Who Is Your Ideal Client, Really? | GP 313

Client fit in therapy, ideal client, Ideal client avatar, practice of the practice, private practice marketing, Therapist marketing strategy, Therapist niche

Podcast (group): Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Email | RSS

Who is your ideal client truly, beyond plain demographics and assumptions? How much of your own past is reflected in the clients you serve best? What fears or barriers might be stopping your ideal client from reaching out to you today?

In this podcast episode, Brandon Shurn discusses his journey to growth and how he developed his “ideal” client avatar.

Podcast Sponsor: Headway

I want to thank Headway for sponsoring this episode. If you run a group practice, you know that accepting insurance can be overwhelming. Between credentialing, billing, and payroll, the admin side can easily take over your week.

Headway was built to help you handle this — and they’re the only platform designed specifically for in-network group practices. Whether you’re growing your team or running an established practice, Headway makes the business side easier with faster credentialing, higher per-session rates, and biweekly payments your team can count on. They work with therapy, psychiatric, and hybrid groups — and there are no subscription fees. Just the support you need to run your practice with ease.

Run your best group practice with Headway — trusted by thousands of group practice leaders to simplify insurance admin and reach more people through in-network care.

Curious how Headway can work for you?

In This Podcast

“Who are they?”
Is part of who you were within your ideal client avatar?
What could hold them back from pursuing therapy?
What does success look like?

“Who are they?”

This is the first question that you can ask yourself in building out your ideal client avatar:

“Who are they?”

Demographically: Where they are located
Situationally: The position that they are currently in within their lives
Age: How old they are, specifically, or a general five-year range

Are they students? Are they emerging professionals? Are they new parents, executives? Are they retirees? That all comes into play when you think about the age bracket. (Brandon Shurn)

What cultural community or identity are they part of? Which ones do you understand enough to serve competently and compassionately?

If you want to stay culturally sensitive and have a sense of humility about you, remain curious about the person sitting across from you. Understand that, even if you share a cultural heritage or similarities in culture, there might be some differences, and you want to appreciate and acknowledge that. (Brandon Shurn)

Are there any practical constraints that they face when reaching out to you for therapy? Could it be scheduling, payment, or cost?
What do they fear most, either implicitly or explicitly?
Which specific problems or symptoms are they likely to bring with them into therapy with you?

Is part of who you were within your ideal client avatar?

Typically, your ideal client is you in a past version of yourself. (Brandon Shurn)

This is not always the case, but sometimes, a part of what makes up your ideal client avatar is you! Or who you were, or something that you went through.

Many people often go into helping professions due to personal experience or experience that was within their homes or communities.

When you learn to see the wood from the trees in that regard, it can become easier for you to market your services to that ideal client who you know will gain positive results from working with you, because you know them well.

What are they running away from? What are they running towards? Some of this stuff, if you utilize yourself as a template, it will allow you to speak more freely about it and craft it. (Brandon Shurn)

What could hold them back from pursuing therapy?

What obstacles could hold them back from engaging in therapy? Do your ideal clients:

Have limiting beliefs about who needs therapy, or what therapy is?
Struggle to get their schedules cleared to see you during office hours?
Have a tight budget?

Understanding a few of the obstacles or struggles that your ideal client has to go through to receive therapy, or reach their therapeutic goals, can help you to market yourself more accurately to your clients in a way that really encourages them to reach out to you.

It will also make them trust that you see them and understand their circumstances.

What does success look like?

This question is important because it allows you to notice when things work – or don’t work. What does success look like for them as clients, and for you as the therapist?

When I’m looking at this and when I’m exploring this question, I want to know how I know when it is working for them. What would be some telltale signs? That’s something that I need to know, and I need to be aware of. (Brandon Shurn)

For example, you can ask and answer:

What specific transformation do I help clients achieve?
What client characteristics predict their success or lack of success in therapy with me?

Useful Links:

Curious how Headway can work for you?

Check out these additional resources:

Meet Prof. Brandon Shurn

Brandon Shurn, Ph.D., LCPC, LMHC, AFC®, NCC, is a licensed clinical professional counselor and the founder of EmPower Me Holistic Counseling, a fully virtual Maryland-based practice. He’s also a full-time professor in Seattle University’s online Clinical Mental Health Counseling program. With extensive experience launching and directing university training clinics, Brandon now focuses on helping therapists design and grow impactful, sustainable practices. Outside of his work, he enjoys fitness, yoga, Wing Chun, golf, reading, and spending time with his family and dogs.

Visit Empower Me Counseling, and connect with Brandon on Instagram and LinkedIn.

Email him at: brandon@practiceofthepractice.com

Share this content