Expanding Your Practice Virtually Part 2
Let’s go into more detail about how to have a comfortable, successful, and positive experience with teletherapy during a pandemic!
4. Get the Word Out There
The first step is letting everyone know you are open and doing virtual sessions! Create a page on your website dedicated to online therapy. This page should be a reference point for any current/potential clients to get a sense of what video therapy with you would be like.
The biggest feature on your video page should be a video of you. Take a short clip, introduce yourself, and explain that you are offering teletherapy services. This quick video of yourself helps clients mentally walk themselves through the idea that they could connect with you on video. Here’s an example of what you could say:
"Hi! Thanks for checking out my video therapy page. I just wanted to give you a quick preview here of what it’s like to be with me on video. If you have any more questions about video therapy, feel free to reach out. We’re looking forward to connecting with you!"
You can check out my teletherapy page to see what I mean!
After you’ve created a webpage unique to teletherapy, create a banner for the top of your website that announces you are currently offering therapy. This banner could say:
"Yes, we're open during COVID! Click here for more information on how to be seen."
5. Look and Sound Your Best
Another tip is to always look and sound your best! This is for your client, so you appear professional to them, but it’s also partly for you.
If you're doing therapy all day, you are also going to be seeing your own face in a box on a screen. A lot of therapists can get fatigued or feel burnout from that. I believe it’s because they are looking at a dark, shadowy image of themselves all day. By using proper lighting and sound tools, you can create a nice and bright image of yourself.
You can see my favorite tools for teletherapy at my Amazon homepage! You can create an efficient and professional setup that makes you look, sound, and feel good, and you can focus on what really matters-your client.
6. Care for Yourself (And others!)
We always teach self-care to our clients, but it’s important to practice self-care for ourselves as well. Some therapists have said that they are afraid to think about growing a private practice during a pandemic that has exacerbated issues of inequality. I would remind these therapists that we’re talking about how to expand your services and bring help to people who need it.
The more resources we have, the more we are able to give to others, whether that be through low-cost sessions, donations to charities, or supervising mentees.
COVID is no reason at all to feel afraid to grow your practice. Instead, feel ready and excited to create a good practice for yourself that will also serve and take care of many, many others.
Consistent Works Pays Off for All
When I was beginning my private practice, I always worked a 40 hour work week, no matter how many clients I had booked. I either spent that time in session or figuring out how to get more clients. It’s this dedication and consistency that built my practice to the successful, private pay practice it is now.
If you’re experiencing more free time now, invest your time in polishing the nuts and bolts of your existing practice and growing your client outreach skills. This sort of commitment will allow you to make the most out of COVID, and create some positivity for you, your clients, and the community around you.