The Grow Your Private Practice Show

Do you ever have those days when one minute, you feel like you can take on the world and accomplish almost anything and then the next, you have about as much energy and enthusiasm as a grumpy teenager? 

These changes in our mood and energy directly impact our productivity at home, at work, and in life in general and usually result in us rating our day as good or bad.

But what if I suggested that you change that language and instead of labelling your day’s productivity as good or bad that you refer to it as ebb and flow?

A GYPP member kindly contacted me to suggest the topic of this week’s podcast, How to Stay Productive, Even on Low Energy Days.  She commented, “you once sent me a blog about ebb and flow energy, and it’s been invaluable to me at times when my motivation has been low and my imposter syndrome high”.

Naomi Dunford wrote this particular blog from ittybiz in 2017, and in it, she takes a behind-the-scenes look at why bad days happen.  She highlights the importance of recognising your energy levels so that you can achieve realistic tasks during both these cycles to make the most of your day.

In this podcast, I share practical tips that I have found beneficial to make the most of my ebb and flow that I hope will be invaluable to you too.

We can’t meet every day with the same amount of energy, but trust that you will get things done and do what works for you.

Links to follow:

Naomi’s original blog ‘How To Stay Amazingly Productive On Low Energy Days’

Episode 12: Your business, your rules.

It’s my 4th anniversary, and this week I reflect on my business journey and the many lessons I’ve learned.  And - spoiler alert - they are probably things you’ve struggled with too. So take a listen and learn from my mistakes.

• The benefits of bootstrapping
• Making good business investments
• Embracing change
• Boundaries, burnout and letting go of responsibility
• Being bullied by imposter syndrome

Episode 39: What should I name my therapy business?

Episode 12: Your business, your rules

Episode 24: Managing your diary with time blocking

Therapy Rebrand

It’s my anniversary! Yes, I’ve been working with counsellors and therapists to help grow their practice for 4 years (ok, a bit longer than that, but what’s a few months between friends?). And I’ve come a long way and learned a lot in that time - and am still learning. 

But there are 4 main things I’ve learned about counsellors in that time and I talk about them in this episode. 

So take a listen, I’m sure it will take something from this

• My journey from then to now
• Some unrealistic expectations that are holding you back
• How taking these on board will help you prevent burnout
• How to start to value yourself

My OE workshop

Therapy rebrand workshop

The Grow Your Private Practice book

Episode 042: Why your private practice should NOT be on every social media platform

Episode 038: How to stop comparing yourself to other therapists

In today’s episode, I interviewed Lisa Murphy, a counsellor that grew her private practice using LinkedIn. 

Her niche is working with men to help deal with stress and anger, and she incorporates a mixture of therapies including counselling, hypnotherapy, EFT, and NLP. 

And she used LinkedIn to form connections and grow her private practice 

In this episode we explore:

• Why she chooses to work with stressed men with anger issues
• How she connects with her niche clients via social media
• Why she chose to concentrate on LinkedIn 
• How she’s increased her engagement
• How her confidence has grown over time
• How she comes up with masses of relatable post ideas

About Lisa Murphy

Lisa Murphy is a therapist who specializes in helping men deal with stress and anger.  Lisa incorporates a mixture of therapies including counselling, hypnotherapy, EFT, and NLP to offer unique solutions for a high-pressured lifestyle.

Lisa runs her private online practice from her base in North Wales

Connect with Lisa on LinkedIn HERE

Links to follow:

Episode 41: ‘6 compelling reasons why LinkedIn is great for therapists’

Episode 42: ‘Why your private practice should NOT be on every social media platform’

Every industry, topic and niche has its fair share of jargon. Take counselling for example, we have things like humanistic, person-centred, integrative etc 

And marketing is no different. 

There’s already so much to juggle as a private practitioner, so the last thing you want to do is decipher the lingo.

So to make it easier for you, I’ve rounded up 10 key terms and phrases you need to know if you run a private practice.

Hope this helps! 

Links to follow

SEO Nibbles

Episode 42: Why your private practice should NOT be on every social media platform

Episode 8: What is social media engagement and why you need to know

Episode 35: Can you help your clients - and do they know it 

The Grow Your Private Practice Book

Social media can be a really effective way to get your business seen and attract more clients, leading to more visibility, more clients, more opportunities, and ultimately, more money. It’s how I’ve grown all my businesses. 

With a little practice, you can plan a month’s social media in advance and then take 5-10 mins, twice a day to pop in to grow your following and respond to comments. 

And what’s the easiest way to save time on social media? Just use one platform. You don’t need a presence on all the platforms to get results. 

Ok, so what usually happens now is people start to doubt me. They think if they are on 3 platforms, they will get 3 x the results. 

And sometimes they say ‘well, it doesn’t take me long to just copy/paste it to another platform.’

But that just isn’t the case. 

Why? Well, in this weeks’ podcast I explore this and share 4 reasons why it’s better to only have one social media account - and a handy free guide to help you decide which to choose.

• Why being on more than one platform is a false economy
• How it can negatively affect your engagement rate
• Why it’s not as simple as copy/pasting your posts
• Why it’s important to increase your followers
• How being on more than one platform can impact the know, like, and trust factor
• What to do if you’re on more than one platform

If you’re new to social media then there is a lot to learn, so just take your time, keep an open mind and enjoy the process.  It’s a new skill and as with any new skill, it will take some time and practice. 

And if you’re not sure which platform to be on, grab the FREE guide ‘Social media platform

And if any of this sounds a bit daunting, in the Grow Your Private Practice Club we have lots of help ready and waiting for you so come and see how we can help you.

Episode 8: What is social media engagement, and why you need to know

Episode 41: 6 compelling reasons why LinkedIn is great for therapists

And if you’re a member of GYPP, you have access to Social Media Made Simple, LinkedIn and LOVING it, and LinkedIn for the lazy

If you think LinkedIn is a bit of a starchy, corporate place or not much more than an online CV then you could be missing out on a fabulous opportunity. 

Because LinkedIn is an amazing social media platform to focus on, especially if you are new to private practice and don’t have a website yet. 

In this episode, I share with you 6 compelling reasons why LinkedIn is great for therapists

In this episode we explore:

• Why it’s a brilliant choice for counsellors new to private practice
• How it’s more simple to grow a following
• You don’t have to post every day
• You can share Articles to demonstrate your authority (Articles are basically blogs)
• You don’t always need images

Episode 8: What is social media engagement, and why you need to know

Episode 4: 7 Steps to sharing great quotes on social media

Episode 9: How to save time and improve results on social media

Episode 17: 10 Reasons why blogging will attract more counselling clients

Do you ever doubt yourself and think you can’t write because you have nothing new to say, or worry that your spelling or grammar is too bad?

Well, you’re not alone. In fact, when I spoke with Zoe a few years ago and suggested she tried blogging to attract clients, she didn’t believe she could write. Now, she’s just published her book.

So today I chat with Zoe Clements about niches, personal disclosure, her Canva addiction and why you should give writing a go, even if you don’t think you can write.

In this episode we explore:

• How having a niche helped her go from genetic counsellor to writing a book
• How she developed her unique voice
• How she uses stories to help readers connect
• How Paddy her dog helps her bring ideas to life
• Why she decided to invest her time, money and energy into writing a book

About Zoe

Zoe Clements is a qualified integrative counsellor who specialises in helping others soothe their overthinking brain and ease their anxiety from her private practice in London.

 In 2021, Zoe published her first book, 'But I Should Be Fine: How to gain relief from anxiety, overthinking and self-doubt'. Here she brings together her 16 years of professional experience and her personal struggles to deliver a warm, practical, psychobabble-free guide to overcoming anxiety. 

As a recovered overthinker, she is passionate about raising awareness of anxiety through professional speaking events, blogging and social media. When she is not working she can be found travelling or in South East London, where she lives with her wife, Lucinda, and their dog, Paddy.

Find out more about Zoe and her services at www.zoeclements.co.uk

Find her at:

Instagram: @zoeclementscounsellor

LinkedIn: Zoe Clements

Book available through:

Amazon: In paperback and Kindle here

Apple Books: EBook 

Coming to bookshops in April 2021

Links to follow

Episode 26: The truth about consistency (it might not be what you think!)

Episode 18: 7 Ways for therapists to find blog post ideas

Episode 16: How to silence your inner critic

Episode 6: Do you need to be an expert to attract counselling clients?

Starting your own private practice can be an exciting time, but there’s a lot to think about. Even before you get started you have to consider what you’re going to call yourself. 

So in this episode, I’m going to share some things to consider when naming your therapy business. 

In this episode we explore:

• How SEO has changed and how it affects choosing a name
• The pros and cons of choosing a name to do with your niche
• How clear beats clever
• Social media names
• What to do if your name isn't available.

Links:

Episode 29: Slow down to speed up: How to increase both your skills and confidence

Episode 28: How to get and stay motivated

Episode 1: Action is the antidote to fear

I’ve been known to play the comparison game in my life before, but it’s never actually helped me because comparisons just leave us feeling either superior or inferior and there’s no benefit to either of those. 

So in this episode, I explore the impact of making comparisons, and how destructive it can be to your confidence, self-esteem and self-belief. 

In this episode we explore:

• Why comparisons aren’t good for you
• Why comparisons aren’t based on facts
• Ways you can step away from it
• The power of staying in your own lane. 

So if you’ve ever been caught up by comparisonitis - and I bet you have at some point! - consider the impact and do something more positive instead.

Links:

Episode 7: Using introvert superpowers to attract more clients, with Fifi Mason

Episode 12: Your business, your rules

Episode 13: A deep dive into online directories

Episode 16: How to silence your inner critic

The Grow Your Private Practice Club

The Grow Your Private Practice Book