Many behavioral health professionals are so focused on caring for their clients that they don’t even consider creating a professional profile. They often don’t realize that it’s an important tool for growing their practice. We get it. After all, you have deep experience and expertise in behavioral health, not necessarily in marketing yourself or your practice online. At Health Affiliates Maine (HAM), we encourage affiliates to consider their professional profiles not as a superficial sales and marketing tactic or a job resume but as a space to build connections with best fit clients, foster understanding, and inspire confidence. That is why we feature affiliates’ professional profiles on our website free of charge (just one of the many perks of affiliating with us!)

When it comes time to create these professional profiles, our affiliated clinicians often ask us for advice on how best to craft their professional profiles. They want to know what’s important to include and how it should be written. 

This might seem challenging, but by answering a set of key questions, behavioral health professionals can create an engaging and empowering profile. In this blog, we explore what these questions are and why they’re important for shaping your online narrative.

Who are you beyond your qualifications?

Of course, a brief introduction with your qualifications and professional background is necessary. Yet, remember, therapy is built on human connections. So, delve a little further. Talk about your beliefs, your passions, perhaps even mention how you find solace in the calm of nature or find inspiration in the strokes of a paintbrush. Show that you, too, are human.

What are your areas of expertise, and what is your approach to treatment?

Share your areas of proficiency–whether it is cognitive behavioral therapy, Family Systems Therapy, child and adolescent psychology or anything else. Yet, remember to also discuss your approach to these treatments. Your philosophy and methodology provide a glimpse into your practice and its uniqueness.

What are some of your experiences?

Share experiences that shaped you as a therapist. Talk about the resilience you have seen, the journeys you’ve borne witness to. This is about normalizing the ups and downs of behavioral health care and portraying yourself as a compassionate companion on this journey.

Why have you chosen this path?

State why you decided to delve into this field. Perhaps, a personal encounter sparked your journey, or maybe you’ve always felt an innate calling to help others navigate their mental and emotional landscapes. These insights make you relatable and trustworthy.

How do you nurture resilience and empowerment in your clients?

Including empowering language in your profile portrays positive outcomes and encourages those seeking help. So, as an advocate, supporter, and guide, how do you encourage individual growth and resilience? What specific strategies and interventions do you use to help clients discover and bolster their strengths?

How can someone reach out to you?

Make it clear how individuals can contact you for a consultation or further queries. Normalize this process by encouraging individuals to take this step, reassuring them courageously and compassionately.

Getting Started

Once you have written your profile, put it out to the online world! We encourage all affiliated clinicians to start by crafting their professional profiles with us at HAM. Affiliates can have their professional profiles featured on the HAM website free of charge one of the many benefits of affiliating with HAM!  Other organizations, such as psychologytoday.com, will also post online profiles for a fee. 

Creating an online professional profile is about breaking down the walls and extending a hand to those seeking help. Let your profile reflect that, let it echo your dedication, let it speak in a voice that grounds, heals, and believes.

Posted on April 1, 2024by Author Kayla Quesnelin Categories Advice for Affiliates, Private Practice

In our digital-first society, behavioral health professionals should not overlook the importance of their online identities. At Health Affiliates Maine (HAM), we encourage our affiliated clinicians to use the web as a platform to reflect their expertise, competencies, compassion, and dedication. Doing so will not only help you connect with clients that are the best fit, but it will also help you to market your practice. This all can be achieved by crafting engaging and well-articulated online profiles that accurately represent who you are and what you do.

You might think, “Why does my online profile matter? Isn’t my real-life work enough?” The online world isn’t detached from our physical lives, it’s a natural extension. An optimized profile bridges the two by introducing your “real life” self to those seeking services or professional connection online.

Let’s break down how to build an engaging professional profile that offers that important human touch.

Prioritize Authenticity

Crafting your online profile is about being true to who you are and the values you hold dear. Your profile should undeniably reflect your authenticity. We encourage you to list your qualifications, but don’t stop there. Humanize yourself by mentioning your passions, your approach towards treatment, and your commitment towards empowering individuals. You’re more than just your degree(s).

Frame Your Experience, Not Just Your Expertise

Of course, listing your areas of expertise is essential, but it is equally powerful to narrate your experiences. People connect with stories. They inspire, they console, they empower. So, talk about the resilience you’ve seen and nurtured, share how you’ve stood as an ally. This relatability helps build an emotional connection that often goes beyond professional levels.

Use Accessible and Empowering Language

A profile filled with medical jargon may showcase your knowledge, but it often fails to connect with patients and clients. Use accessible language that anyone can understand. Emphasize the power of individuals to enhance their own quality of life.

A Gateway to Genuine Connection

At a time when screens often precede handshakes, your online profile serves as the initial handshake, smile, and conversational opener. It’s your chance to say, “I see you, I hear you, and I’m here to walk through this with you.” For individuals seeking help, making that first step can be daunting. By including your picture and a warm introduction, your profile can help break down this barrier. It offers a sense of comfort and understanding right from the start.

Because, remember, as prospective clients search for a therapist, they will search online. And they will want to see and get to know you before ever picking up the phone or sending an email inquiry. They will want to read your professional profile and see your face to help them begin to determine if they want to work with you, and if they will be able to trust you.

The Essence of Your Practice Distilled

Think of your online profile as a distilled essence of your practice’s values, philosophies, and approaches. It’s not just about attracting clients—it’s about attracting the right clients. Those whose needs align with your skillset, who seek the specific support you offer, and who you can most effectively help. This alignment is the cornerstone of meaningful therapy.

The power of a well-crafted, authentic online profile in marketing your private therapy practice cannot be overstated. It’s a testament to your dedication and a bridge to those in need. As behavioral health professionals dedicated to nurturing resilience and advocating for accessible care, use every tool at your disposal to connect, uplift, and empower. Your online profile is not just a part of your marketing strategy—it’s an extension of your mission, your values, and your unwavering commitment to making a difference.

Posted on March 12, 2024by Author Kayla Quesnelin Categories Advice for Affiliates, Private Practice

Our series, Managing Your Private Practice, examines how to successfully run your private practice as a behavioral health clinician. Essential to any therapy practice is a clear process for screening new clients.

As clinicians, we know what happens in January…every January. We get inundated with new clients. Coming off the stress of the holidays, possible family drama, anxiety over the coming year, post-holiday blues. There is so much need this time of year.

Having worked with hundreds of private practice clinicians over the course of our agency’s 13-year history, we’re reminded (particularly at this time of year) of the importance of screening. With all the requests and referrals you’re likely receiving, it’s more important than ever to slow down and screen. Do you have a tried-and-true screening process? Do you know who your ideal client is? Have you identified your particular therapeutic skills so you can ensure your skills match the clients’ needs? Are you clear up front about your schedule, rates, and what insurances you do (and do not) accept?

As clinicians, one of the things we all dread is getting into a relationship with a client whose needs do not align with our therapeutic skill set or modality of treatment. And because most practitioners do this work because they are called to help, it can be challenging NOT to accept a new client. Client screening is is about creating the right match between therapist and client so that the client receives the highest quality of care. It’s also about ensuring ongoing satisfaction in your work.

Screening Strategies for Initial Client Call

Here are a few screening strategies we’ve seen our affiliated clinicians employ that have set them up for successful new client relationships.

Be True to Yourself, Your Values, and Your Brand

We suggest screening clients in a way that feels authentic to you. You should have the freedom to develop a process that makes you feel comfortable and confident. You may want to do short, structured calls or longer, more free-form calls. You may want to send a follow-up email after the call to reiterate what was said. Regardless of how you screen or what your process is, the process should be followed consistently so that both you and the client get the information needed to ensure a productive, lasting relationship and also to ensure the process and level of care are the same for all, regardless of age, disability, religion, cultural background and sexual identity.

Know Your Niche

We could write an entire blog about finding your niche (and we plan to!), but for the purposes of screening, it’s important to identify what your particular therapeutic style and specialties are. What presenting concerns are you most interested in? What are you really good at?

As you know, not every therapist is the right fit for every client, and not every client’s needs align with a therapist’s expertise. Client screening allows you to evaluate your own competencies and determine if you have the necessary skills and experience to address a potential client’s specific concerns. Treatment plan interventions denoting your specific therapeutic modalities ensures more effective and focused treatment, enhancing the overall quality of care.

Consider creating a checklist of items you need to ask to identify if you might be able to help a potential client. Are there certain presenting issues you stick to within your niche? 

By knowing your niche, you will also be able to determine at the time of screening if the client’s level of distress and presenting concern are appropriate for the type and level of care you provide.

Know Your “Target Market”

Who is your ideal client? Based on your specialties or niche, what types of clients do you most enjoy treating and working with? In our experience, we see practitioners gaining much more satisfaction from their work when they are working with a population that they have identified as people they wish to serve.

Can you identify certain criteria surrounding the clients you want to treat? Do you only work with adults? Families? Adolescents? Do you only work with clients who have MaineCare or private insurance?

It’s helpful to have a list ready of other therapists in your area so you can easily refer out if you are unable to serve the client within your specialty or scope of practice.

Don’t Forget the Logistics

It’s important to inform clients of your rate at your earliest convenience. Before you schedule an appointment, ask the client if they have any questions about schedules, insurance, or fees. If a client has a pressing question about logistics at the beginning of the call, consider answering it right away so you don’t waste their time. There’s always a chance that your fee is too high for their budget, you don’t accept their insurance, or your schedules don’t align.

Be sure to have a plan for sorting out logistics in the initial call regardless of whether the potential client inquires about them. Here are some key logistics to go over:

• Scheduling
• Fees/Insurance
• Location accessibility
• Initial paperwork requirements

We encourage you to think about your screening process not as a means to exclude clients, rather as a means to create the best conditions for a successful therapeutic relationship. In private practice, you take on so many roles – from clinician to business owner. We find it’s helpful for our affiliated clinicians to think about the client screening process as a strategic tool for managing various aspects of your private practice including the mitigation of your own burnout! By carefully evaluating potential clients, you can build strong therapeutic relationships, reduce risks, and ultimately enhance your client’s overall well-being. In doing so, you provide the highest standard of care while fostering a fulfilling and sustainable private practice.<

Posted on January 29, 2024by Author Kayla Quesnelin Categories Advice for Affiliates, Private Practice

As a therapist, you know that finding the right office space for your private practice is critically important. Your office location can be crucial to attracting and retaining clients and to your quality of life—after all, you will be spending a large part of your time there. Equally important, the interior environment you create in an office establishes the overall vibe for your practice—it needs to feel safe, secure, and welcoming for clients. 

As you prepare to search for office space for your practice, we recommend taking some time to ensure you have a good sense of your client base, location needs, monthly budget, and the type of lease you’re looking for. Here are four questions we’ve found it helpful to consider (or re-consider, as the case may be) as you prepare to start looking at properties. 

1. Who Are Your Target Clients?

Defining your client base will help bring your office location requirements into focus. Who are you looking to serve and where are they located? Do you specialize in practicing with a specific population group? For example, do you envision working middays with office professionals on their lunch breaks, or are you hoping to serve children for after-school counseling sessions? If you’re doing individual sessions with office workers during the day, you might look at properties in downtown areas that have a concentrated number of professionals, whereas therapists working with children or adolescents may consider locations close to schools or related health services to maximize cross-references and convenience for the child and guardian alike. 

Do your best to meet your clients where they are and when it’s convenient for them—but, obviously, within the parameters of your own work style and preferences—for example, you may or may not mind a longer commute. This is, after all, one of the advantages of running your own business. 

2. How Much Rent Can You Afford?

As you can imagine in this real estate market, for most private practice therapists, rent is one of the largest items on their monthly budgets—if not the largest. There’s no fixed number for what percentage of business income your rent should be. Most financial guidelines suggest spending anywhere from 2 to 20 percent of your total practice income on rent, with the majority falling in the 5 to 10 percent range. If you are new to owning a small business and don’t yet have at least a year’s worth of data to determine your annual revenue, we recommend being conservative with your projected figures. 

Five to ten percent of your revenue is still likely to be a large range. So how much rent can you truly afford? 

There are multiple factors that affect rent prices and some of these factors may be more or less important to you based on your target demographic and how you want to work. For example, if you’re conducting most of your therapy sessions online, geographical features might be less important than, say, noise control. Clinicians practicing somatic therapies or play therapy may need more space for equipment, for instance, while other therapists may value a window over more square footage. Some considerations include: 

• Urban or rural location
• Type and size of building
• Square footage of office 
• High-traffic area and/or easy to find
• Easily accessible by public transportation
• Ample parking
• Services available nearby, including potential competition
• Secure, reliable internet access (especially for those practicing telehealth) 
• Noise/privacy levels 
• Accessibility
• Maintenance and repairs 
• Windows and lighting

We have found that it’s helpful rank your priorities for office space from one to ten, with the top three or so being must-haves. 

From there, you can determine what your bare minimum requirements are for office space and what you would be willing to splurge on. Would the more expensive rent benefit your business in a tangible way? Whichever percentage you settle on within the suggested range, set it firmly in your mind before you start visiting properties, and stick to your budget.

3. What Type of Office Lease is Right For You?

There are three main types of lease contracts in commercial real estate: full service (landlord pays for all expenses); net (tenant pays the rent and a portion of taxes, insurance, and maintenance fees); and triple net (tenant pays the rent and all of the taxes, insurance, and maintenance of the property). 

If some of the fees are paid in a net contract, you’ll want to understand exactly which ones are included in the rental price, including expenses for common areas (such as the parking lot, building lighting, and property landscaping). Remember to adjust your budget accordingly if you have taxes, utilities, insurance, and cleaning/maintenance as separate expense categories.  

In addition to these types of office leases, you may also be able to find subletting options or flexible terms, such as a monthly, six-month, or yearly lease. Perhaps you can share an office with another professional whose work hours are different than yours. And your landlord may be willing to negotiate their asking price, especially if you are entering into an extended lease. If you can be creative within the lease contract, it may save you money in the long run. 

4. What Interior Factors Create the Right Environment?

Unlike some small businesses, the layout and interior design of an office rented for therapy use is critical. We all know that physical environment affects our emotions and behavior. When a client feels comfortable, relaxed, and safe in a therapy office, it builds therapeutic rapport and enhances self-disclosure. 

When scouting offices, occupy the space under consideration and imagine a therapy session taking place there. Is the space inviting as is? Are the walls thick and the doors solid to satisfy privacy concerns? Who controls the temperature? Is it quiet? Is the lighting warm and adjustable? 

Consider which elements in the office you are allowed to change and whether or not you want to spend the time and money to make those changes yourself. Can you paint the walls, hang artwork, and so forth to create a comfortable environment? Is the office semi-furnished? How much will furniture and other design elements add to your costs? What do you need to add to effectively soundproof the room? 

You can promote positive interaction with your clients through office modifications that follow healthcare design principles, such as clutter-free, light-filled spaces with greenery and soft seating. And don’t be shy about displaying your credentials: a study in the Journal of Environmental Psychology (Devlin, 2009) showed people rate mental health practitioners most favorably when they have more diplomas on the wall. 

Another thing we have found it useful to keep in mind is your client’s experience with the entire building location, from the first step of their visit to their last. Can they easily find a parking spot or bike rack? Is there a security system in place? Are accessibility aids incorporated throughout the building? Is the waiting room clean and well-maintained? Who are your neighbors? Is the bathroom centrally located? When you thoughtfully consider how your client will feel throughout each moment of their therapy session, your private practice is more likely to have positive therapist-client interactions and an advantageous retention rate, which will be reflected in your bottom line.  

This Health Affiliates Maine blog post is another in our series on Managing Your Private Practice, where we explore how to successfully run your private practice as a mental health clinician. Previous articles covered how to market your private practice [link to https://www.healthaffiliatesmaine.com/how-to-market-a-private-practice/], create office policies [link to https://www.healthaffiliatesmaine.com/writing-policies/], and billing and finances [link to https://www.healthaffiliatesmaine.com/managing-your-private-practice-finances/].

Posted on November 1, 2023by Author Kayla Quesnelin Categories Advice for Affiliates, Private Practice