Nov 23, 2020
This episode is all about embracing the changes that 2020 has thrown at us. As we adjust to the new normal, it's time to think about what opportunities we can find. For instance, if you haven't already, maybe it's time to ditch your physical office and go full-time into telehealth. Also, it's time to start thinking about diversifying your income through Gumroad or Teachable. Tune in as I speak about all sorts of ways you can embrace the curveball that is 2020.
Start With Your Why
What are your priorities? Why do you want to be in practice? Why do you want to do the things that you do? This year we learned a lot about making a transition to a whole new business model, and that's the switch to telehealth. Frankly, telehealth will become the new normal over the next year. So, it's time that you think about how you have your practice structured and set up. One of the things about being online is that your office space becomes less important. You don't need the furniture anymore!
Think About Your Practice Moving Forward
The boundaries around the types of people you can see for therapy has now widened a great deal. Your potential client base can be the entire state you are licensed in. So, how are you going to start to market your practice? You can think about a broader reach. Does your website need to be updated? This could be a great time to make upgrades and changes. That way, it will reflect that you can see clients from a broader geographic location. Think about doing things in different ways.
It's A Great Time For Private Practice Owners
There is such a demand for mental health services during 2020. When you switch to telehealth, it will reduce the geographic bounds of what you do. Are you thinking about having a group practice? The therapists that you can hire has now broadened too; they no longer have to commute! The pandemic allows for more work and less commute time. It's time to think about things differently.
Write Down Your New Priorities
When you write down your new priorities, it will help with the overwhelm. When we are overwhelmed, there will be a sense of anxiety. To battle anxiety, do a brain dump! In your planner, make a list and write down everything that captures your attention at the moment. It's a journaling exercise in many ways, and it gives us a new perspective on things.
Why You Need To Embrace Change
Our routines have been turned upside down. Particularly for those who have children. It's challenging to navigate work with homeschooling. We need to accept the fact that our routines are messed up. Now, it's time to look at small ways to change our routine and make it work for us. We are creatures of habits, and we get used to doing things the same way each time. When we change that up, it becomes unsettling. Instead, we need to focus on self-care. If you want to learn more about practicing self-care as a private practice owner, listen to my episode with Veronica Cisneros: Unapologetic Self-Care in Private Practice.
The Importance Of Connecting With Others
The pandemic has caused us to feel isolated and disconnected from people that matter most to us. Thanksgiving is around the corner. However, many of us have pulled back from our traditions, and we are not getting together with family. It's a hard decision to make. Allow yourself to embrace change, lean into it, and take ownership of how you will reorganize your life. We think about our relationships with others differently during 2020 – embrace it! I recently did an episode with Kathryn Esquer about connecting with other private practice owners during 2020. You can listen to the episode HERE. Plus, try The Teletherapist Network for two weeks free using my link: https://teletherapistnetwork.com/gordon.
Diversify Your Income
There are so many great opportunities to create income for yourself in the online space. For instance, you can sell digital products or some sort of activity you'd like to share with other therapists. To sell those digital products, like Paperwork Packets and the Session Note Helper, I use Gumroad. Another idea for creating additional income streams is doing online courses. I know for many of us that once we got out of graduate school, we loved teaching other people things. There is an excellent opportunity to increase income, and that's by creating online courses or seminars, that kind of thing. The platform I use for that is Teachable. Give yourself permission to think outside the box and create other income streams for yourself so that you're not solely dependent on client interactions.
Being transparent… Some of the resources below use affiliate links which simply means we receive a commission if you purchase using the links, at no extra cost to you. Thanks for using the links!
Resources
Use the promo code "GORDON" to get 2 months of Therapy Notes free.
Learn more about GreenOak Accounting
Teachable
Gumroad
Brighter Vision
Listen to Private Practice Elevation
Money Matters in Private Practice | The Course (use code julie2020)
The Group Practice Outfitter Waitlist
G Suite for Therapists | The E-Course
Session Note Helper 3.0
Join the G-Suite for Therapists Users Group
Cool Resources
Follow @PracticeofTherapy on Instagram
Meet Gordon Brewer, MEd, LMFT
Gordon is the person behind The Practice of Therapy Podcast & Blog. He is also President and Founder of Kingsport Counseling Associates, PLLC. He is a therapist, consultant, business mentor, trainer, and writer. PLEASE Subscribe to The Practice of Therapy Podcast wherever you listen to it. Follow us on Twitter @therapistlearn, and Pinterest, “Like” us on Facebook.