Episode #603: Pre-Licensed Niche, Fees, & Marketing

Summary

Abundant Practice Podcast - Episode #603: Pre-Licensed Niche, Fees, & Marketing

Release Date: December 18, 2024
Host: Allison Puryear

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Introduction

In Episode #603 of the Abundant Practice Podcast, host Allison Puryear delves into the crucial aspects of establishing a successful private practice for pre-licensed therapists. The episode features a comprehensive conversation with Sarah, a pre-licensed therapist transitioning her focus to a new niche, setting appropriate fees, and refining her marketing strategies. This episode is a treasure trove of insights for therapists aiming to build a sustainable and fulfilling practice.

Defining Your Niche

One of the central themes of the episode is the importance of clearly defining one's niche. Sarah shares her initial attempt at pinpointing her target audience:

Sarah [03:27]: "They're struggling with that balance. But it's like perfectionists who have their identity really wrapped up in work and their performance. And now that they're moms, I feel like they're doing everything sort of at like 75% capacity."

The discussion highlights the challenges Sarah faces in accurately capturing her ideal clients. The guest emphasizes the need to articulate the specific struggles her clients face, moving beyond generic descriptions to resonate deeply with potential clients.

Unknown [04:16]: "We don't want to sugarcoat it as we describe it, or they won't be like, yes, you know, you know how I'm feeling. But if we go hard on the thing that keeps running through their heads, and they'll feel seen and known."

This approach ensures that the messaging speaks directly to the clients' experiences, making them feel understood and supported.

Setting Appropriate Fees

Another significant topic is fee setting, especially for pre-licensed therapists. Sarah initially set her fees based on the rates of other pre-licensed therapists in Houston, charging $140 per session. However, upon consulting with the guest, she reconsidered her pricing strategy.

Unknown [08:07]: "I want you to price yourself where you want to need to be for this, to feel comfortable for you to have the life that you want to have..."

The guest challenges the conventional notion that pre-licensed therapists should charge lower rates due to perceived inexperience. Referencing data, the guest argues that experience doesn't necessarily equate to better therapeutic outcomes, thereby advocating for therapists to set fees that reflect the value they provide and support their desired lifestyle.

Unknown [08:33]: "So yes, you can raise it because there's a significantly larger population in Houston that can afford a premium rate than many other areas."

This affirmation provides Sarah with the confidence to adjust her fees appropriately, ensuring her compensation aligns with her professional value and personal needs.

Effective Marketing Strategies

Transitioning to marketing, Sarah discusses her current efforts and the lack of substantial client movement after four months of intensive marketing. She has engaged in various activities, including enhancing her website, attending modules from Allison’s program, networking with lactation consultants, doulas, and other professionals in prenatal health fields, and sending out warm letters.

Sarah [10:13]: "Okay, cool. Well, maybe we can talk about like some of my marketing that I've been doing."

Despite these efforts, Sarah feels stuck and uncertain about expanding her marketing reach. The guest provides strategic advice on optimizing networking efforts and exploring alternative channels:

Unknown [12:18]: "Almost every office I've ever talked to has those. Interesting."

They discuss the importance of building relationships with pediatricians, midwives, and participation in new mom groups to reach Sarah’s target audience effectively. The guest suggests leveraging SEO (Search Engine Optimization) to increase website traffic, recommending a trusted provider:

Unknown [16:39]: "I think it could be really good, especially in your city, because it would move you up... Simplified SEO Solutions is who we trust for SEO."

Additionally, the guest encourages Sarah to consider creative therapeutic approaches like walk-and-talk therapy, ensuring the environment fosters deep conversations without interruptions.

Unknown [15:16]: "Making sure that it's a non-populated area so she can get really real."

Innovative Therapeutic Approaches

Sarah introduces an innovative idea of conducting walk-and-talk therapy sessions for new mothers, allowing them to engage in therapy while attending to their children. The guest supports this concept with practical considerations to ensure the effectiveness of such sessions.

Unknown [15:55]: "I think offering it could be great. It's just being really selective with where it is."

This suggestion aligns with the need for flexibility in therapy services, catering to the unique challenges faced by new mothers.

Enhancing Online Presence

Addressing Sarah's concerns about her website traffic, the guest emphasizes the importance of a robust online presence:

Unknown [18:09]: "I think you're going to be able to speak to your ideal clients more."

The recommendation includes investing in SEO and possibly engaging in blogging to improve search engine rankings and attract more clients. The guest acknowledges the potential overwhelm but offers practical solutions to manage content creation efficiently.

Conclusion

Episode #603 of the Abundant Practice Podcast offers invaluable guidance for pre-licensed therapists like Sarah who are navigating the complexities of defining their niche, setting appropriate fees, and optimizing their marketing strategies. Through this insightful conversation, listeners gain actionable strategies to build a thriving private practice that aligns with their professional goals and personal well-being.

Unknown [18:50]: "All right. I think that's everything. Awesome."

Sarah leaves the conversation feeling empowered and equipped with new strategies to implement in her practice, underscoring the episode's role in fostering growth and confidence among therapists.

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Additional Resources:

• Abundance Party Membership Program: Step-by-step guidance on building a private practice. www.abundanceparty.com
• Free Resources: Private practice checklist, worksheets, and more at www.abundancepracticebuilding.com
• Support: Email the team at [e-mail]

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Notable Quotes:

• Sarah [03:27]: "They're really good shit talkers to themselves."
• Unknown [04:16]: "We don't want to sugarcoat it as we describe it..."
• Unknown [08:07]: "I want you to price yourself where you want to need to be..."
• Unknown [15:55]: "I think offering it could be great. It's just being really selective with where it is."
• Unknown [18:09]: "I think you're going to be able to speak to your ideal clients more."

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This episode is a must-listen for therapists seeking to refine their practice approach, enhance client engagement, and achieve a balanced professional and personal life.

Transcript

[Allison]

Hi, welcome to the Abundant Practice Podcast. I'm Allison from Abundance Practice Building. I have a nearly diagnosable obsession with helping therapists build sustainable, joy filled private practices. Just like I've done for tens of thousands of therapists across the world. I'm excited to help you too. If you want to fill your practice with ideal clients, we have loads of free resources and paid Support. Go to abundancewith practicebuilding.com Links all right, onto the show. So I've talked about therapy notes on here for years. I could talk about the features and the benefits in my sleep. But there are a couple things I want you to know about therapynotes that doesn't typically make it into an ad script. First is that they actually care if you like their platform. They don't only make themselves available on the phone to troubleshoot so you don't pull your hair out when you get stuck. They also take member suggestions and implement those that there's client demand for. Like Therapy Search, an included listing service that helps clients find you internal and external secure messaging, clinical outcome measures to keep an eye on how your clients are progressing. A super smooth, super bill process, real time eligibility to check on your client's insurance. In my conversations with the employees there at all levels, they all really believe in their product and they want you to love it too. Second, they are proudly independently owned. Why should you care about that? Because as soon as venture capital becomes involved, the focus shifts from making customers happy to making investors happy. Prices go way up. Innovation plateaus. Making more money with as little output as possible becomes the number one focus. With over 100,000 therapists using their platform, they've been able to stay incredibly successful and they don't have to sacrifice your experience to stay there. You can try two months [e-mail] with the coupon code Abundant.

[Sarah]

Hi Sarah, how are you?

[Unknown]

I'm good, how you doing?

[Sarah]

Thanks for taking this meeting.

[Unknown]

Absolutely, yeah. What would be most helpful?

[Sarah]

Okay, so for some background, I am pre licensed and I just got back from attorney leave and I'm changing the population that I'm targeting.

[Unknown]

So amazing.

[Sarah]

That's coloring everything, blowing it all up. So I think I want to talk about my niche and my fee and kind of see where that takes us.

[Unknown]

Let's do it.

[Sarah]

Okay. So my niche is high achieving women with young children struggling with the balance of parenting, partnering and work. So that's kind of how I've been describing it, but I feel like it isn't quite getting to where I want it to be.

[Unknown]

Okay. In terms of like there's not as much interest or you feel like it's not accurately describing.

[Sarah]

It's not quite accurately describing it. I think it's. They are struggling with that balance. But it's. It's like perfectionists who have their identity really wrapped up in work and their performance. And now that they're moms, I feel like they're doing everything sort of at like 75% capacity. You know, they're not performing up to their standards because they're spread so thin and sort of feeling like a striving or like a wanting more, but then feeling guilty about it. Like, motherhood is so hard that they feel like they're failing.

[Unknown]

Yes. And I think that feel like they're failing really is kind of like the finger in the womb, like, picturing it like on a scab, like just pushing in. That. That kind of gets to the crux of it. Because your ideal clients, it sounds like, are not the type who are like, oh, well, about failure.

[Sarah]

Exactly. Yeah. They're really good shit talkers to themselves.

[Unknown]

Right, right. So I wonder if incorporating that. Are they new mothers? Is that what you said? Is that how you phrased it?

[Sarah]

Yes.

[Unknown]

So new mothers who feel like they're failing in every area of their life.

[Sarah]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Unknown]

Does that kind of get to it quick?

[Sarah]

Yes, it does. And I think that wording has kind of gone through my head. I think that felt so.

[Unknown]

Oof.

[Sarah]

But I think that's good, that feeling. Yeah.

[Unknown]

Right. We don't want to, like, sugarcoat it as we describe it, or they won't be like, yes, you know, you know how I'm feeling. But if we go hard on the thing that keeps running through their heads, and they'll feel seen and known.

[Sarah]

Okay. Okay, cool. I like that. And there's like, sort of another side to the coin where I don't know if this is something I should include, but it's sort of based on, like, the identity shift and feeling swallowed by motherhood and hard to meet your needs when you're a new mom. But they kind of realize that, like, maybe they never even knew what their needs were or were already bad at meeting them, so kind of not even knowing what they would ask for.

[Unknown]

Right. So this is my third conversation today about women not knowing what their needs are. I'm finding this very interesting. Normally it's not so thematic in a day.

[Sarah]

Yeah.

[Unknown]

Because it's also random. But I think that's super common amongst women in general, but particularly mothers. Like, you just kind of lose track of your needs and wonder Were they ever getting met to begin with and I could just handle them not getting met because I had fewer pressures or fewer responsibilities.

[Sarah]

Exactly.

[Unknown]

So, okay, let's flush it out some. That's something on their mind. Is that what's bringing them in?

[Sarah]

It may not be. I think it's like, the feeling of failure is more pressing. I'm not sure if they're specifically searching because they're not meeting their needs.

[Unknown]

Right.

[Sarah]

As a new mom, I do think that brings up, oh, my God, like, there's nothing left for me.

[Unknown]

At the end of the day, I'm thinking through whether it makes sense to have it as a part of the niche or, like, when you describe the niche or if it just makes sense to talk about that a lot in the copy as kind of a shoulder issue or a aligned concern that people are going through.

[Sarah]

Yeah.

[Unknown]

Because it's like you don't have anything at the end of the day, and it feels like a lot to have to sort through. Like, who am I? What do I want and need? Who's going to meet those needs anyway? Am I responsible for meeting all those needs on top of everything else?

[Sarah]

That makes sense.

[Allison]

Yeah.

[Unknown]

It's another area they're failing at. It's just another kind of dog pile.

[Sarah]

Yeah. Okay. That makes sense for sure. Also, I don't know why, but I've been hesitant to market only to new moms instead of, like, mothers in general. And I don't know if that's just me being afraid that it's too, you know, the pool is too small or something. I don't know. What do you think about that?

[Unknown]

I work with a lot of people who are perinatal therapists, and the number of people who have a perinatal mood disorder is pretty small compared to all the women who are struggling with the transition to motherhood. So I think if they can get full, you can certainly get full. Because most women are struggling. The challenge with your population is them deciding it's bad enough to get help right now.

[Sarah]

Yeah.

[Unknown]

And I think we know what it looks like for a woman to continue to beat herself up over long periods of time and the feeling of failure when you're normally pretty good at achieving things, how that kind of wears on your soul. So I think part of the job of your copy is to definitely not scare tactics style, but to talk about, like, what's possible if you address this now versus basically asking them the question of if the way that you feel now continues. What does a year from now look like?

[Sarah]

Okay. Yeah. That makes Sense. Okay. I think that, I think that helps a lot. Cool. So like I said, I'm pre licensed. I live in Houston. I basically picked my fee based on like other pre licensed therapists in my area and I'm charging 140. Do you think that's what is your.

[Unknown]

So let me do a little quick Google search. I know Houston is rich Houston. I'm looking up Houston median household income.

[Sarah]

Okay.

[Unknown]

So it looks like it's about what it is where I live. And it's a huge city, a lot bigger than where I am. And so what that says to me is you can definitely do a higher fee, potentially even higher than I have here. Simply because we're not counting the fact that you're pre licensed in your fee. That has no bearing in my opinion because I think the assumptions people make about like why pre licensed people should have lower fees is this idea of like they don't have experience. But the data shows that we don't actually get significantly better at our jobs over time. Experience doesn't make us better therapists. I hate to say it, I hate that data. But if we're going by data, we do feel more confident and capable though and maybe suffer from less imposter syndrome. But the client experience is not significantly different. So I want you to price yourself where you want to need to be for this, to feel comfortable for you to have the life that you want to have, to take the vacations you want to take, take the yoga classes you want to take, to go to the good daycare to, you know, all those things.

[Sarah]

Yeah.

[Unknown]

So yes, you can definitely raise it because there's a significantly larger population in Houston that can afford a premium rate than many other areas.

[Sarah]

Right. Okay. Yeah. I just feel like I maybe needed permission.

[Unknown]

Yeah, Full permission granted from a therapist to 20 years. If an old timer like me can say it says you can do it, you can do it.

[Sarah]

Okay, cool. Well, maybe we can talk about like some of my marketing that I've been doing. Okay. I've been, it's probably been about four months. I've did all your modules. I'm feeling good about my website. But like with these new copy tweaks, I have an online listing. I've been hitting marketing really hard. I meet with like two people a week. Awesome. And I like just sent out a warm letter. So those are before. I feel like that's sort of my max right now. I only have childcare part time, so that's feels like good for me. And I think I'm just, you know, I know I'm like in the period where I have to be patient, but, you know, it's been four months and I just feel like, all right, like, you know, there's, there hasn't been like a lot of movement.

[Unknown]

Okay. So it's also four months. It includes the summer months, which is particularly hard to start or restart a practice.

[Sarah]

Yes.

[Unknown]

Do you have people that have come back after your maternity leave?

[Sarah]

No, because I. This is a. I'm switch, like completely switching. So I don't have, like, I don't have any old clients that I can. That would switch over with me. Yeah.

[Unknown]

Awesome. Okay. Who are you networking with? That's my first question because I want to make sure that that's as efficient as possible.

[Sarah]

I started networking with therapists and I was like, oh, wait, this isn't like exactly working or, you know, it's not who I think who I need to be work networking with. I'm networking with a lot of like lactation consultants, doulas, like in the, you know, prenatal health fields, pelvic floor therapists, things like that. Some therapists who are full in my niche that, you know, hopefully can pass along some clients. I think I need to be probably calling more gynecologist, office and like PCP offices. I did it once and I. They were like referral coordinator, like, what are you talking about? And like I was like, oh, okay. Like got a little flustered.

[Unknown]

What do they call them?

[Sarah]

Yeah, yeah.

[Unknown]

Almost every office I've ever talked to has those. Interesting.

[Sarah]

Yeah. So, yeah, I think that's where I need to sort of build out a little more.

[Unknown]

Yeah. Because I'm thinking like obs pediatricians, you know how they do that, like perinatal mood disorder screening, essentially when your kid goes to whatever week appointment it's been so long, six weeks maybe. So I know, like, you know, if somebody's not indicating that they have a perinatal mood disorder, but they are struggling and they're communicating that with the pediatrician, then that could be good. Midwives.

[Sarah]

Yes.

[Unknown]

Who are doing the follow up appointments. Just thinking about all those follow up appointments and it may be like your ideal clients. May be. It sounds like they're farther along in new motherhood. Like they're not a six week new motherhood because that's just a mess for everyone. But it sounds like they're really struggling. Like at what age would you or their kid is. What age would you say?

[Sarah]

I would say sort of hitting like the six month mark and they're like, they thought it Would get better, but.

[Unknown]

Oh, are you using that copy?

[Sarah]

No, but that's good.

[Unknown]

Yeah. So I would. They're continuing to see their pediatrician, hopefully around that time. The doulas are probably out of the picture at that point. The lactation consultants are probably out of the picture too. Because if it's been that much of a struggle for six months, it's probably not getting easier. They might have, you know, done something else. New mom groups?

[Sarah]

Yes. Yeah, I need to. I need to like figure that out.

[Unknown]

Yeah, yeah, I would search for those. I know. Like in Seattle when I had my first, we had a group called PEPS that it was like all moms in our zip code who gave birth in the same month. So we were all in a soup together. And you can go give talks or something to a PEPS group. They were the leaders, were always looking for people to come speak and you could talk about that transition and how if at six months. Because this was earlier, I think we started at six weeks postpartum and I don't remember if we. We might have gone a whole year. Yeah, we did. We went a whole year. But so you could talk about like at six months. If these things are still a struggle, if you've lost yourself, it might be really helpful to consider these things. And I'm happy to help. And those are usually like small groups in someone's living room. It's very chill.

[Sarah]

Okay. Yeah, that's a great idea. I'll listen to that.

[Unknown]

Yes.

[Sarah]

Okay. This is sort of a new topic, but I've kind of been toying with idea of doing. So I'm virtual right now. I would love to get an office, but it's just not yet. But I've been toying with the idea of doing walk and talk therapy for a new mom. She can like put her kid in the stroller and go, you know, for a walk. That might be a way to reach out to them. What do you think about that?

[Unknown]

I think just making sure that it's a non populated area so she can get really real. That's the only thing I ever hear about. The downside of walk and talk is like things can stay surface if people keep passing you, you know, so making sure that you find an area where there aren't other people constantly walking that path. I mean, I love the idea because I feel like that's kind of like how so many people get out is just popping a kid in the stroller and knowing that like, yeah, you can. You need to feed your kid. Like we'll sit down on a bench, no problem. So I think offering it could be great. It's just being really selective with where it is.

[Sarah]

Okay. Okay, cool. Can you think of anything else you think I'm. That any, like, gaping holes that I should. Avenues I should follow?

[Unknown]

How are people getting to your website? How are they finding you?

[Sarah]

Mostly, I mean, I feel like my website is. I like it, but I feel like it's not getting. It's not getting that much traffic. So some of it is just through Googling. A lot of it's through, like, my Psychology Today profile. So I think that is an area I could boost. So I don't know if that's. Maybe SEO is, like, not my thing, so maybe like, paying, I don't know, paying someone to do that. I don't know.

[Unknown]

I think it could be really good, especially in your city, because it would move you up. You know, you're not going to be on the first page of Google, you know, organically. It's just too big a city for that to happen in Houston. So there's simplified SEO. Solutions is who we trust for SEO. They've done my SEO, They've done a lot of my students SEO. So I get really cagey about people who do SEO because I've been ripped off by three companies. So to not get ripped off by simplified SEO, I felt very happy with them. Thank you for not ripping me off. So there. I really trust in, like them and have seen them do good work for many people, and I think it could be beneficial. That's going to involve blogging, which is, I know, is kind of like, oh, great, more work. I already said it was maxed out, Allison. But I think if you're able to create some blog posts that they can work with, you know, you can also probably pay them to do blog posts. But ultimately, I think you're going to be able to speak to your ideal clients more. I don't know, like, deep. I mean, they're all therapists too, but you know your people. So I would consider. I would consider that. And it might be. Maybe you do, like, a little writing workshop for yourself on a Saturday. Well, a partner or a parent can watch your kiddo, and that way you just knock out a bunch at once and you don't have to be on the hook for it every single week. But I would consider. I would consider paid SEO if you can swing it.

[Sarah]

Okay. Okay. That's something I can do because I.

[Unknown]

Think so many people have really amazing websites and it speaks so clearly to their ideal client. But if there's nothing driving people there, and networking has the potential to drive people there, but, you know, if nothing with large numbers is driving people there, then it's just hard for people to be like, yes, you're speaking directly to me.

[Sarah]

Yeah. Okay. Yeah, I'll look into that for sure. Yeah. Okay. I think. I think that's everything. Awesome.

[Unknown]

Yay. I'm glad to meet you.

[Sarah]

Thank you.

[Unknown]

Let us know how it's going in the Facebook group.

[Sarah]

I will, for sure.

[Unknown]

All right.

[Sarah]

Bye. Bye.

[Allison]

If you're ready for a much easier practice, TherapyNotes is the way to go. Go to therapynotes.com and use the promo code abundant for two months.

[Sarah]

Free.

[Allison]

If you're listening, you probably need some support building your practice. If you're a super newbie, grab our free checklist using the link in the show notes. I'd love for you to follow rate and review, but I really want you to share this episode with a therapist friend. Let's help all our colleagues build what they want.