Q&A was part of Next Level Practice, the most supportive community for therapists starting a private practice. In this video, Joe answers the question based on how to add clients to your private practice.
Question
Jen: I’m in a similar situation to Teresa, Monday is my last day of the group practice, and I have my first private practice client next Friday. So I’m scrambling to use your paper packet to put together my intake forms.
Answer
Joe: Hey Jen, sounds like an exciting / somewhat terrifying time!
Jen: It is! Everything’s really happened pretty quickly in the last two weeks. I wasn’t anticipating it to happen as quickly, which is why I don’t have my paperwork in order.
Joe: So let me just start with saying that going from zero to one is the hardest jump. Then one to two is the next hardest, and then after that, when you’re at five, you’re kind of trucking along. So, congratulations on the first client! Do you know how they found you?
Jen: Well, I did a networking event last Saturday and it was it was a panel of vendors that I had found out about and asked to be a part of like a few days before the event. Also, it was for my target client, so I thought it would be a good idea to get to know the other vendors as referral sources, as well as get my name out there for potential clients. I really didn’t get too much interest there, but then an attendee reached out to me yesterday for ‘couple’s counseling’ and wanted to set up an appointment next week.
Joe: So, I would say if there’s any more of those kind of events, definitely find as many of those types of events, or host your own. Doing something like ‘drinks with shrinks’, where you bring together other counselors and say, ‘Hey, we’re all meeting up at this place for happy hour to just talk about our practices and get to know each other quickly’. That’s a really good way to connect with other people. What’s your specialty area?
Jen: I am working with couples. Just helping couples connect and then helping women thrive through life transitions. So that’s anyone from adolescents transitioning, as well as pregnancy and having children, divorce, empty-nest, etc.
Joe: Sure, I would want you to probably clarify one group a little bit more. Is there one of those groups that, for you, you just really enjoy even more?
Jen: Not really, I mean I really enjoy working with women and I also really enjoy working with couples.
Joe: So, in this community, would you say there a lot of couples therapists?
Jen: There aren’t that many that do EFT (emotion focused therapy) – it’s just a handful of us that practice EFT.
Joe: Okay, if you were to zoom into getting more couples, then I would say again writing a bunch of blog posts is really going to help you rank for that. Where you at with your Google My Business?
Jen: All I have is a Facebook page. I just threw that together before the event. I don’t have a website, I don’t have a Google My Business.
Joe: So depending on your budget, you can build your own website. I would just look through some themes on ThemeForest find a theme that you like, and then pay the extra $200 or so for them to install the themes, so that it looks like the the theme preview. Then at least all that installation is done and it looks pretty, all you have to do is go in and add the content.
Joseph R. Sanok, MA, LLP, LPC, NCC
Joe Sanok is an ambitious results expert. He is a private practice business consultant and counselor that helps small businesses and counselors in private practice to increase revenue and have more fun! He helps owners with website design, vision, growth, and using their time to create income through being a private practice consultant. Joe was frustrated with his lack of business and marketing skills when he left graduate school. He loved helping people through counseling, but felt that often people couldn’t find him. Over the past few years he has grown his skills, income, and ability to lead others, while still maintaining an active private practice in Traverse City, MI. To link to Joe’s Google+ .
