To-Do’s | Private Practice from the Inside Out

Scaffolding For Your Success In Private Practice

Apr
10
2012

If you believe that working really hard on building your private practice will make you successful and also believe that being successful will then make you really happy, then you may be attempting to build your practice on shaky scaffolding. Check out Shaun Achor’s video on TED Talks below.

You’ve heard it before . . . “The absence of dis-ease is not health” and it’s as true in your private practice as it is in your own physical health. If you are ready to try a new strategy for your happiness and success in business, consider a different type of scaffolding by applying some of what we know about “The Happiness Advantage” . . . .

Write three new things each day that you are grateful for. (And, no . . . just thinking about them doesn’t work.) The new research on neurophysiology supports that this combination of mental and physical activity literally restructures your brain’s ability to experience and seek out positive experiences.
Journal daily about one positive thing that has happened to you – better yet make it something that is related to you growing your business. The process of requiring your brain to relive positive experiences actually conditions your brain to expect and find positive experiences more easily.
Exercise daily. Think of it as cognitive restructuring or, as Shaun says, you are “teaching your brain that exercise matters” and activity is key to building a resilient private practice
Meditate daily to help you focus better on your practice-building tasks.
Write one email daily to thank someone in your social / support network. Even better if it’s someone you believe can / will / is helping you to build your practice. (Actually, I’m thinking there are lots of reasons to do this – even if it didn’t contribute to actively building your practice.)

You may believe that building a strong and vibrant private practice is really difficult to do. I used to think that, too. However, once I figured out the keys, I learned that it was only as difficult as I made it.

Try one of these strategies for at least two minutes each day for 21 consecutive days and then . . . drop back in here to let us know what has changed for you. (And, if you can’t commit to two minutes / day to improve your private practice, . . . you may want to take a look at that instead. Building a strong private practice does not have to be hard . . . but it does require focus and commitment to your dreams.)

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Filed under: Grow Your Practice, Stress Busters, To-Do's, Writing | Publishing Tagged with Attitude, Happiness | Joy, Success, YouTube

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Is Your Niche Working With Victims Or Offenders Of Sexual Assault?

Apr
5
2012

by Tamara Suttle

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month (known as SAAM). If your practice is focused on working with victims or offenders of sexual assault, this is a campaign that you should take advantage of.

Check out this YouTube video on the SAAM campaign.

Looking for ideas about how to incorporate this into your own marketing this month? Consider some of these possibilities . . . .

If you are active on social media, check out these great ideas.
Organize a “Cup of Prevention” with books stores, coffee shops, and small cafes. Asking that business owners make a small donation to a local prevention effort for each cup of coffee sold.
Participate in a Slutwalk Protest like this one in San Antonio. Let others know that you oppose blaming the victim.
Create a letter-writing campaign with others to address national, state, and local leaders about governmental policies related to sexual violence and the way they impact your community’s quality of life.
Start a restroom campaign by placing signs / posters on the back of bathroom stalls. You can download and use this one, this one, and this one.
Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper. (Here’s a template to help you get started.)
Collaborate on a White Ribbon Campaign to engage men and boys in the work against gender-based violence.
And, finally, consider sharing this Vimeo video on the Circle of 6 Anti-Violence App below with your clients who use iphones.

If you have other marketing ideas using the Sexual Assault Awareness Campaign, I hope you will share them with us right here!

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Filed under: Advertising | Publicity, Technology, To-Do's, Writing | Publishing Tagged with Advocacy | Social Justice, April, Month by Month, Sexual Assault Awareness Month

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How To Create A Vision Board To Build Your Private Practice

Feb
29
2012

by Tamara Suttle

I’ve been working with psychotherapists this week to help them develop a map for the future of their private practices. And, of course, the first step in that process is to help them create a vision for their ideal practices. That’s why I’m so excited to get to introduce you to two women that I’ve learn about who encourage clients to use a vision board to achieve their dreams.

Carolyn Tucker, LAPC and Donna Terrazas, L.Ac. have generously agreed to write a guest post on how to create and effectively use vision boards to help you clarify your intentions in the service of building your own ideal practice.

(If you are interested in writing a guest post, check out the guidelines here.)
____________________

A Guest Post by Carolyn Tucker, LAPC and Donna Terrazas, L.Ac.

As a therapist and an acupuncturist, we have had the experience of feeling “stuck” in our work, dependent on clients to find us. Sometimes, all of our marketing efforts are to no avail, and we are left exhausted from the effort of trying to “force” our business. This feeling of powerlessness is frustrating and can be demotivating. There is a tool that we use effectively that we would like to share with you – a vision board.

A Visual Affirmation

A vision board uses the natural law of attraction to do the work for you. A vision board is like a visual affirmation. Something that has excited you in a past moment can bring that same exciting energy back every time you meditate on it; that energy is then launched into the future to manifest the thing that has excited you or a desired goal. Anything from a larger practice to financial prosperity can be displayed on a vision board to be meditated upon. By placing the items we desire to attract into our lives on a vision board, we set our intentions toward that thing. Our intentions then become like ripples in the pond, reaching out to attract back to you what you desire.

Create Your Own Vision Board

To create a vision board to support your ability to cultivate the practice of your dreams, begin by choosing words, phrases, and pictures to represent the practice you desire. Be specific about the kind of clients you want, how you want to grow your practice (groups, speaking events, marketing products, etc.) and how you want to feel while doing it. A vision board possesses its greatest potential to manifest when energized by good feelings and happy emotions! Decorate your boards with pictures from magazines, clip art, and words and phrases that inspire and motivate you. The images on a vision board will constantly connect to your inborn desires for a better and happy life, helping to change old, limiting mental images and beliefs.

Share Your Vision

Once you complete your board, share it with others and ask them to get excited with you to amplify your personal energies towards creating your goals. Every thought, feeling, word, and action we express carries a vibration, and every vibration attracts to it things of “like” energy. In every moment we are attracting to us based on the vibrations we are radiating. Group sharing evokes strong positive vibrations of empathy and excitement, creating a surge of energy towards manifesting your goals.

Try On Your Vision Every Day

Keep your board in a highly visible spot so that you see it frequently. Be sure to meditate on it daily, focusing again on the feelings you will feel after you have created the practice you want. “Try on” the feelings of success, excitement, and gratitude. The more you experience these desired feelings, the more vibrational pull you will create.

Month by Month

As you reach your goals, allow your vision board to morph, placing new pictures on it signifying ways in which you desire to continue growing. Your vision board can be a work-in-progress, just like you, that grows and changes with you. You can also create mini-vision boards in a notebook on more specific topics (monthly mini-boards, for example) to allow you to be even more specific about the things that you would like to create in your practice on a smaller scale.

Whatever You Desire

A vision board is a powerful tool for a therapist. It can take away that feeling of frustration and powerlessness and remind us that we create our own realities. The process of creating the board will help you get very clear and focused on what you want. Your vision board will be a constant reminder of your ability to co-create with the universe whatever you desire!

____________________

About the Authors: Carolyn Tucker, LAPC and Donna Terrazas, L.Ac. practice at TRU Integrative Health and Wellness in Atlanta, Georgia. More information about them and their practices can be found at www.growhealchange.com.

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Filed under: Grow Your Practice, Inspiration, To-Do's Tagged with Intention, Vision

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What Your Best Friend Won’t Tell You (Because I Didn’t)

Feb
17
2012

by Tamara Suttle

I’m of the belief that if someone wants my opinion, they’ll ask. And, the corollary, of course, is that if they don’t want my opinion, they won’t ask. When I suspected my neighbor was cheating on his wife, I didn’t volunteer the information. And, when my colleague wasn’t charging enough for her services, I just sat quietly by, thinking she deserved more, and bit my tongue. But there’s this one particular subject that is . . . well . . . it’s getting really difficult to stifle . . . so I’m going to talk about it here with you just to get it off my chest.

Beautiful? Yes! A Professional Photo? NO!

It’s photos – professional photos! Or at least that’s what they are supposed to be. Take a look at random websites, online directories, and Meetup groups for psychotherapists. What do you notice? Yes, I found a lot of attractive, professional head shots of folks eager to help you turn your life around. However, I also found – too much cleavage, dated photos appearing to come from the 1970′s, wedding and prom dresses, family photos with the kids, bad haircuts, and alcohol in hand.

What’s the big deal? Well, there’s a lot that’s a big deal when you are spending your hard earned money to have a website developed, optimized for search engines, and hosted all for the purpose of engendering the interest and trust of potential clients . . . and then, blowing it with a photo that’s in poor taste.

If you are not sure that your headshot (and yes, that includes the photos on your blog, FaceBook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+ or Pinterest) is appropriate, take another look. Ask your friends and colleagues for honest and critical feedback. Stand on a street corner and ask strangers if you have to! But for your own sake, don’t post ratty old photos as representatives of your professional services!

If you don’t believe me, check out writer Amber Mac’s short post on Fast Company titled “5 Ways to Put the ‘Pro’ in Profile Pics.” And, if you run across really bad photos of mental health or allied health professionals, send them to me! I’ll post them as evidence that bad photos are not your friends!

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Filed under: Advertising | Publicity, Marketing Kit, To-Do's Tagged with Head Shots, Image | Reputation, Photos, Profile Pics

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How To Create An Open House For Your Music Therapy Practice In 3 Easy Steps

Feb
14
2012

by Tamara Suttle

One of my new friends and resources that I’ve made on Twitter is board-certified music therapist (MT-BC), Rachel See Smith. We were tweeting a while back about the open house she was planning for her music therapy practice when it occurred to me that you need to know about it, too! Rachel has graciously agreed to write this guest post so that music therapists (and other mental health professionals, too) can see how easy and profitable it is to host your own open house.

(If you are interested in writing a guest post, check out the guidelines here.)

_______________

A Guest Post by Rachel See Smith, MT-BC

As a new private practice owner, I had to start from scratch when it came to establishing a client base. Out of all of the various marketing efforts I tried, the one that proved to be the most successful was hosting a free music therapy open house. Although free demos require time without pay, preparation, and plenty of advertising beforehand, I highly recommend hosting a few.

What I Did

Since I work primarily with children, I decided to host the open houses at local pediatric therapy clinics (building fees may apply). In these locations, I held two 30-minute sessions at no cost to the participants. The first time slot was for ages 0-5, the second, for ages 6-10. (Suggestion – Allow at least 15-30 minutes between sessions to talk with parents and to invite them to share in cookies/drinks, or pick-up your music therapy materials). I also invited siblings to attend, as many of the parents may not have been able to come otherwise.

I was extremely pleased with the turnout at these open houses and, as a result of proper preparation and execution, I gained countless clients!

Now it’s YOUR turn!

Here are three easy steps to creating your open house for your music therapy practice . . . .

Step 1 – Prepare

Creating a successful open house involves marketing beforehand. Advertising your event can be done via email, your website, newsletters, posters, support group message boards, and in pediatric therapy clinics.

Having news of your upcoming event spread through word-of-mouth is one of the most effective ways in increasing the number of open house participants. This word-of-mouth advertising may come from asking parents of current clients to tell their friends and connections about the demo, or, from established connections with other therapists (speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, etc.) in the area. For example, my fellow therapists emailed or talked to their clients about the open house information and encouraged their families to attend.

You may or may not decide to have open house attendees RSVP beforehand. I recommend it, as it gave me an idea of how many people I could expect in order to prepare appropriate interventions and to have plenty of copies of handouts. Which leads me to my next step . . . .

Step 2 – Create

Here are the materials I suggest you create and have ready for your open house:

Thank you notes
Music therapy brochures
Information sheets about your private practice
Plenty of business cards and other marketing materials out for display and available for pick-up

Step 3 – Follow-up

At the open house, encourage parents to sign-in (have a sign-in sheet ready and available at the door) and follow up with them via email or phone. Be sure to sincerely thank them for coming, then ask if they are interested in future sessions.

And don’t forget that your open houses/demo sessions are TAX DEDUCTIBLE!

____________________

About the Author: Rachel See Smith is a board-certified music therapist (MT-BC) with a Master’s in Music Therapy and a B.A. in Communication Disorders. Rachel is currently employed as an independent music therapy contractor in Austin, Texas, and is the owner of Music Therapy Services of Austin.

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Filed under: Advertising | Publicity, Grow Your Practice, Marketing, To-Do's Tagged with Guest Post, Music Therapists, Open House, Physicians

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Scaffolding For Your Success In Private Practice