Episode #611: Why Do We All Have The Same Niche?

Summary

Abundant Practice Podcast Summary
Episode #611: Why Do We All Have The Same Niche?
Release Date: January 11, 2025

In Episode #611 of the Abundant Practice Podcast, host Allison Puryear delves into a common conundrum faced by many private pay therapists: "Why do 99% of private pay therapists all have the same niche?" This insightful episode explores the reasons behind the prevalence of similar niches among therapists and offers actionable strategies to help practitioners stand out in a crowded field.

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Understanding the Commonality of Niches

Allison begins by addressing the listener's question, highlighting the observation that many private pay therapists gravitate towards similar niches, particularly focusing on high achievers dealing with anxiety, overthinking, and people-pleasing behaviors. She remarks:

“Our niches are almost always a version of ourselves.”
– Allison Puryear [00:36]

This reflection underscores a fundamental truth: therapists often select niches that resonate personally, allowing them to leverage their own experiences and empathy in their practice.

The Root Cause: Personal Reflection and Empathy

The episode delves deeper into why therapists tend to mirror their own past struggles in their professional focus. Allison explains that by choosing niches aligned with their previous challenges—such as anxiety or being overwhelmed—therapists can authentically connect with their clients. She states:

“It's almost always a previous version of us that we're speaking to.”
– Allison Puryear [01:00]

This personal connection not only fuels the therapist's passion but also enhances their ability to provide meaningful support to clients facing similar issues.

Differentiating Within Common Niches

While acknowledging the saturation within certain niches, Allison emphasizes that differentiation is achievable through precise marketing and a deeper understanding of one’s ideal client. She advises:

“Describe your ideal client's daily lived experiences with absolute precision.”
– Allison Puryear [03:10]

By honing in on the unique aspects of their ideal clients—such as specific underlying traumas or different manifestations of anxiety—therapists can carve out a distinctive space within a broad niche. For instance, one therapist might focus on clients whose anxiety stems from emotionally immature parents, while another might target those who were bullied in school.

The Power of Specificity in Marketing

Allison highlights that detailed and specific marketing strategies can help therapists stand out, even within common niches. She encourages practitioners to articulate the unique struggles and daily experiences of their ideal clients, ensuring that their marketing resonates on a personal level. This approach not only attracts the right clients but also fosters a sense of being truly seen and understood.

Abundance Practice Building Resources

To assist therapists in defining their ideal clients and refining their niches, Allison introduces the Ideal Client Exercise, a free worksheet available through her platform. She explains:

“Today's free worksheet is the ideal client exercise to help you get deep into the specifics of your ideal client, which is different from your niche.”
– Allison Puryear [04:50]

This resource is designed to help therapists move beyond broad niche definitions and focus on the nuanced characteristics of their ideal clients, ultimately leading to more effective and personalized practice development.

Encouragement and Final Thoughts

In her concluding remarks, Allison reassures therapists that despite the commonality of certain niches, there is ample opportunity to distinguish oneself through unique client profiles and personalized approaches. She emphasizes that effective marketing and a clear understanding of one’s ideal client are key to standing out and attracting the right clientele.

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Key Takeaways

• Personal Reflection Drives Niche Selection: Therapists often choose niches that reflect their own experiences and challenges, enhancing their empathy and connection with clients.

• Differentiation Through Specificity: Even within saturated niches, therapists can differentiate themselves by defining the unique aspects of their ideal clients and tailoring their marketing accordingly.

• Niche vs. Ideal Client: Understanding the distinction between a broad niche and a specific ideal client is crucial for effective practice development and marketing.

• Utilize Available Resources: Leveraging tools like the Ideal Client Exercise can aid therapists in refining their focus and standing out in a competitive field.

Notable Quotes

• “Our niches are almost always a version of ourselves.”
  – Allison Puryear [00:36]

• “It's almost always a previous version of us that we're speaking to.”
  – Allison Puryear [01:00]

• “Describe your ideal client's daily lived experiences with absolute precision.”
  – Allison Puryear [03:10]

• “Today's free worksheet is the ideal client exercise to help you get deep into the specifics of your ideal client, which is different from your niche.”
  – Allison Puryear [04:50]

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Additional Resources

• Free Worksheets and Checklists: Access a variety of tools to help build and refine your private practice at AbundancePracticeBuilding.com.

• Membership Program - Abundance Party: Join Allison’s step-by-step membership program to learn how to work fewer hours, increase your income, and attract ideal clients. Visit www.abundanceparty.com for more information.

• Support and Inquiries: For further assistance or questions, email the Abundance Practice Building team at [e-mail].

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By addressing the commonality of niches in private practice and providing strategic advice on differentiation, Allison Puryear equips therapists with the knowledge and tools necessary to cultivate a unique and fulfilling practice. Whether you're just starting out or looking to refine your existing focus, this episode offers valuable insights to help you stand out and thrive.

Transcript

[Allison]

Foreign welcome to Ask Allison.

[Unknown Co-host]

Y'all ask the questions about having a fun and thriving practice and I answer them. We have a worksheet for you today so you can bring this answer into your life. You can Access [e-mail] links where you'll also be able to ask any questions you have for Ask Allison. If you want more support, we've got some free trainings in there too. If you can't get enough Ask Allison, check out our YouTube channel for our entire Ask Allison library.

[Allison]

Welcome back to Ask Allison. Here's today's question. It made me laugh. Just so you know, I mean this very respectfully, but why do 99% of private pay therapists all have the same niche, including myself? High achievers who deal with anxiety and overthinking and people pleasing or some spin on this? Is there a niche that's more in demand or something a private pay therapist could go into to help fill a void in our collective services? I love working with these clients also, but I don't feel like I stand out or look different enough from the next provider. Thanks. So before I answer this question, I want to thank Therapy Notes for sponsoring Ask Allison. They are the number one rated electronic health record system available today with live telephone support seven days a week. It's clear why Therapy Notes is rated 4.9 out of 5 stars on Trustpilot and has a 5 star rating on Google. Therapy Notes makes billing, scheduling, note taking and telehealth incredibly easy. And for all you prescribers out there, they have e prescribe if you're coming from another ehr. Therapy Notes makes the transition incredibly easy. Importing your demographic data free of charge so you can get going right away. Find out what more than 100,000 mental health professionals already know. Use promo code [e-mail] for two free months. So this isn't everyone's niche, but I've definitely seen a lot more of this niche than any other, especially lately in the last couple of years. And I know exactly why. It's because our niches are almost always a version of ourselves. So who do you think makes up a very large portion of private pay? Private practice owners? High achievers who deal with anxiety, overthinking and people pleasing? We've worked on it, but those parts of our personality are still present and we have a lot of empathy for people who are struggling with that in the way that we used to. A similar dynamic is therapists specialized in overwhelmed moms or women who look like.

[Unknown Co-host]

They have it all together.

[Allison]

But don't it's almost always a previous version of us that we're speaking to. I started abundance because I wanted to help therapists like me who didn't know how to start a private practice but wanted it bad enough to learn how. I didn't have a guide when I was starting out and I wanted to be one for you. In terms of filling a void, I only want you to niche and work with clients that you enjoy and that you are competent with. There are tons of underserved niches, but this is what you're going to be spending all day doing. I want it to be what you want it to be to be. Now you're not standing out or looking different enough if you aren't marketing well. So describe your ideal clients daily lived experiences with absolute precision. You're going to have a different ideal client within this niche than the therapist down the hall. Yours may have underlying trauma from emotionally immature parents and her anxiety and people pleasing may have that flavor. Your neighbor's ideal client may be pushing so hard to prove her worth to herself because she was bullied mercilessly in middle school. Those two clients are going to have different expressions of their struggle each day. You and that other therapist are going to have different ways that you show up. So maybe you cuss in session and your neighbor is more blank slate. Maybe you're an EMDR devotee and she does cbt. There are so many ways that you view and work with the same exact niche differently from each other. Neither is right or wrong, but better fits for different clients. And luckily almost every woman I know is anxious and people pleasing. So there are plenty of clients to go around. These niches that sound really specific but actually include a third of the adults in the world are pretty magical. People feel really seen and known by your marketing partly because they feel really alone with their struggle. They don't typically share how bad it is with the people in their lives, so they're missing out on the whole me too experience. Not that me too experience, but the me too experience. That tends to happen if you open up to other people struggling with the same exact when you are formed by a culture that asks you to do too much for others as soon as you're born, you are not alone in your anxiety and overwhelm. We're all in the soup together. So today's free worksheet is the ideal client exercise to help you get deep into the specifics of your ideal client, which is different from your niche. Your niche is broader. Your ideal client is one person within that niche. DM me the word sheets and I will send that link to you along with all the other free worksheets. I hope this helps. If you have a question for Ask Allison hit the link in my bio. I would be happy to answer them. Take care.

[Unknown Co-host]

If you're ready for a much easier practice, Therapy Notes is the way to go. Go to therapynotes.com and use the promo code abundant for two months free. I hope that helped. If you have questions for Ask Allison or you want to get your hands on the worksheet for this episode, go to abundancepracticebuilding.com link.

[Allison]

If you're listening.

[Unknown Co-host]

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.