BizSavvy Therapist

Blogs, Twitter and Facebook! Oh MY!

I want to applaud all of you who are reading this blog, taking the words to heart and trying to get out there and make a difference in your practice and your life.

But I hear you, all this information can be overwhelming and make you feel unfocused with no sense of where to begin.

As you read my blog (or any other, for that matter) keep in mind that most of us have been in business for awhile. We took one step at a time until we felt proficient enough to begin to show what we know.

You need to start in the same place we all did: taking one step. Doing one thing.

Ignore all the bells and whistles out there while you take the time to focus in on your practice, the clients you want to help and how to help them best.

From that foundation you can build out the message, your unique voice, the marketing.

My advice on where to start: a blog/website.  Don't even bother looking at Twitter, Facebook or anything else until you have that website and blog. Why?  Because people on all those other sites need somewhere to go if they want to know more about you. Without a website or blog, you essentially don't exist in the social media universe.

Once you have that website working for you move on to another tool, and so on, and so on.

One thing. One step. Start the steps to make that happen today.

It's Not Rocket Science, but It's Not Easy

I want to make something perfectly clear. Starting, growing, marketing, and making money as a small business person is not hard, complicated, or rocket science. In fact, the fundamentals are easy:

1. Do good work that is effective and helpful.

2. Identify what you are marketing (specific service for a specific person with a specific issue).

3. Tell people about it in a compelling way.

That's it.  Trust me, going to grad school, passing all those tests, getting licensed--those required a lot more brain power than the business side of practice.

But building a practice is not easy.  Why? It requires a lot of time, energy, consistency and focus. To build a practice you need to do something other than be a good therapist.  You actually need to do lots of things. And do them often, regularly, on a schedule.  This takes discipline and organization.

I talk to a lot of practitioners and clinicians every day. All of them want to build a great business and have wonderful, exciting ideas. But when we start to discuss the actual steps to make these visions a reality, I hear some version of, "But that requires WORK!" or "I don't have time for that." My response to that is: Work for somebody else who is doing the work and dedicating the time. Harsh? Maybe. Reality? Yes.

So we need to accept that,  yes, building a business requires work and time.  But there are rewards in being self-employed that trump working for somebody else, which is why entrepreneurs in every industry dig in and do the work and dedicate the time.

For instance, I work 3 days from home and love that flexibility. But I work from home, I don't go out for coffee, do laundry, exercise, chat on the phone with friends. I work.

What do I do?  Write content for my blogs and newsletters (this stuff doesn't write itself!), tweet, build relationships online with business partners, develop new clinical and BizSavvy programs, manage the business side of my practice (administrative, phone calls, etc).

I don't mean to be a downer, but I see too many business of practice coaching "gurus" telling folks that it is easy to build a practice, that the money flows in effortlessly, clients are knocking down your door once you have a web site.  I think we call that "magical thinking."

On the positive side, I've built my practice from the ground up while a mom of a young son, being home 3 days a week (and working some of that time), and with a husband that travels for business often.

While it does require work it does not require 80 hours a week of work. It just depends on how organized and efficient you can be. Or want to be.

The truth is, to have a successful practice you have to WANT it, and WORK for it. Once you get your head around those realities,the rest  is not so hard.

Innovations in Mental Health: Are You With Me?

I just returned from the Massachusetts Psychological Assoc. conference "Psychology 2.0:  Building 21st Century Psychological Careers" (gee, who do you think came up with that name?).

While I did present on Ethcial and Effective Marketing there were a number of other fantastic speakers encouraging us to broaden our practice, utilize technology, and collaborate with others to provide better, integrated care.

Dr. Brian Ott and Carmine DiChiara, MA gave a wonderful presentation on "Analogue Psychologist in a Digital World," showing how Skype can be utilized to conduct online therapy for certain conditions. They did live Skype streaming with a colleague in Tel Aviv which was very cool to see!

And Dr. James Bray, APA President, shared with us how imperitive it is for us to be open to innovation as health care reform will drastically change how and where we practice, as well as how we get paid.

The truth is this:  the world is changing and mental health providers must change with it.

This week I am sharing a video series, "Start Your Innovative Private Practice," where I talk about why and how we can combine best practices and new technology, research and treatment methodologies to improve quality of mental health care, expand the reach of our practices so we help more people, and also become more financially successful as well.  If you want more info, please click here. The series is free and I hope will be informative and a lot of fun!

Start Your Innovative Practice: Video Series

 

Click Here to Register for the "Start Your Innovative Practice"

Video Series

It's almost mid-November and 2009 is quickly coming to a close. For many of us it's been a tough year. The economy may have hurt our practices or a loved one may have lost a job (or both). We know health care reform is coming and it is bound to shake things up in our profession.  And maybe not for the better.

Looking forward, do you have any plans to make 2010 a better year for your career and your practice? Growth and change only come with 1) intent to do something new, 2) research on "what's next",  3) planning specific steps to change, and 4) implementation.

Are you ready to start, grow and explore something new in 2010? Now's the time to start being mindful of moving forward. You know change is all around us. We can either wait and worry or take action to create our success.

For those of you ready to start something new in 2010, whether a new practice, new services, new marketing plans, I am going to offer a f'ree video series over the next few weeks to get you moving in the right direction. I won't send these videos to my whole list and they won't be on my blog, so if you are interested in seeing how to start an innovative practice, click here to register for the program. There is no cost and the videos links will be sent to you every few days for a week or so. 

Learning new information on practice building for f'ree is kind of a no-brainer, so click here to get on the list. 

Sermo.com Introduces Practice Management Exchange

They physician networking site, www.Sermo.com, just announced they have started a Practice Mangement Exchange for their members, where "Physicians Turn to Social Media to Share Peer-to-Peer Advice and Solve Real-World Business Challenges."

Good for them! Do you think we as mental health businesses need to do the same?

Curious about Sermo.com? I am.  Here is some of their info:

"Sermo is the largest online physician community in the US. It’s where practicing US physicians—spanning 68 specialties and all 50 states—collaborate on difficult cases and exchange observations about drugs, devices and clinical issues. And find potentially life-saving insights that have yet to be announced by conventional media sources.

Sermo is a real-time meeting place where physicians get help with everything from patient care to practice management. They’ve described it as “therapeutic,” a “virtual water cooler” and “vital to my everyday practice.”

Yeah, we totally need this for mental health care practitioners.  What do you think?

Is it Health Care or Mental Health Care?

I struggle with the concept of "mental health care." Why do we parse out the "mental" part? Or,if we are being even more PC, the "behavioral" (as in, "behavioral health care")?

Isn't our mental health just as important as the physical?  Why don't we call visits to our PCP, "physical health care"?  Or visits to the dermatologist, "skin health care"?

Some of this stems from our profession's inability to get along with one another and come to some consensus on what constitutes appropriate mental/behavioral health care. Or wait, some of us don't see ourselves as health care providers, we see ourselves as alternative treatment providers, or service providers? Is that the problem? 

If we aren't on the same page, how can consumers, clients, and health insurance companies know what works, and what doesn't?  How do they effectively include us in the overall health care system?  How do they decide what to pay for (and how much)?

Just to alleviate any confusion or ambivalence about my position -I view myself as a health care provider. I  help people manage real, health based issues.  I use evidence-based treatments (and, no, I don't use a manual) and I keep up with research.  I team with PCPs and pediatricians when it makes sense to do so.

If we want to be seen as equals with physicians, nurse pracitioners, chiropractors and all the rest, we need to know who we are, what we do and why it helps. Then clearly communicate this to the world.  The silly infighting I hear about who knows more about mental health or does better treatment or which degree is "better" simply sounds like kids on a playground fighting for the same ball.

We help people with brain-based health issues. Some of them even influence people's physical health.   Don't you think Mental Health care includes the brain, emotions, stress, obesity, fertility, chronic pain, and quality of life? Can't psychology influence people's compliance with medication, eating, drinking, drugging and smoking behaviors, coping with stress, managing high blood pressure, minimizing headaches, chronic pain?  Doesn't anxiety, depression, grief and chronic stress negatively impact physical health and quality of life? 

Sounds like health care to me.  What do you think?

Not Engaged in Social Media? How Dare You?

I'm currently reading Seth Godin's, "Small Is the New Big" (affiliate link). Interesting insights and ideas on marketing in the new world of internet and social media. But one page caught my eye and I will quote it here:

"How Dare You

How can you squander even one more day not taking advantage or the greatest shifts of our generation?  How dare you settle for less when the world has made it so easy for you to be remarkable?" ~Seth Godin, "Small Is the New Big"

I have to agree with Seth.  As a person in the helping professions we have a right and an obligation to stay up-to-date and support people in the current realities of our generation. How dare we assume we know better? Or let fear of change limit our ability to heal?  Or only reach a few when we could help many?

I dare you to be remarkable, offer exceptional care, get outside your comfort zone. I bet you will help more, you will heal more and you will find more joy and fulfillment.

Are You an Idealist, Hobbyest, Traditionalist or Innovator?

There seem to be 4 types of mental health and wellness practitioners:  Idealist, Hobbyist, Traditionalist, and Innovators.

Which one are you? Let's take each in order:

Idealists:  Idealists are those who have great intentions of helping people.  They talk a lot about "giving," "not doing it for the money," and "want to make a difference."  Those who run idealist practices often have an office, a phone, and business cards but few clients.  Their idealism is so bright and shiny they assume their good work and good intentions will bring business to their door.  Most of us start as Idealists, but become more sophisticated through experience.  Those who hang on to idealism too long are often working for another group or agency at some point in their career.

Hobbyists:  Hobbyists treat their practice as a hobby, not a career or a business.  They get beyond the idealism stage, have enough clients to pay the bills, but don't want to grow the practice or challenge themselves to grow as a clinician or a business person.  Hobbyists resist change (because it requires extra work to get up to speed on anything new), and talk about being "bored" if someone suggests they specialize or develop a treatment niche. Ex: "I would get bored if I only worked with women with post-partum depression."  Hobbyists run the risk of becoming complacent and less-than-effective treatment providers because they see their work as "interesting," and something to do, rather than a serious business that exists to help people struggling with serious difficulties, while at the same time making a profit.

Traditionalists:  Traditionalists have successful practices that they run as a business.  However, they use business strategies that worked in 1999 (or earlier).  They don't have a website, roll their eyes when someone suggests they check out Facebook or Twitter, and may even scoff at the idea that therapeutic relationships can be formed online.  Traditionalists see successful therapy as existing in a 50 minute hour, in an office, often paid for by insurance.  This was a great model 5 years ago. It is a dying model now. When was the last time an insurance company increased your reimbursement rate?  When is that next raise coming? Yeah, that's what I mean.

Innovators:  Innovators started as idealists, tried the traditionalist model (and may have been very successful), but realize that, in 2009, we have a cultural and technological revolution  happening before our very eyes. Innovators are ready to try new models of treatment and intervention.  They listen to their clients about their needs, their lives and stressors and try to provide support to meet those needs in real time.  Innovators understand change is a part of life and are ready to make informed shifts in their practice to keep up with the times.  Innovators do not abandon what works, rather they incorporate new paradigms and are willing to experiment with new approaches.  Innovators can initially look a little flighty to hobbyists and traditionalists, but will ultimately have  successful practice businesses because they are meeting clients where they are at and addressing the realities of people's every day lives. Innovators also do not rely on one income stream (i.e. insurance) and are aware that they can help more people and make more money utilizing the new technologies available to them.

So, what are you?  What kind of practice do you want to develop?  How can a successful Traditionalist move to a more innovative practice?

Think Social Media is a Fad? Think Again!

If you have read this blog for any amount of time you know I am a HUGE fan of social media.  I love all things blog, Facebook, and especially Twitter.  I truly believe social media a cultural shift in how we communicate, connect and form relationships. It will change the way we practice, shift the concept of who is a qualified "helper," and how people access support for their needs.

I know many of us strongly value face-to-face, voice-to-voice relationships and feel that is where healing lies. I don't disagree. Human beings will always need direct, intimate contact with each other.

However, the expansion of social media is so astounding, it clearly meets needs for connection as well.

How do we integrate social media into our work? How do we support and care for those who go to the internet for information, connection, and healing?

Social media is  not a fad. It's here to stay. It is where people work and play.  We need to meet people where they are.

Don't believe me? Still think social media is a fad?

Take a look at this video by Erik Qualman, author of Socialnomics: How social media transforms the way we live and do business .  These statistics are amazing!  (Thanks to David Diana for passing this on).

 

 

What's in a Name? Naming Your Practice

I've been asked a few times about what to name a private practice.  I hope this video helps a bit. It isn't complicated, but you need to keep a few legal things in mind. I am not a lawyer, so for the real scoop, please seek qualified legal counsel.

Let me know your thoughts in the comment section below.