Are you still marketing yourself as a generalist?

"Donald Roller Wilson" by Wonderlane

Do you pride yourself as a Jack or Jane of all trades i.e. “I work with everyone!” ?

If so, you are confusing what you do with how you market.  What you do and who you work with may very well include a large variety of issues and clients.  However, if you have too many empty time slots on your calendar, your generalist marketing may be your problem.

There was a time when marketing yourself as a generalist was the hallmark of a go-to therapist.  It was thought that she could do it all.  But things have changed and so should you.

• Today, clients want an “expert” and nicheing lends itself to the perception of expertise.
• Marketing yourself as a generalist makes you forgettable.  And, marketing yourself as someone who has a special interest in X, makes you memorable.
• Nicheing allows you to market your services in a more focused way.  That translates to less money, less wasted time, and more strategic contacts.

So the real question is . . . What’s keeping you from nicheing your practice TODAY?

Tags: Niche

Here’a The Original White Christmas with Santa & His Reindeer to wish you each a wonderful Christmas and a prosperous new year in your private practice!

Tags: Christmas

Here’s a little trip around the world during the holiday season. Hope your holidays are all that you wish them to be!

Tags: Christmas

I was reading this post by Jennifer Gandin Le

Making Notes on GTD" by Stompy / Abizer

in the blog, Crucial Minutiae.  In it she references Natalie Goldberg’s concept of a “Practice Notebook.”  According to Le, Goldberg suggests using a notebook to establish a habit of self-monitoring your writing practices.  I love this idea . . . and not just for writing!

Your habits of private practice need monitoring, too! Borrowing from Goldberg’s suggestion, one way to do this would be to designate a practice notebook.  In it, you should record the date every single day, whether or not you have worked on your practice, and any related thoughts you may have .

Remember . . . working on your business is not the same as working in your business.  Your practice notebook should contain your notes and thoughts about working on the business.

Go ahead!  Give it a try for 30 straight days and let me know what changes for you!

Tags: Habit, Practice Notebook

According to Richard K. Harding, M.D.,

One does not escape war by leaving the war zone.”

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1057/751707089_c25111d1c8.jpg

And, here’s the reason why . . . .

From a business perspective, this is a potential niche for you.

Is anyone out there already working with veterans?  Care to comment?

Tags: Military, Niche

I just realized that many of you are asking about what’s happening in the 2009 Annual Series of Private Practice from the Inside Out and I haven’t been very good about letting you know.  Here’s what they’re saying after our last session . . . .

It was really good for me to look at my low confidence and speak it out loud.”

“Direct feedback on my business cards and brochures was the best part about our class today.  It took the concepts we had talked about and it made them practical, usable and real.”

“My energy and excitement continues to grow as we talk about (and as I write / journal about) building our practices.”

“I am encouraged and motivated to do get my business cards made . . . and to create the language I want to use for my business.”

If you are interested in joining me for the 2010 Annual Series of Private Practice from the Inside Out, drop me an email back channel and I’ll put you on my tickler list!

Tags: Brand, Business Card, Continuous Learning, Fee, Menu of Services, Name Recognition, Niche

"Mental Patient Strapped to Chair" by Curious Expeditions

If you are in need of diagnostic codes from the DSM-IV or the ICD-9-CM, check out this handy little website at DoctorCodes.com.  By entering the first part of a diagnosis, the site will give you the correct diagnostic code!  Quick and sweet!  Just make sure you are entering the correct diagnosis to begin with!

Tags: Diagnosis, DSM-IV, ICD-9-CM

If you have been marketing to the educational community with little success, you may need to slow down and reassess your own educational history.  Your personal relationship with education may be getting in the way . . . .

Linda L. Lawless and G. Jean Wright suggest in their book, How to Get Referrals: The Mental Health Professional’s Guide to Strategic Marketing, that you ask the following questions when reviewing your educational history:

"Not My Hat!" by Alan Levine / cogdogblog

• Are there any teachers in your family? Are any family members employed by the school system?  What is their input to other family members regarding their work and the system?
• What has been the family response to their vocation?
• What educational levels have been attained by family members?  Did they attend public or private schools?  If private, was it religious or nonsectarian?
• What has been shared about their experience?  What was the quality of the experience?
• What has been your educational experience from kindergarten through graduate school?  Your siblings?  How do you rate it?
• Who were your favorite teachers?  Worst teachers?  In your experience and /or perceptions, what were the characteristics of each that made them “good” or “bad” teachers?  As you reflect on these relationships, what are you feeling now?
• What are your family’s belief systems, biases, prejudices, regarding education and the educational system (school taxes, the school board, election of board members)?
• Did any family members ever serve on the school board?
• What is your trust level of teachers?
• Do you have special training that would correlate with the experiences and needs of educational professionals?
• Do you have children in school?  If so, public or private?  How do you make decisions regarding your children’s education?

It is critical when marketing to the educational community that you feel comfortable and that they know that. Liberally share your unique school stories with other professionals in the educational community.  Use your unique experiences to help guide where you choose to enter the market.  If you attended a private or parochial school, consider focusing your energy on the same.

By taking the time to reflect on your own school experiences, you will increase your comfort and effectiveness in marketing to this community.

Related Posts

Another Strategy for Marketing to the Educational Community:
Collaborating with Your Competitors

Gathering Market Research on the Educational Community

Teachers Needs Vary and So Should Your Marketing Strategies

Tags: School, Stories

Casey Truffo has extended a generous offer to you on her website . . . . Until  9 pm Eastern / 6 pm Pacific on Sunday December 13th , Casey is inviting you to download her entire 300+ page book, Be a Wealthy Therapist, Make a Living While Making a Difference.  You can take advantage of her offer right here.

Tags: Free

Everything you do for your client matters.  If and how you choose to diagnose your client matters a lot.  Amanda B. wrote in asking if it is OK to routinely give a diagnosis of Adjustment Disorder to her clients if they do not exhibit symptoms warranting a more serious diagnosis.  (She was trying to help them get reimbursed by their health insurance companies.)

The short answer is “No it’s not.” As tempting as it may be to slap an Adjustment Disorder diagnosis on to every client who is dealing with normal life transitions, it’s not wise and it’s not OK — clinically, ethically, or legally.

"Worried Woman" by HikingArtist.com / Frits Ahlefeldt-Laurvig

The clinical implication is this . . . by intentionally giving your client the wrong diagnosis, in this case a more serious diagnosis than is truly warranted, you pathologize your client.  This is like going to your primary care doctor for a mosquito bite and him diagnosing you with an infection.  Mosquito bites happen just like life happens.  Misdiagnosing does nothing to empower your client.  Nor does it inform her about the real nature of what’s going on or lead her toward useful strategies for managing the transition at hand.

Ethically you’ve failed . . . to provide honest, accurate and useful information to your client if you’ve told her she has something different than what is true.  You’ve also set yourself up to provide inaccurate information to others i.e. physicians, lawyers, etch.  that may gain access to your records later on.

And, legally, you’re setting yourself up for big trouble. When you choose to list an inaccurate diagnosis on health insurance claims forms and submit them, you have just committed insurance fraud.  Should you choose to put the inaccurate diagnosis into your clinical record, you have falsified documents and failed to meet the professional standard of care.

If knowing all of this you are still tempted (perhaps you believe with good intentions) to misdiagnose a client, seek clinical, ethical, and legal consultation.

[Update 10 Dec. 2009 5:54 pm - Of course, mental health professionals are not the only one fudging on diagnoses.  Check out The Last Psychiatrist blog post, "How Am I Going To Get Paid If It Isn't Autism?"]

Related Posts

A Speedy Little Tool for DSM-IV and ICD-9-CM Coding

Tags: Diagnosis, Documentation, Ethics, Fraud, Standard of Care

I’ve been reading Louis Baraja’s book, Small Business, Big Life: 5 Steps to Creating a  Great Life with Your Own Small Business.  In it he lists the  22 Temptations of a Small Business Owner that entrepreneurs often fail to notice and then stumble over while building their businesses.

That list got me to thinking about the many ways that psychotherapists and allied health professionals get tripped up on the way to building their businesses so I decided to share my list of 22 things you say (with a nod t o Louis Baraja) before you even know your private practice is in trouble .

You Know Your Private
Practice is in Trouble When You Say . . . .

1. “I’ve always been ‘Dear Abbey’ with my friends so I might as well hang my shingle out and charge for it!” Just because you are good at something doesn’t mean that you should do it professionally.  And, even if you decide that you want to work in health care, you need to take time to consider the huge differences between working for yourself and working for someone else.  Those differences matter.
   
2. “I’m not really sure what I’m doing business-wise . . . but I have a client!” The vast majority of businesses that succeed start with a plan . . . not necessarily a Business Plan but they all have a plan.  By that I mean you need to have an understanding of how the business fits into the larger plan for your whole life . . . and how it contributes to that bigger life plan.
   
3. “I haven’t thought about how many hours I want to work or how much money I want to make this year . . . but I know I want to help people. When you enter into private practice especially in health care, you need to begin with the end in mind.  The end matters and will actually dictate the choices that you make along the way.  By keeping your values and your priorities at the forefront  (including how many hours you want to work and how much money you want to make), you will be better able to stay focused on the tasks necessary to achieve your ideal business.
   
4. “I don’t have regular business hours.  I work late into the night on my business” and eventually “I’ve burned out.” It’s easy when you’re getting started to over-commit and over-invest in your business.  What I know is that you cannot give what you do not have . . . good boundaries, balanced life, energy and focus, etc.  Self-care is critical especially at the start of a new practice or a new project.  Reinforce those habits now . . . at the beginning.  And, if you don’t have them, find a therapist or coach to help you put them in place.  Otherwise, you will not survive the demands of private practice.
   
5. “My preference is to hire and network with people just like me.” I know that you’re more comfortable with people just like you (Me, too!) but they won’t help you long term take your business to the next level.  Differences in skills, experiences, and even politics will be assets to you in many ways.  As long as the people you hire and network with can share your vision for your practice, their differences can serve you well.
   
6. “My business partner and I constantly struggle with the direction of the business.” If that’s true, then you’ve got too many leaders in the room.  In your practice, your vision is the one that needs to be the guiding force.  Be cautious and be clear about why you want to partner with someone.  Often it is a better choice to hire or consult with individuals (assuming they buy in to your vision) rather than bringing in an actual partner (who has a different / competing vision on his own).
   
7. “I am constantly reinventing the wheel.” Take the time to create systems and templates to streamline your work so that as your appointment book begins to fill in, you are able to efficiently delegate or complete your repetitive tasks.    
   
8. “I work with everything and everybody.” Don’t say it!  Stay focused on your ideal client and market to him or her.  Of course, you’ll work with others but target your message and your efforts to working only with your ideal client and withing your niche.
   
9. “I need to work harder at ___________.” [fill in your weakness] Successful entrepreneurs delegate or manage their weaknesses; they focus on their strengths.  In fact, Marlane Miller in her book, BrainStyles, says that by focusing on our weaknesses, we just build stronger weaknesses.
   
10. “I can’t spend money until I start making money.” Wrong!  Have faith in your calling and invest in your practice.  If you aren’t willing to invest in you, don’t expect anyone else to invest in your either!
    
11. “My friend needs a little extra income so I’m going to hire her to do my accounting.” Hire people because they are exquisitely qualified and not because they are your friend and you want to help someone out.  You are running a business, not a social service organization.
    
12. “I’m really good at flying by the seat of my pants so I’ll just deal with it when it comes up.” Not a good idea.  Take the time to create a plan . . . a blueprint for your practice and for your life.  Then, stick to it.
    
13. “I don’t need to hire anyone to do anything.  I can do it all myself!  (And, besides, I’ll save money doing it this way!) If this is what you’re thinking, then you have some control issues to deal with.  You cannot do everything well and if you cannot do it well, you need to find someone i.e hire someone else who will do it well. 
    
14. “I’ll hang my shingle out and the masses will come!” No.  They won’t.  What will get clients is a strategic plan and follow through.  Who are you going to talk to about your practice? Where are you going to publicize your practice?
    
15. “In order to open my private practice, I need all the bells and whistles . . . a white noise machine, new office furniture, a posh location, special software to keep my progress notes in, etc.” Not really.  What’s going to prepare you to open your private practice is you laying the foundation for name recognition, building trust in the community, and following through on your commitments.
    
16. “I will work with anyone who will pay me.” Another bad idea.  Work with your ideal clients.  It’s your calling.  Refer the others out.
    
17. “This is too hard so I quit.” Many therapists throw in the towel and quit too soon because they didn’t go get the info that they really needed – the business and marketing info that you didn’t get in graduate school.  Take the time to learn the info . . . take classes, read articles, interview other more seasoned therapists, hire a business coach.  Learn what you need to know in order to jump start your practice. 
    
18. “I’m doing great so I’m not going to ask for feedback.” When you’re doing great, is the perfect time to ask for feedback!  Learn what you are doing well so that you keep getting that feedback.
    
19. “I know everything there is to know about being in private practice” or “There are things I need to know but I’m not going to pay another professional to get that information because  I’m not worth it or I’ll figure it out.” Again, quit fooling yourself and go get the help / info that you need.  Hire a counselor or an attorney or a coach or whomever.  Don’t just delude yourself into failing.  It’s not necessary!
    
20. “I don’t know how to explain to clients why they should work with me.” That’s a really big problem.  Then you need help learning to articulate what gifts you bring to your practice.  Sign up for a class, hire a coach, work with a copywriter or wordsmith.  It’s one of the single most important things you can do to build your reputation in the community.
    
21. “What’s wrong with my clients?  They aren’t getting better.” Well, that’s definitely a problem . . .  and it’s a bigger problem for you than it is for your clients!  If your clients aren’t getting better, you need to change . . . start or stop doing something, learn something new, talk with a consultant, etc.  Whatever you do, don’t blame it on “resistent clients.” 
    
22. “I don’t need an exit strategy because I’m going to be in this business forever.” Even if you do plan to be in private practice forever, you still need make an exit plan.  It will help you focus on building your practice up . . . to promote, to sell, or to expand.

Have you tripped up on these already?  Or, do you have other red-flag statements to share?

Tags: Priorities, Strategic Plan, Systems, Vision

When I left employment to begin my own private practice in 1991,

"Question Marks on the Wall" by Lone Black Rider / Filip Bunkens

I started by identifying therapists that I believed to be highly successful.   Then, I picked up the phone, introduced myself, and asked if I could take them to lunch or coffee to pick their brains about being in private practice. Whether you are just starting out in private practice or are wanting to revitalize your practice, that’s a good place for you to start, too.

Most mental health professionals will be flattered if you call.  Let’s face it, it’s an ego boost when someone else thinks that you are successful.  And, many mental health professionals really enjoy mentoring others in the field.

Once you’ve made your phone calls and scheduled your lunches, here are 20 questions for you to ask:

1. How long have you been in private practice? This is really important.  you want to identify therapists who have longevity in the field.  They are who you can really learn from.
2. How did you learn what to do when you were ready to go into private practice? If it worked for him, there’s a good chance that at least part of his learning can work for you, too.
3. What do you know now that you didn’t know when you got started about being in private practice? You might as well learn it now rather than wait.
4. How did your clients initially learn about your services and how do your clients learn about your services now? You want to know about how it was in the beginning for them.  Back then, they were probably on a shoestring budget at best (perhaps like you are now) and still they survived.  In the process of learning what they did back then and what they do now to get clients, you’ll most likely hear how their income and their efforts have changed and refocused.  
5. What mistakes did you make in your early years of private practice? Find out now so that you don’t have to reinvent the wheel.
6. What critical decisions did you need to make about your private practice and why? You may choose to make different decisions but it is often helpful to understand why someone in private practice makes the decisions that they make . . . about policies, workload, billing and fees, etc.
7. Did you ever have a mentor?  Do you now? And, how did you find one? One of the fastest ways for you to jump start your practice is to have a personal mentor to shepherd you on your journey.  Hiring a business coach is one way to find a mentor but it is certainly not the only way.
8. How much time do you set aside to work on the business (not the clinical) of private practice? Successful therapists in private practice spend time visioning, developing, and implementing new ways to grow their businesses.
9. What is your biggest challenge now? Challenges continue throughout the life cycle of a private practice.  Challenges happen; they do not disappear.
10. How long did it take you to turn a profit? The Small Business Administration says that most small businesses fail within the first 5 years and that most successful small businesses take 3-5 years to turn a profit.  I’ve certainly taken it take less time to break even or fail.  However, be wary of those who promise that you’ll be earning big money fast.  Research clearly shows to slow and steady is the way to build a strong foundation for a long-term practice.
11. What do you believe causes a practice to succeed?
12. What do you believe causes a practice to fail?
13. What type of clients do you see? Remember this when you need to refer a client of your own to another therapist.
14. What type of clients do you refer out? If this is a population / issue that interests you, make sure this therapist knows that.  If it is not, then keep an ear open so that you can refer another professional to this therapist.  This is how you network.
15. What resources can you recommend to me as a new therapist that can help me get started on the right track? He may have a favorite website on developing a private practice or an online diagnostic code finder. He may know another therapist looking to share an office or a CPA who can help you set up your quarterly tax payment.  Or, he may have a favorite book or magazine or office supply store to send you to.
16. What do you do to take care of you? Balancing work and home (much less children and additional schooling) is one of those topics that is hardly addressed while you are in school.  Take time to identify now how you will put systems of self care in place.
17. How has your practice changed over the last X (number) of years? It’s important to understand about the life cycle of a practice.  Once it’s up and running, it doesn’t necessarily stay up and running at that level.  Change happens . . . a group practice moves in next door, the local school system has an unexpected need for counselors, an army base closes, you get new clinical training, etc.  Your practice’ life cycle will be different than the therapists’ that you are interview but it is helpful to be reminded that change happens and what you need to do to recognize it as another opportunity for growth.
18. What is the hardest thing about being in private practice? Again, what is hard for him may not be hard for you but knowing about the challenges helps you prepare for them from the beginning.
19. How is your personal life affected by being in private practice? Your professional life and your family’s lives will be impacted by your decision to practice mental health.  When you are in private practice, that impact is even greater.
20. What precautions do you take to keep you and your clients safe in your office? This is another area that is not adequately addressed in graduate school.  There are many things you can do to increase your safety.  Learn about them now.

Remember to take pen and paper with you so that you can take notes.  I’m sure you’ll think of more questions along the way!

If you use this list, I hope you’ll drop back in and let me know how the questions worked for you.  Are there other questions that would be helpful to ask other therapists?

And, if you are a therapist who has been in private practice for a while, why don’t you drop in here  and answer all 20 of these for us.  It’s a good way to introduce yourself and your practice to our community!

Tags: Mentor, Network, Self Care, Vision

Part of growing your private practice includes learning new things.

"Red Thread at WSDP Nepal" by Sara Parker

What books have you been reading to help you grow your private practice and what are you learning from them?

Tags: Red Thread

If you are a health blogger i.e. a therapist who blogs,  then you need to check out Julie Cohen’s thoughtful post on her blog, Links for Shrinks.

And, when you leave here, make sure you leave info about your own health blog with a link so that we can pass your good work along!

Tags: Social Media