{"id":79,"date":"2019-08-06T06:35:00","date_gmt":"2019-08-06T06:35:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cp2.therasoftclients.com\/TSBLOGTT\/?p=79"},"modified":"2021-11-25T07:10:21","modified_gmt":"2021-11-25T07:10:21","slug":"attentiontherapists-august-is-your-month-for-private-practice-success","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/uscp10.therasoft.com\/TSBLOGTT\/attentiontherapists-august-is-your-month-for-private-practice-success\/","title":{"rendered":"Attention,Therapists: August is Your Month for Private Practice Success!"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"august-is-your-month-for-private-practice-success-profitable-practices\"<\/p>\n

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Many private practice therapists take some time off in August.  In fact, a lot of therapists take the entire month off.  This has a WONDERFUL effect on \u201csupply and demand\u201d for therapists who are hoping to pick up more private pay clients<\/strong>.  During August, a therapist who is actually available to receive new client inquiries is poised for success<\/strong>.  I started my practice in May 2012, just after getting my license; and I took my own full time office space eight weeks later in July.  Since I had just taken on more overhead, I was totally dedicated to filling my schedule in August. I was AMAZED at the number of calls I got in August from clients who were seeking a new therapist<\/strong>, and I think that boost helped my practice to get started on the right foot<\/strong>.  August is a great time for therapists who wish to build their practice for the following three reasons:<\/p>\n

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  1. August feels like a good \u201cexcuse\u201d for clients who feel they need one. <\/strong> Clients  who have been meaning to \u201cbreak up\u201d with their therapist often seize on August as a good time to shop becausetheir normal therapist is unavailable<\/strong>, so it seems like a perfect time to reach out for someone new.  Yes, it would be better if the client would actually discuss their feelings of dissatisfaction with their therapist before looking elsewhere\u2013 but if the client ultimately prefers to just find a new therapist, why not let it be you?<\/strong>  FYI when clients call me to say that they already have a therapist but are searching for someone new, I ALWAYS ask them if they\u2019ve discussed their feelings with their therapist, and I often even encourage them to do so before booking an appointment with me\u2013 but oftentimes, the client has just already made up their mind.  So I ask them to help me understand how their previous therapist disappointed them. I explain that I\u2019d like to learn where things went awry so that I can either avoid making the same mistake or possibly help the client find a different therapist if I think I\u2019d actually take the same approach as the therapist they\u2019re leaving.  Oftentimes, the client has been meaning to leave their therapist for a while, but the therapist has constantly challenged their wish to leave; and so the therapist\u2019s August absence seemed like the perfect opportunity to \u201cslip away\u201d.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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    1. Therapists disappear. <\/strong>There are fewer therapists answering their phone or returning initial inquiries.  With fewer therapists responding to inquiries, it\u2019s much easier to stand out simply by being available<\/strong>.  Many therapists just totally disconnect from their office when they go on vacation.  They do the modern equivalent of a \u201cgone fishing\u201d sign, if they even do that much. Many of them don\u2019t even bother to update their outbound voice greeting or email vacation responder  to state when they\u2019ll return; they don\u2019t have anyone managing inquiries<\/strong>to at least help inquiries to have a call planned for when the therapist returns; and they certainly aren\u2019t committing to at least check their phone\/email for one hour per day <\/strong>so that they can return home to a nice roster of new clients.  They just disappear for their own \u201cde-stressing time\u201d and don\u2019t do much beyond offer an emergency backup for existing clients only.  This is fine, unless you happen to find a lack of clients to be stressful! Unless you consider yourself so full that you have no interest in new clients and\/or increasing demand to the point of warranting a fee increase, don\u2019t totally ignore your new client pipeline just because you\u2019re away from the office!<\/strong>  On the other hand, if you\u2019re a therapist who wants to pick up clients, the August dynamics can work in your favor.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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      1. Wait times increase. <\/strong>Wait times for an initial appointment are longer, since there are fewer therapists around.  As we all know, clients generally call for a therapist because they\u2019re having a PROBLEM: they had a breakup, they had a panic attack, they had a problem at work.  They want to speak with someone SOON. When you have a problem, don\u2019t you sit down at your computer and start reaching out to experts who can help; and base your decision at least partially upon which expert is able to help you IN A TIMELY MANNER<\/strong>?  If you have openings, August is a GREAT time to let the public as well as your referral sources know.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        If you\u2019re planning to be away:<\/p>\n