Avoiding the Empty Couch:
How to Attract and Keep Therapy Clients
A business is an enterprise that generates a profit. If you are not making a profit, you don’t have a business, you have a hobby. There is nothing essentially wrong with that, but most therapists need to be able to make a living at what they do, and many wish to make a good living. To generate a profit as a psychotherapist in private practice, you’ll need to continually attract and retain clients. That takes some effort, but in exchange you’ll be able to work autonomously. You’ll be your own boss, setting your own schedule and working out of your own comfy office, answering to no one except your clients and your state licensing board. Is that really as good as it sounds? Oh yes, I’m here to say it is. So I’m going to share a few tips with you on how to build your practice, tips that have worked for me personally.
1.) DO GOOD WORK. Know what the main goal of therapy is, for each client you treat. Decide how you are going to achieve that goal with the client. Do not allow therapy sessions to become aimless chat sessions. Motivate your clients to work on the goal of therapy, in between sessions. Keep trying new interventions until you get results. Lastly, be aware that according to the research, the most effective intervention is simply to cultivate a good relationship with your client. More specifically, the client’s perception of the quality of the therapeutic relationship is what helps the client to succeed in therapy, more than any other factor! Keeping that in mind will help you get good results. When you get good results, the client will tell everyone they know how helpful you were to them. That word-of-mouth advertising is priceless.
2.) FOCUS ON WHAT CLIENTS CARE ABOUT. Most prospective therapy clients are not aware of the differences between psychiatrists, psychologists, licensed personal counselors, and marriage and family therapists. They don’t care what school you went to, and they definitely don’t care about your stellar GPA. What they do care about is how they feel when they interact with you. So be clean and well groomed, and dress like a professional. Make eye contact and cultivate a warm and pleasant tone of voice. Keep your verbal content mostly upbeat and nurturing. Above all, always keep your cool, and always be tactful. Remember that your environment plays a role, too, in how clients feel about you and your services. So make sure your office is tidy, comfortable, and aesthetically pleasing. Turn off the fluorescent lighting and use lamps with a soft glow.
3.) SEEK ADVICE AND MENTORSHIP from your state internship supervisor and from people who are already successful in private practice. In the same way that having a patient and passionate teacher can help a student succeed in a difficult class, having a professional mentor or two can help a therapist gain a foothold in the world of private practice. Your mentors may even refer clients to you!
4.) BE PERSISTENT. Perhaps more than any other quality, persistence is what it takes to attract and keep therapy clients. That will probably not surprise you, since persistence is so often key to academic and career achievement in general. For example, math had always been my worst subject. I dreaded taking the undergrad statistics course required for a degree in psychology, to the point that I almost gave up my dream of becoming a psychotherapist. To succeed, I took copious notes and made sure I understood every nuance of each chapter and lecture, before proceeding to the next concept. I asked a lot of questions. Getting through that course helped me develop the persistence that kept me going when it seemed difficult to find new clients. Remind yourself of times when you’ve needed to employ some persistence to get to your own goals, and let those successful experiences motivate you.
5.) EMBRACE THE ROLE OF THERAPIST with confidence. Use a firm hand shake and don’t fidget. Don’t hesitate to give your clients direct guidance when you feel it’s warranted. Speak with authority when being asked your opinion. You are an authority, after all. Yes, even if you are young and inexperienced as a therapist, your specialized education makes you an authority on how to assist people in their quest for better psychological health, improved relationships, and happiness. When you speak clearly and confidently, you will instill confidence in others. Confidence attracts and keep clients.
6.) CHARGE AT LEAST THE AVERAGE RATE FOR YOUR ZIP CODE. Studies show that most prospective clients do not look for the cheapest therapist they can find. To the contrary, they erroneously assume that therapists who charge more must be better therapists. You will not attract more clients by making your services a “bargain.” Make yourself worth your fee by going the extra mile for your clients so that they feel it’s money well spent.
7.) MARKET YOURSELF. Check out some of the articles and books that provide specific advice on how therapists, counselors, and life coaches can successfully market themselves in a competitive climate. At the very least, add your photo and profile to a well-trafficked directory, so clients can find you! The directory that works best for me is the Psychology Today’s Therapist Finder:
https://therapists.psychologytoday.com/rms/
8.) BE OPEN TO AGENCY WORK. Be willing to work as an employee of a counseling agency, behavioral health care agency, or psychiatrist’s office, either as an employee or independent contractor. Do this before you launch into private practice, or at least as you launch into private practice. This will allow you to hone your newly acquired therapy skills, and you won’t have to worry about making ends meet while you (patiently) wait for your private practice to grow. It will also allow you to build relationships with others in the field, and that often leads to client referrals. If you’re lucky, your agency may even donate some office space to you an evening or two a week, as you launch your practice.
9.) CONSIDER APPLYING TO INSURANCE PANELS. If you have a natural knack for networking, marketing, or self promotion, or if you take the time to develop those skills, you may be able to make a good living as a private practitioner by taking only cash-pay clients. What’s more, you can generate significantly more revenue (yes, money) per hour by taking only cash-pay clients, since you will not have to “split the pie,” so to speak, with insurance companies. However, it can take years to build a following of clients who can afford to pay cash for therapy services. Meanwhile, to help insure a steady influx of clients, you can choose to link yourself to various health insurance companies. Request an application to be on their panel of “preferred providers,” so that the insurance company will then refer their members to your practice. The process of getting “accredited” (approved) by insurance companies is sometimes frustrating and time-consuming, but it’s an effective way to sustain your private practice.
10.) FIND YOUR OWN PARTICULAR PASSION in the big wide world of therapy services. Maybe there’s a distinct client population that’d be a perfect match to your personality and temperament. Maybe there’s a specific type of client problem you feel drawn to help people solve. Or maybe you’re keenly interested in providing a distinct type of therapy. Find or create your niche! That will help set you apart from other therapists, and it will keep you fired up about your work. Both of those things will help you keep your couch full.
Setting up a private practice isn’t only about attracting clients. There are many other facets of doing business, such as choosing a location for your office, establishing policies and procedures, generating forms, staying on top of billing, and keeping track of allowable tax deductions. You’ll want to get a comprehensive book on the ins and outs of setting up a private practice. After all, you don’t want to have to reinvent the wheel. But attracting and retaining clients is a key skill that will allow you to sustain yourself financially while enjoying maximum control over your work life. Best of luck to you in your efforts to build a thriving private practice!
Maya graduated from UNLV with a MS in Marriage and Family therapy in 2010 and is in private practice in Las Vegas, NV. She specializes in couples therapy with an emphasis on couple communication, but also works with individuals and children, treating a wide range of personal challenges. Additionally, Maya offers life and wellness coaching. Maya is currently accepting new clients and offers a complimentary phone consultation.
Maya Neal, ADN, MS, LMFT
(702) 283-1068