Nothing in my graduate training program prepared me for thinking of myself as a business owner. Gosh, I was great one-on-one in session but the idea of moving out of my office into the community was frightening.
But with some great coaches and mentors, I was able to move through that fear to actually enjoy marketing. It all came down to deciding that:
a) Therapy is valuable
b) I preformed a valuable service
c) If people needed a therapist and didn’t know I was there to help, then they wouldn’t get the help they needed.
Here are some common fears.
1) “I feel like I am selling myself and they won’t want what I have to offer.”
As we’ve discussed before, when you market your practice, you are not selling yourself or selling out – you are letting people know you are there to help them.
One of my coaches explained to me that not everyone would like me or wants therapy. That is a very freeing idea. Not everyone will want your services and it doesn’t say one single thing about how good you are or valuable you are as a person or a therapist.
2) “I am afraid that my marketing efforts won’t work.”
In one sense I am amazed at how many precious, smart, talented therapists will let this fear stop them from sharing their wisdom and gifts with more people. We need you. Your community needs you. And yes, some of your marketing efforts will not work. It is about trying different things until you find what works for you (your marketing personality type), your target market and your community. The miracle is in taking the steps to get out there and let your passion for the works shine.
3) “I am afraid people will think I am being boastful or greedy.”
This is a very common fear. But there are people who need to know what type of work you do. There are people in your community who need your special gifts. How will they find you if you don’t let them know you are there? When you are marketing your practice, you aren’t boasting about how great you are or making promises of treatment success. You are simply sharing what you do for a living and how it helps some people. By not sharing this with people, you limit how people can find you. That is why I always say that marketing your practice is actually an important service to your community.
4) “I am afraid that I will be successful.”
Many of us grew up with the idea that it wasn’t okay to make a good living or to own a successful business. We saw people doing bad things with money and decided money and success were “bad.” On some level, we are afraid of being successful.
Marianne Williamson has been quoted many times when she said:
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us.
It is true. Your playing small doesn’t serve you, your clients or your community.
We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn’t serve the world.”
Do what you tell clients when they are afraid. Learn the skills you are missing. Find cheerleaders or colleagues who can support you when the fears are likely to slow you down. Do whatever you need to do in your own personal growth work to move past these fears.
You have a mission and a purpose here on this planet. You have been called to be a therapist. You have been called to be a therapist because there are people who need your support, your counsel, and your wisdom. Let them know how to find you. They will be very glad you did.
And you will be fulfilling your purpose.
Happy practice building!
List your practice on Find-a-Therapist.com and over 40 of our other web site directories with our Premium Listing!
Casey Truffo, M.S., M.F.T., is the Founder and CEO of International Therapist Leadership Institute and Be A Wealthy Therapist. Her mission is to enhance the lives and careers of therapists worldwide. Her publications include Be A Wealthy Therapist: Finally, You Can Make a Living While Making a Difference and How to Build a Full and Rewarding Private Practice, Pink Spoon Marketing for Therapists(TM) and Beyond One To One Sessions: Multiple Streams of Therapy Income. For practice building tips, please visit http://TherapistLeadershipInstitute.com