Grow Your Practice: The Key to Successful Consultations

Imagine you’re someone who is brand new to therapy. Maybe you’ve developed impressions of what happens in therapy on TV (has anyone seen “Shrinking”? Love the show. Hopefully not an accurate depiction of the behavior of therapists!) Maybe you’ve heard from people you know about the good and bad experiences they’ve had. Maybe you’ve gotten the message that “therapy is for crazy people.”

On the other hand, imagine you’re someone who has experience in therapy. Maybe it was a very positive one, and you wonder whether you will be able to develop the close bond you had with your prior therapist with another person. Or perhaps it was a negative experience, one that led to expectations that therapy may be overwhelming, painful, or just unhelpful. You wonder whether you will experience this again with a new provider.

These expectations are the “baggage” that a client may carry with them as they engage in an initial consultation with you. How you address these experiences and concerns will likely play a significant role in whether or not that consultation results in that client being added to your practice. Let’s talk about how you can address these kinds of concerns and get more therapy clients.

Tips for clients who have been in therapy before

Many therapists start a consultation by asking a question such as “why are you interested in starting therapy?” or “what are you hoping to get out of therapy?” I’m going to suggest that you save these questions for later in the call.

For potential clients who indicate that they have, ask them to share about that experience. “What felt helpful or went well? What do they wish had gone differently?”

This will focus the information you provide about your own practice on the ways in which you can continue to do what has felt impactful, and potentially address the challenges that impeded the past therapeutic relationship.

Tips for clients who are new to therapy

With potential clients who have not been in therapy before, it can be helpful to steer entirely away from asking them questions, which they may struggle to answer because they don’t yet feel comfortable opening up to a new person, or because they just simply don’t know the answers.

Instead, start by giving them an overview of what happens in therapy, and more importantly, what they could expect of their experience in therapy with you. Let them know how you approach the intake session—will it be structured, or will you let them tell their story?

Based on what you learn, explain how you will decide on goals for treatment and what a typical therapy session with you involves once treatment is underway. It can be helpful to situate this information within the context of your understanding of what helps people change in therapy, and what kinds of activities help them to change.

Save time for logistics & client questions

For both types of clients, you’ll want to spend a few minutes giving a high-level overview of your practice and its policies.

At the end of the consultation, be sure to leave time for the potential client to ask questions and encourage them to do so. If they don’t have any questions, it can be helpful to offer some questions that people commonly have about you and your practice.

Getting more ideal clients as a therapist

The purpose of this kind of consultation call is not to add just any client to your caseload, but rather to maximize your chances of bringing clients for whom you are a great match to your practice, and to set those who you treat up for success.

By being sensitive to the baggage a potential client brings into that all-important consultation, you can give them the information they need to make an informed decision about the therapist they choose—and you may see that it is more likely that YOU will be that person!