This is the 4th  post in the series
Reduced Fees, Sliding Scales, and Lessons Learned.
The series actually begins here.

How Does Your Reduced Fee Reflect on Your Overall Reputation?

Are you thinking about advertising the fact that you offer a sliding scale fee?  I strongly discourage mental health professionals from doing this and here’s the reason why . . . .

Once referral sources discover that you routinely provide services for a reduced fee, that is the idea that becomes attached to your name i.e. you provide the cheap stuff.

That’s NOT what you want to be known for even if you run a non-profit and routinely charge less than the Usual and Customary Fee for your services.

Your reputation should be based on the services that you provide and what differentiates you from your peers . . . not on having the lowest rates in town.

Tags: Fee, Reputation

You’ve heard how big a fan I am of online discussion lists for networking.  However, ever so often I am reminded of the more frustrating side of a list . . . .

Here’s what not to do online. This week on one of the mental health professionals’ lists (I subscribe to many), two members started lecturing each other about X all under the auspices on “sharing,” “clarifying,” and “informing.”  They included a little name calling and a lot of posturing about who was wiser and who was more experienced and who was more knowledgeable.  (And, they used their actual names!)  It might as well have been an exchange similar to this one that Peter Shankman posted here.

To embarass or not to embarass . . . . I considered (briefly) asking the authors for permission to share screen shots of their words with you here but decided not to.  After all, I am embarrassed for both of them.  I hope their colleagues, employers, and referral sources aren’t reading that thread!

Good intentions. Of course, others joined in to take sides, to broaden perspectives, or in an attempt to find common ground.  Some actually unsubscribed from the list citing their reasons (both on / off list) as “too much junk email.”  And, I suspect that many, like me, have just sat back watching the lack of civility and lack of professional communication escalate and then die back down on its own. WHEW!

A few things to consider . . . . If you are new to social media or simply need a few reminders about how to proceed when someone presents ideas that are not in sync with your own, here’s a few to get you started:

"Wall of Peace - Moscow" by Jeff Bauche

• You are not anonymous – especially if you have signed your name!
• Don’t take it personally.  We all have goofy or mistaken ideas on occasion.
• Online communication is limited.  Humor and sarcasm don’t translate well.  Words get twisted or completely omitted.  Tone and intensity are often missing or misunderstood.  And, unfortunately, we tend to not proofread every post before we hit send.
• Take a breath and resist the urge to dash off a knee-jerk, emotional response.  Just B-R-E-A-T-H-E.
• If you do decide to reply, consider the options available.  Is there really a need to respond to the entire discussion list?  Do you have a private email address, phone number, etc.?
• The only time you MUST reply to the entire group is if you’ve messed up (and need to clean up) in public.
• If you are going to write back, find something to agree with.  Can’t find anything?  Then, you aren’t in the frame of mind to professionally respond yet.  (Think about it.  Clients come in every day with values, beliefs, and behaviors that you don’t agree with.  And, yet, you find a way to join with them.  This is the very same skill.)
• After you compose your message and before you hit “Send,” take time to re-read it.  Is there a better way to get your message across.  What’s your goal in sending it?
• Be generous in your response.  Give your reader the benefit of the doubt. . . .  Perhaps they were in a bad mood.  Or maybe they aren’t as experienced as you are . . . . We all have something left to learn.
• Be kind.  If you feel that someone is lacking some information and doesn’t know it, is there a way to pass the info along without making someone feel like an idiot or look like a fool?
• Consider your real motives in responding.  What triggered your reaction?  And, again, what was your goal in sending it?

OK, so maybe you aren’t like me and out to change the world.  Maybe hurt feelings and civility aren’t really of concern to you at all.  What I know is that this is still important to you and here’s the reason why . . . .  Your employer, your referral sources, your colleagues and even your clients have access to your words once you put them out into cyberspace.

As you are building your private practice, remember that any time you are in public – either physically or via technology – you need to have your professional hat on and that includes using professional communication.  Your professional image is on the line.

What else needs to be considered when you run into conflict online?

Tags: Conflict, Discussion List, Online Etiquette, Reputation, Social Media, Trigger

Carla read my post here and wrote in asking:

What do you do when as a result of finding out that you are a counselor, your church now wants you to provide counseling services to members of the congregation? Or the fact that you have taught classes at ministry events, and as a result some of the participants want to come see you?”

"Nice, Small Church" by Speediakal

How flattering!  But, here are 9 things that I consider before deciding whether or not to see members of my own church . . . .

1. Size matters.  I have found that it is difficult to be active in a church whose congregation numbers only 200 and still maintain my privacy.  That, in turn, colors my professional relationship with my client.  He knows more about me (and I know more him) than is always best.  If, on the other hand, my congregation numbers 1000, then it may be relatively easy for me to maintain my privacy and to minimize personal interactions outside of the counseling office.
2. I consider how I will handle it if I discover that my client is sexually or romantically involved with one of the leaders in my church (who happens to be married).  As far fetched as that may sound to you, it is not all that uncommon and it may very well change how you feel about your church home.  It did for me.  And, that’s before my client AND my church leader both wanted to vent to me, wanted me to choose sides, and then wanted me to publicly condone their behaviors to others!
3. I also consider how my own unforeseen weaknesses / foibles in my personal or church life (challenges in relationships, lapses in judgement, my own spiritual practices, etc.) might negatively impact my relationship with my client . . . .  Unanticipated exposure of those things can actually color what happens in my church and with my client.
4. I also consider the possibility that my partner / spouse / friend / child / sibling / parent may want to befriend my client.  That’s a mess in and of itself! And, what will I do if I believe (from my  clinical work) that the relationships with my client might not be good for my loved one?
5. I’ve had clients catch me before I could dash off from church services to “catch me up” on the latest chapter of their weekend disaster.  Do I want to do therapy in the parking lot?  Do I want to act disinterested?  Or, do I want to dread seeing that client every time I enter the church door?
6. I also have to consider if / how I am going to interact with my clients when I see them.  Am I going to speak to my clients when I see them at church?  Am I going to ignore them?  What if my new client sits down beside me on the pew?  Wants to hug me?  Asks me to take communion with her — or just “conveniently” times it so that it happens that way?
7. What if I sign up for a church dinner club and get assigned to the one that my client attends?  Am I going to explain to the host why I had to leave abruptly when my client showed up?  Am I just going to let the host think I’ve lost my mind?  (Yep, that’s exactly what I did as I ran out the back door.)
8. What if I agree to host a Bible study and my client shows up . . . or his wife . . . or someone who eventually becomes his spouse?  Am I really going to ask my client to leave because there’s a dual relationship if he stays?
9. Sometimes clients can be possessive of their therapists (and you won’t always know this ahead of time).  I’ve had Client A  show up “hurt” or mad at his therapy appointment because he had seen me talking to someone else at church.

OK, so I could go on and on . . . . My point is this . . . .  While much of this can make for great grist for the clinical work that you do with a client, do you really REALLY want to contaminate your personal life (and the lives of your loved ones), your spiritual home, and your professional life with this stuff?  Just think about it and, if you do, consult, consult, consult.

Can you think of other questions / situations / concerns to consider before jumping in to provide therapy within your own religious community?

Tags: Boundaries, Consultation, Ethics, Policies and Protocols, Reputation

In July, I talked with you about using professional online discussion lists to build your business.  Participating in online discussion groups that target your unique interests can also build your reputation and credibility.  Here’s an example . . . .  I am a member of a discussion list that focuses on women in Colorado who are in different aspects of the media business.  Because I responded to someone else’s inquiry about when to turn away business in this less-than-ideal economy, I ended up being quoted here in Drea Knufken’s blog, Business Pundit.  Twenty-four hours later, I was quoted here in Steve Tobak’s blog, The Corner Office.

"Smooth Peace 2" by Exper Giovanni Rubaltelli

If your marketing plan includes expanding your visibility or building your reputation in the community, here’s how to make that happen:

• Take some time to make a list of your unique interests . . . genealogy, bird watching, writing, football, etc.
• Google your interests along with the words “discussion list.”
• Check out what comes up.  If you find discussion lists that interest you, join them and share.
• If you don’t find a discussion list that fits your interests, then consider creating one of your own through Google Groups or Yahoo Groups.

Your interests do not need to be directly related to mental health (although they could be) in order to help you create greater visibility.  Once you become active in an online discussion list, your professional interests and expertise will gradually become known.  Like face-to-face networking, your online relationships will also take time and commitment from you in order to achieve the goals that you desire.

Give it a try! Then check back in here to let me know what you tried and how it’s working!

Related Post

Professional Online Discussion Lists Deserve Your Attention

Tags: Relationships, Reputation

I’m still reading Be a Shortcut: The Secret Fast Track To Business Success by Scott G. Halford.  Here are five more identifying characteristics that I’ve found:

"Hobbity" by Rakka

1. Shortcuts are resourceful and often rely on their relationship assets.
2. Shortcuts collaborate and negotiate rather than compete.
3. Shortcuts know that their networks wither without time, attention and care.
4. Shortcuts seek out new challenges.
5. Shortcuts are involved in continuous learning and take responsibility for their own personal and professional growth.  They do not rely on external motivation to learn new information or to develop new skills.

I live in a state that, I’m embarrassed to say, doesn’t require continuing education for the licensed professionals in the health care fields.  Because of that, I’m particularly aware how this last one – taking responsibility for continuous learning – really does set you apart as a shortcut.

Those of us who take the initiative to continue our education on a consistent basis really are the ones that develop a reputation as having a depth of knowledge in our respective fields.  We really are the ones that become the shortcuts.

Have you found an area yet that you can work on to build your reputation as a shortcut?

Tags: Continuous Learning, Health Care, Network, Reputation, Shortcuts