Private Practice Startup Podcast

Episode 134: Marketing the Clinician You Are, Not Who You Think You're Supposed to Be

Hosts: Dr. Kate Campbell & Katie Lemieux
Guest: Diane Webb, LMHC
Release Date: May 5, 2019

Episode Overview

This episode revolves around discovering and embracing your authentic identity as a clinician—rather than conforming to external expectations or professional stereotypes. Dr. Kate, Katie, and guest Diane Webb discuss how therapists can overcome imposter syndrome, step into authentic practice and marketing, and build a thriving private practice around who they really are. The focus is on “inside-out” marketing: starting with self-awareness and alignment to attract ideal clients and grow a genuinely passionate business.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Authenticity Challenge in Clinical Work

• Early Professional Experiences
  The hosts and Diane reflect on their own early attempts to “look the part,” from wearing pantsuits or formal jackets in photos, to writing overly academic website bios.
  • [04:14] Katie: “Literally, there must have been some written rule that you’re supposed to wear a black jacket with a white button up... It's awful. It's very stuffy and so not authentic.”
  • [05:19] Kate: “I was so insecure... I would try to present myself in a way where I looked older, more mature... but that's not how I wanted to present myself.”
• Expectation vs. Authenticity
  Graduate school, community mental health, and agency settings often reinforce the idea that therapists must be generalists and look/dress/act a certain way, neglecting the power of authenticity.
  • [04:48] Katie: “No talk about authenticity... People really like to join with you as an authentic person.”
  • [06:22] Diane: “We feel like we have to show up for clients in this very regimented, almost formulaic way. And then we get deep into our careers, [and see] that was hurting us from really connecting.”

2. Imposter Syndrome and the Trap of Being a Generalist

• Taking on Too Much Responsibility
  Diane shares that one major mindset trap is feeling personally responsible for every client’s healing, regardless of the fit or specialty.
  • [08:05] Diane: “For me... the difficult mindset to overcome was that I had to help everybody no matter what happened, that I was responsible for making sure they healed. The pressure and weight of that was enormous, and it was so not true.”
• Permission to Specialize
  Not every clinician should—or can—help everyone. Seeking a specialty is legitimate and brings both better results and more satisfaction.
  • [08:50] Diane: “We don't expect doctors to help us with any problem we bring, and we shouldn't expect that of ourselves as therapists.”
  • [09:57] Kate: “We're doing a disservice to them and to ourselves when we get outside of our zone of genius... When you niche down... that's when you make the greatest impact.”

3. Shifting Mindsets: From Scarcity to Alignment

• From Scarcity to Abundance
  Clinicians often worry that specializing will mean fewer clients and missed income, but—in reality—having a clear, authentic specialty draws more ideal clients and makes marketing easier and more effective.
  • [13:06] Katie: “Business feels very... to be successful in business, I should say, is counterintuitive... Scarcity mindset. I don't want to say no to people... It’s so rewarding when your ideal client continues to call you. It's just easy.”
• The Effortless Practice
  Life as a therapist feels more natural and energizing when your practice is filled with ideal clients whose needs and values align with your own.
  • [13:56] Diane: "When you have a caseload that's primarily the people that you're in alignment with... it doesn't even feel like work at all."

4. Steps to Embracing Authenticity

• Radical Acceptance of Where You Are
  Rather than pressuring yourself to “do it all,” acknowledge your current strengths and interests. Authenticity begins with accepting your starting point.
  • [15:16] Diane: “No, you're responsible for your effort, but you're solely not responsible for healing that person. That in itself is a huge mindset shift.”
  • [16:03] Katie: “Giving permission to be okay with the now. And as you evolve... that can change. It's okay to change your niche and specialization over time.”
  • [16:22] Diane: “Radical acceptance of where I am in my career... that's where the magic is.”
• Discovering Who Fills You Up Energetically
  Diane shares a free PDF tool (see resources below) for clinicians to reconnect with their natural, “filled up” states—as a guide to finding their best-fit client population.
  • [17:19] Diane: “It starts with you remembering when you were a kid and you were energetically filled up by something... Match that to when you worked with a client you felt filled up by.”
• Personal Stories of Alignment
  The hosts and Diane relate personal stories from childhood passions (teaching, designing, creating) to their current roles—illustrating how authentic alignment shows up in adult career choices.
  • [22:04] Kate: “[As a child] I would pick all of these flowers and make a beautiful arrangement... As a business owner, I like to be in the design phase, the creation phase...”

5. Practical Marketing Tips: Inside-Out Approach

• “Inside Job” Before External Tactics
  Effective marketing starts with self-knowledge and clarity on who you really serve best. After authentic alignment, picking the right marketing strategies (e.g., SEO, copywriting, social media) becomes easier and more natural.
  • [24:08] Katie: “The journey of marketing starts with us... When you know who you are authentically, who you love to serve... it’s easy then to market right, to others.”
• Avoiding “Spray & Pray” Marketing
  The hosts caution against desperate, scattershot marketing (“try everything, everywhere”)—emphasizing that when you understand yourself and your ideal clients, strategy and messaging become focused and clear.
• Let Your Natural Style Shine
  Authenticity in marketing content (e.g. website copy) engages more effectively than academic or stuffy writing.
  • [26:26] Katie: “I was writing like I was in school... When you know who you are, your natural expression just comes out and it’s easy. You’re not going to write a research paper on your website because that’s boring.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• [03:33] Diane Webb: "I wish that someone said to me when I was younger, hey, Diane, you don't have to be the clinician that you think you have to be. And that would have saved me a lot of years."
• [08:05] Diane Webb: "The pressure and the weight of [feeling responsible for client healing] was so enormous, and it was so not true."
• [16:22] Diane Webb: “This is okay. I'm going to have radical acceptance to where I am in my career right now. ... And that's where the magic is, I think.”
• [17:19] Diane Webb: “It starts with you remembering when you were a kid and you were energetically filled up by something... Match that to when you worked with a client you felt filled up by.”
• [25:55] Diane Webb: “I want people to know that authentic marketing, to be the clinician, who you are, your authentic self, is an inside job. So when you believe it and you're in the embodiment of it... it will naturally come out.”

Important Timestamps

• [03:33] – Diane on realizing the need to break out of clinical stereotypes
• [05:19] – Personal stories of trying to “look professional” out of insecurity
• [08:05] – Diane on the burden of feeling responsible for all client outcomes
• [09:57] – Kate on the myth that niching down limits opportunity
• [13:56] – The reward of getting calls from one’s ideal clients
• [15:16] – Diane on shifting from “helping everyone” to “responsible effort”
• [17:19] – The alignment exercise: reconnecting with your childhood joys
• [22:04] – Hosts share personal career alignment stories
• [24:08] – How authentic self-knowledge simplifies marketing strategies
• [25:55] – Authentic marketing as an “inside job”
• [26:26] – The difference between academic and authentic marketing copy

Episode Resources & Takeaways

• Diane Webb’s Giveaway:
  Discover Your Provider Identity Profile PDF — A step-by-step exercise to uncover your authentic clinical niche, available via episode show notes.
• Main Takeaway:
  Your most effective marketing flows from knowing, accepting, and expressing who you are—as both a person and a clinician. Authenticity attracts ideal clients and makes every business decision simpler and more effective.

Episode Vibe

Upbeat, encouraging, and candid. Kate, Katie, and Diane are open about their own missteps, insecurities, and journey to greater authenticity, making space for humor, stories, and warmth as they empower listeners to step into their own unique clinical selves.