and long term, regardless of the economy?” Notice that this new question makes no mention of attracting individual private-pay clients.
… read the complete story ~ http://issuu.com/onlinetherapyinstitute/docs/tiltimagiss6?mode=window&pageNumber=42
This article first appeared in the July 2011 issue of TILT Magazine ~ Therapeutic Innovations in Light of Technology.
Casey Truffo, MFT is an award-winning speaker and coach to therapists on five continents. She is the author of Be a Wealthy Therapist: Finally You Can Make a Living While Making a Difference. Founder of the International Therapist Leadership Institute (www.InTLI.com), her mission is to enrich the lives and careers of therapists worldwide. For tools, tips, videos, and her virtual conferences please visit www.INTLI.com, and www.BeAWealthyTherapist.com
