
member Kemberlee and I refine her niche to better target specific client groups, with a focus on women in transition, and brainstorm strategies for marketing and networking as a therapist. We also discuss the importance of having an office space,...
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Alison
Foreign hi, welcome to the Abundant Practice Podcast. I'm Alison 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 abundance practicebuilding.com Links all right, onto the show. Some of y'all aren't sending HIPAA compliant email and it's a problem. Even if you're paying for a business Google Workspace account and have a signed BAA, your emails still aren't 100% compliant. That's where Palbox comes in. You can connect Palbox to your Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 email one time and you're completely covered. No one has to sign into portals. It sends and it shows up like any other email behind the scenes. Powbox soft checks the security settings of the recipient and ensures that the email is sent properly so you're not violating HIPAA in the ways you may accidentally be. Now, I know HIPAA isn't sexy, but we don't avoid compliance in an Abundant practice. We check the boxes we need to check and this is the easiest way to do that with email. Check out my friends@powbox.com that's P A U B O X Use Code abundant to get $250 off your first year of powbox. That makes it less than $100 for your first year. Again, that's P A U B O X.com use code ABUNDANT so I've talked about TherapyNotes 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 free@therapynotes.com with the coupon code Abundant.
Kimberly
Hi.
Alison
Hi, Kimberly. How are you doing? Okay.
Kimberly
How are you?
Alison
I'm all right. Yeah. Well, what would be most helpful today?
Kimberly
Well, I maybe can run through a few things I've been working on and doing and get your take on a couple questions I had.
Alison
Sounds great.
Kimberly
Okay. So some of the materials that I've been accessing, things I've been focusing on, are trying to improve my website. And so I definitely feel like I've done some improvement, but I don't love my website platform is through simple practice.
Alison
Oh, yeah? Yeah.
Kimberly
Super basic. There's not a lot of opportunity to do much. I used Squarespace for financial reasons. Shifted over. Not that it was necessarily like, I felt totally crunched. It just was like, oh, this makes sense. But I think after being over there for a few years, I feel like just I'm not getting the traffic I used to, which I think there's probably multiple variables about that reality, but. So I'm thinking about going back, but website thing has been something, and it definitely. I feel like it's better than it was just with content and things. Same with Psychology Today. Change that up a little bit. Worked on some warm letters. I'm just throwing some stuff out, and then that's some of the stuff I've been working on. So some of the things I'm grappling with is to stay with an insurance panel or not how much to raise my prices by and actually office space. And so I'm really like, what Your thoughts are just your experience, especially at this point in time, if that feels like that's a pretty big benefit, you know, to have that offer that for clients.
Alison
Okay. Which of these do you want to start with? All of them. Sound good?
Kimberly
Let's go backwards and then.
Alison
Yeah, Yeah. I will say in our group practice, having an office is of great benefit. And everything I'm about to say is anecdotal. Right. So that's my own personal experience. I have a new client who was very much like, we had like a snow day, which wasn't actually a snow day, but they canceled school anyway. And I was like, we can do it virtual. She's like, I do not do virtual. I really want to be in office. Let's just reschedule. So I think that the majority of people are fine either way, but I think that there are more people who prefer in person than prefer virtual. As clients of the students I have, the people with hybrid practices seem to build a bit faster. Not significantly faster. Fully online is totally 100% doable, but just slightly faster. And I think the more physically disconnected we get from one another in our culture, the more valuable that in person is going to become over time, in my opinion.
Kimberly
I wonder too, if just. I feel like this is. I don't know, I'm in talking to some colleagues that online platforms like BetterHelp and things like that are kind of. Are kind of sucking from what would be the typical pool from these last few years. And so as I've been processing the office question, that was one thing I was thinking like, well, that does obviously differentiate us from better health.
Alison
Yeah, yeah. And like I said, you know, if. If your heart's desire was like, I want to work from home virtually, it's what feels right to me. I'm 100% behind you. And you can absolutely fill your practice if you're on the fence and you, like, I'm somebody who has to get out. This is my away from home office. I have to get out of my house. And I'll probably have an office when I'm retired. Like, I'll probably, you know, just need somewhere to go.
Kimberly
Yeah.
Alison
But if you're kind of in the middle and you don't have a super strong opinion either way, I might consider the office. But if money is tight, like, if you, if you went to this simple practice, one pager from Squarespace, because Squarespace is what, like 20 bucks a month? But like, if it's tight enough that that 20 bucks a month matters, then rent's gonna not feel great. Right.
Kimberly
Right.
Alison
Yeah.
Kimberly
Yeah. And I don't think it was more due to that feeling so tight. It was more of like, well, this just makes financial sense. Like I would say 200.
Alison
It's included in something I'm already paying for. That makes sense. Yeah. But it's a far inferior product.
Kimberly
Yeah, I'm feeling that. I just, I think that's where I'm at. Like, so I've have a fairly decent base of people. I'm not dying over here. But I'm feeling it, though. Like, my weeks are not as full or some week, maybe I have one week out of the Month that's really full and then the other ones are just. Just noticeable. And I think I get well in the state of our country and world. Like I think there's a little bit of fear there of. Of signing another year lease of doing some of these things and yeah. Just not knowing obviously. I know life's always unknown, but it just feels different now with. With everything going on. So. Yeah.
Alison
Yeah. I kind of hopped into your other question about website in the midst of that, which is I would very strongly recommend you switch back to Squarespace because you just have so much more capability. The simple practice websites don't look good. They're not a place I want to scroll and hang out.
Kimberly
Right. Well there's not much to scroll anyway.
Alison
Right. But it just feels like a directory listing or something. It doesn't feel like a legitimate business website.
Kimberly
Yeah.
Alison
And having a legitimate business website matters for credibility.
Kimberly
I kind of was leaning that way.
Alison
So. So I'm. I'm kind of of the strong opinion today. So watch out.
Kimberly
No, no, it's good. Okay. So I guess the other things that I'm kind of grappling with are the. Then the marketing space. I do feel like I was lucky enough when I started that I didn't really have to worry about that a ton. I just had some great colleagues that had already been in practice for a while. So they just sent. Kept sending me their referrals and kind of stayed that way for a while except for the last year to 18 months. So.
Alison
And what's happened with that? Do you know? Like are they getting fewer referrals so they're taking the people who call them or have you kind of gotten disconnected?
Kimberly
That's a piece of it. That they are also getting fewer balls which makes me feel like it's very. Just a systemic issue with again multi. Multi layered but.
Alison
Right.
Kimberly
So that. Which adds to the fear and things like that. But also then knowing I need to do something with marketing and which is why I'm doing your program because I suck at that and like it. So I'm trying to like find that space for doing blogs. Not doing that. Like online social media stuff. Not doing that. But so I started with some warm letters kind of approach and I'm playing around with. So curious to think about this. So I'm a nature informed therapist. Like I did a little certification thing. So like not. Not just like yeah, I'm going for a walk with my clients. Like I actually try to use different components of nature to help find some connection for people in various ways. So I'm trying to kind of highlight that a little bit as something a little different. So there's an Earth Day festival in, in my town in April and thinking about doing a booth there, which kind of feels weird to me.
Alison
Huh?
Kimberly
To be like, have you ever done.
Alison
A booth for anything before or woman to booth before? Okay. Are you more introverted or extroverted?
Kimberly
Introverted.
Alison
Okay. I have done one booth one time and despite being an outgoing extrovert, was like, I'm never doing this again. You'll have to get little free things. Like, if you can put a bunch of free stuff, you'll be good. I didn't have enough free stuff. And so then it just felt like people don't want to come up to your booth because they know you're there to sell to them is how it feels. But if you've got freebies, and that could be, you know, little gift bags with like a. Some tea, some, you know, these kinds of things with your card in it or something like that, then I think it could be worth it. But we also need to consider, like, what is your niche? Who are you helping? And how does that overlap with the people who are going to show up? So tell me about your niche.
Kimberly
So I really like to work with women who, I mean, as it's a little vast, I guess, but are in transition, transitional phases of life. So whether that's like they now just have children or the children had left the home, menopause type stuff, retirement, kind of the kind of gamut, and either helping women stay connected with themselves and or refine their voice. Because I find that a lot of, a lot of my 50s, 60s, you know, are like, I don't know who I am.
Alison
And you know, so what I would recommend before you do anything, before you work on your new website or any of that, is to get that more refined. Because somebody who just had a kid is in such a vastly different life place than somebody going through menopause, maybe becoming empty nesters and retiring all around the same time. And the specificity of what we say on our website is what has people choose us or not? And you can't be specific about both having a new baby and feeling out of your element there and feeling like you're coming to the last third of your life and you're not sure what's been worth it and what hasn't. Right. Like there's just such different phases of life there and nobody, yeah, nobody's like, ah, you know what my problem is? I'm just in transition Right. It's always more specific than that.
Kimberly
Okay.
Alison
Women in transition is one I often am talking people out of because we see it, we understand that the identity stuff that comes up with each transition is ultimately what's at play, no matter the transition. But that's not what they're looking for.
Kimberly
So do you feel like the identity is too broad as well, or. No.
Alison
Which identity? Which one?
Kimberly
Say, our identity as a human, as a person, as a woman.
Alison
Yeah, for sure. Because nobody's like, I just need to work on my identity. Sorry, not sorry to interrupt this podcast. There are only two days left to act on this, so here I am. If your practice has felt stuck or slow, this is the moment to shift it. Right now, you can get access to the Abundance party for the rest of 2025. This is our program that helps you fill your calendar and grow a sustainable private practice. You can get this for just $310 total for the entire rest of the year. That's 50% off. We know you need a break. We know it's hard out there. We've never done a sale like this. So whether you're brand new or you're plateaued, it's really not just a sale. It is a call. I am asking you, please, to rise up and be found by the clients who need you now more than ever in this political and economic chaos. But you have to act fast. The sale ends Friday, April 25th. That's just two days from now. If you're listening to this when it airs, hit the link in the show notes asap. Let's build the practice your community is searching for. Yeah, for sure. Because nobody's like, I just need to work on my identity. Whereas I'm going through a menopause. And I think right now perimenopause and menopause are hot topics finally. Thank God, right? And so if that's a population you love to work with, talking about, you're going through menopause, you've become invisible. You're coming towards the end of your career or it's recently ended. You're looking at the places where you've sold yourself out over the years. And as your estrogen has dropped, so has your willingness to deal with bullshit. And like, as describing that is going to speak so clearly to that ideal client, if that's your ideal client, versus that broader. I'm not sure who I am. We have peaks and valleys of that throughout our lives. You know, my 8 year old said that to me a few months ago. She's like, I Just don't feel like I know who I am. It's like, baby, yeah, you're not supposed to yet. Like, you know, certain pieces, it's fine. But, like, we all go through moments of that and phases of that, and depending on what's going on, like, what else is going on, that's gonna. The other thing is gonna determine whether or not somebody's gonna actually seek therapy for it versus it just being, like an annoyance or something you wish you could change or, you know, that kind of a thing. It's usually the other stuff going on that. That it boils to the top. Like, I'm no longer in my career. Who the fuck am I? Or who I've been my whole life so far is gone. Now that I'm a mom, I don't know how to get her back. It's tough. So I. I'd go through that know your niche course again, and you can. You can still love the new moms. It doesn't mean you'll never get a new mom, because our niche ultimately ends up being about 60% of our practice, if that's what we want. But you'll call in people much easier. And if you're doing a booth, I don't know how I brought the conversation over to this from the booth, but if you're doing the booth and it's centered around women in menopause or women at the end of their career or new moms, you can weave in how the nature informed therapy can help them specifically.
Kimberly
Right.
Alison
You can gear whatever your freebie is to them, that kind of thing.
Kimberly
Right. Okay.
Alison
And of course, I think about the freebies at anything ecologically based. Right. Like when I go to conferences, I'm like, God, there's so much nonsense plastic I'm just gonna throw away at the hotel.
Kimberly
Right.
Alison
So much of this is just useless. So being thoughtful about what would your ideal client appreciate?
Kimberly
Yeah, definitely. Okay.
Alison
And it depends on the cost of the booth too. And weighing the math. You want it to be worth it. If you just get one client from it who you see the average number of times you see clients to make sure that you're still making a profit.
Kimberly
Right, Right. I have a really hard time making decisions, and that's.
Alison
That's not uncommon because we don't just love working with one person. So it's not a rejection of the other people or you giving up on the other people. It's really just something to make your marketing work better and easier.
Kimberly
Okay. So. And I know I like, looked over all the different like those, the blogs and the warm letters and those things. Anything else to you that stands out for a person who, I mean, I know I'm not the only introvert, and maybe some introverts do like to do blogs, but as something like, oh, well, maybe consider this, or this could be another way that you try to network or market or whatever.
Alison
Yeah, well, when I think about introverts, I actually do think of, like, blogs and SEO, because those go together. You can't really do SEO without blogging. But if you don't love writing, you know, like, if it's like pulling teeth, then that's not something I want you to spend time every single week doing, you know, so you've got your warm letters. How often are you networking?
Kimberly
Not very often. I mean, okay, I think more so recently, you know, like maybe been like three times in the last maybe three weeks. Trying to remember. I actually went to a little event, but some trying.
Alison
Yeah. And I think the more specific your niche is, the more effective the networking is too, because then they'll be like, oh, that's, that's Kimberly. She works with menopausal women. And then you've got all these natural referral sources like gynecologists and functional medicine docs and all the different places that your ideal clients are going to go when they're like, okay, like, this shift is not going the way I wanted it to go, you know, or if you're going with new moms, for instance, you know, you've got obs, you've got pediatricians, you've got family docs. You've, you know, so in addition to all the other people that are doing therapy that aren't working with your population, because if you become known as the therapist who works with this, you know, with menopausal women in your area, then, like, you're that therapist that everybody refers to. And whenever somebody brings it up or with later midlife women, you become everybody's go to. But if it's women in transition, nobody really knows who to send to you because it's not specific enough because it's. That's one of those things most people will just take. Right. But if they're full, it's not specific enough that they're going to think of you first.
Kimberly
Right, Right. I think that feels scary too, to like, hone it in so much. So I think that's, yeah, definitely my fight there. Okay.
Alison
I promise it. It makes everything easier and it makes things happen faster, too. So those spots that you have that are open can Definitely get filled faster with an itch.
Kimberly
So given also. Well, I don't know. I keep framing it in like, recent environment, but with insurance, what are your thoughts on that?
Alison
Yeah, I mean, I feel like insurance has been a system I wanted nothing to do with for a really long time anyway. But I think particularly now as it continues to feel more like a racket and more detrimental. And who knows what's going to happen with the current administration and oligarchs. So if you don't want to take insurance, I think it makes sense to get off of insurance. But you're going to have to hone in your marketing. It's definitely a much scarier climb without a niche and without very intentional marketing, because if you're having fewer referrals right now while taking insurance, you're going to have fewer conversions when you're not taking insurance. So we need to get more people calling, period.
Kimberly
Okay.
Alison
Which I hope is, I mean, to be motivating with that, not like overwhelming with it.
Kimberly
Well, I think it's. It seems like maybe two years ago would be like, well, you don't like it, you don't want to do it. Okay. I mean, still focus on those two things. But it didn't seem as, I don't know, it just feels like less secure.
Alison
I'll say it's taking people a bit longer to get full private pay folks than it did before, but it's still just a matter of months. It's not like it's taking them two years to get full instead of a few months, you know, so as long as you're marketing, and that's a caveat, like, as long as your marketing is on point, you just have to be so much more intentional with your marketing because we are now competing with these tech companies that pretend to be mental health companies. And there are more people in private practice, so there's. I don't like thinking of the other people in private practice as competition because they really can just, if you look at them as great referral partners, it's going to serve everybody better and it's going to get everybody full faster. But we have to do a better job at marketing than these tech companies in order to be found. And that means the great thing is, as a solo practice, that means you bring all sorts of heart that they can't emulate. And when you can describe this one problem that this one ideal client has, it lands so much more for people than all the marketing dollars towards all the SEO and podcast ads they're doing.
Kimberly
Okay, Yeah, I Think I probably do stay with insurance for now, but it just feels. That feels stressful, too. Yeah. I don't know.
Alison
Stay with insurance and really ramp up your marketing and see what happens. And as you're getting your calls back up and then maybe higher than you've ever gotten them, that's probably a good time to start being like, okay, I think it's. I think it's safe to get off insurance.
Kimberly
Yeah, that makes sense. Don't do it at a time when you're still looking for some more people.
Alison
Yeah, I mean, you can. Some people jump. They do a great job. They just, like, take the leap. I took the leap. That works for a lot of people, but it's paralyzing for a lot of other people. And if it's stressing you right now to have fewer people, I would rather you be working from a place of safety and a place of, I have enough and I want to optimize at this point instead of, I don't have enough people, and I'm going to change this thing. That might make it harder for more people to come in without having really clear evidence for yourself that you can get more people in.
Kimberly
Yeah, I think it would be good. I mean, I did listen to all the finished stuff and. But listening to that again probably is a good idea.
Alison
Did you do the worksheets?
Kimberly
No, I didn't do the worksheets.
Alison
The worksheets make all the difference. And I know I'm the same when I'm doing courses or things like that. I'm like, I'll think my answers, but I promise you, like, the people who end that course with a niche versus the people who haven't, the people who are still a little wibbly with their niche almost 100% of the time haven't done the worksheets. And the people who end it with a niche have done it. So we have lots of good evidence that it makes a difference. Okay.
Kimberly
I honestly kind of forgot about the worksheets because I did that a little while ago. So, yeah, I will do that.
Alison
Awesome.
Kimberly
That's helpful. Thank you.
Alison
Yeah. Very cool. Well, keep us updated in the party, like in the Facebook group. And if you land on a niche and you need some help fleshing it out, post in there and we'll see how we can get all the feedback possible from everybody.
Kimberly
That sounds great. Awesome. Thank you for your time.
Alison
All right. Yeah, take care, too.
Kimberly
Bye.
Alison
Bye. Make sure your email is actually HIPAA compliant with Powell box. Use code abundant to get palbox for less than $100 your first year at paubox.com 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. Free. 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.
Abundant Practice Podcast Summary
Episode #642: Niche Hesitation & Fewer Client Calls
Release Date: April 23, 2025
Host: Allison Puryear
In Episode #642 of the Abundant Practice Podcast, host Allison Puryear engages in a deep conversation with a listener, Kimberly, who is navigating challenges in her private therapy practice. The episode delves into critical aspects such as refining one’s niche, optimizing website platforms, balancing insurance panels with private pay, and effective marketing strategies for introverted therapists. This comprehensive summary captures the essence of their discussion, providing valuable insights for therapists seeking to build sustainable and fulfilling private practices.
Kimberly's Current Niche: Women in Transition
Kimberly identifies her niche as working with women undergoing transitional phases in life, including new motherhood, menopause, and retirement. However, she expresses uncertainty about the broadness of this niche and its effectiveness in attracting clients.
Allison’s Advice: Narrow Down Further
Allison emphasizes the importance of specificity in defining a niche. She advises that broad categories like "women in transition" can be too vague and suggests focusing on more defined groups to enhance marketing effectiveness.
Allison recommends refining the niche to specific transitions, such as:
This specificity allows for targeted marketing and clearer communication of services to potential clients.
Current Platform: Simple Practice
Kimberly shares her dissatisfaction with the Simple Practice website platform, citing its basic functionalities and lack of customization as hindrances to attracting traffic and establishing a professional online presence.
Allison’s Recommendation: Switch to Squarespace
Allison strongly recommends transitioning back to Squarespace, highlighting its superior capabilities and flexibility compared to Simple Practice.
She underscores the importance of a well-designed website in building credibility and attracting clients. A visually appealing and functional website can significantly impact a therapist’s ability to present themselves as a legitimate business.
Current Dilemma: To Stay or Leave Insurance Panels
Kimberly is contemplating whether to continue accepting insurance or to move entirely to a private pay model. She is concerned about the declining referrals and the financial implications of each option.
Allison’s Guidance: Maintain Insurance While Enhancing Marketing
Allison advises staying with insurance panels for the time being while simultaneously ramping up marketing efforts. She acknowledges the system’s flaws but recognizes its role in providing a stable client base.
She emphasizes that leaving insurance without a robust marketing strategy in place can lead to a significant loss of clients. By maintaining insurance participation, therapists can ensure a steady flow of clients while working on attracting private pay clients through targeted marketing.
Kimberly’s Concerns: Effective Marketing without Overwhelm
As an introvert, Kimberly struggles with traditional marketing methods such as networking and social media. She is looking for alternative strategies that align with her personality and professional style.
Allison’s Suggestions: Utilize Blogging and Warm Letters
Allison highlights blogging and warm letters as effective marketing tools for introverted therapists. These methods allow for consistent client engagement without the pressure of constant social interaction.
She notes that blogging enhances search engine optimization (SEO), making it easier for potential clients to find the practice online. Additionally, warm letters to past clients or referral sources can rekindle professional relationships and generate referrals.
Kimberly’s Idea: Booth at Earth Day Festival
Kimberly considers setting up a booth at a local Earth Day festival to promote her nature-informed therapy practice but feels apprehensive about the effectiveness and the effort required.
Allison’s Advice: Targeted Approach with Relevant Freebies
Allison advises that if Kimberly decides to participate in such events, she should ensure that her booth is aligned with her refined niche and offers meaningful freebies that resonate with her ideal clients.
She suggests providing items like eco-friendly gift bags or nature-inspired tools that reflect her therapeutic approach, thereby attracting the right clientele and enhancing brand recognition.
Kimberly’s Oversight: Not Completing Worksheets
Kimberly admits she hasn't completed the recommended worksheets, which are designed to help refine her niche and marketing strategies.
Allison’s Encouragement: Complete the Worksheets for Clarity
Allison stresses the importance of these worksheets in solidifying one’s niche and optimizing marketing efforts.
Completing these exercises can help therapists like Kimberly gain clarity on their target audience, refine their service offerings, and develop more effective marketing messages.
In this episode, Allison Puryear provides Kimberly with actionable insights to overcome common challenges in private practice. The key takeaways include:
Allison’s guidance underscores the importance of strategic planning, niche specificity, and tailored marketing in building a successful and sustainable private practice.
Resources Mentioned:
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