When I started coaching therapists, I wanted to help other therapists make the leap from group or agency work to private practice. It was something that changed my life and career for the better. While it wasn’t always smooth and easy sailing, overall it has been the best career choice I’ve made.
Leaving the Group Practice Came Down to This
I gained more flexibility in my schedule which allowed me to focus on professional development and better narrow my focus of treatment, niche. This was such a big deal for me. I wanted to show up refreshed and more engaged in each session. But with the group I worked for before private practice, I didn’t have time to call patients back, much less professional development.
In the group practice, I was scheduling 44 patients a week, they gave me one hour for my own personal therapy. This meant my day started at 8 am and ended with patients at 5 pm. All meetings were at 7 am and notes were before or after the start of the day. It was an exhausting pace. It made me worry about the type of therapist I was showing up as feeling so exhausted.
The Decision to Burn Out for Myself
Then it clicked, I was burning out. I said if I am going to burn out, I want to burn out for myself. Luckily, I was able to keep my full caseload when I went into private practice. That was a major leg up. Now I just needed to figure out how to keep patients coming in the door as others were discharged.
That didn’t come easy or natural to me. Of course I had a Psychology Today, which seemed to be a good choice at the time. I remember hating the typical lingo I read on other therapists profiles and wrote something that felt straight from the heart. While at the time I didn’t know how impactful that would become, it was a huge part of my early years and staying afloat.
I also networked with psychiatrists and other therapists. The place I left eventually shut down their therapy program altogether and the doctors needed a place to send referrals. So the networking paid off until there were too many referrals. That is a story for another time.
The Part I Got Wrong (and right) About Marketing
The part that I waited years to do that I believe I should have started earlier is going to private pay. That was a scary and hard step for me. I was so worried I wouldn’t have any clients and would be without income. Even though insurance was continually cutting rates and doing claw backs on reimbursements. It still felt safer for far too long.
What I learned is that marketing is an extension of me as a provider. Potential patients are looking for someone they connect with because they feel seen and heard. Learning how to convey that message consistently across marketing platforms is key to filling your caseload as a therapist.
That sounds simple enough but therapists struggle with it. You are convinced you don’t have the skills it takes to market. You believe you have to work hard to learn how to market your practice. So you try for a while, then get overwhelmed or busy, stop… try again and follow that loop for a while.
You Already Have the Marketing Skills, They Just Go By a Different Name
I actually do think you as a therapist are already skilled at marketing, you just call it something else. When other people are measuring how long someone stays on their page, you see it as building rapport. When others are trying to use the language of their preferred audience, you call it reflective and active listening. When others are trying to emotionally tap into their audience, you call it empathy.
That is the very foundation of directional marketing to fill your caseload. Learning how to consistently show up across platforms to convey a message that your favorite patients are looking for. See my $97 offer to help you Fill Your Caseload and find your marketing holes.
