The 2 Reasons Your Therapy Practice Isn't Full
If you’re a therapist who desperately wants to fill their caseload but feels like your marketing isn’t working, we can boil down what’s going wrong to just 2 reasons.
At the time that I’m writing this, I’ve sat down 1-on-1 with over 350 therapists to talk about their marketing—clinicians in all different niches, at various stages of owning their practice, and with different goals.
Can you relate to some of their challenges?
I’ve been posting on social media, thinking about blogging, tried Google Ads…nothing seems to be working
So many of my peers are full with waiting lists, but I’m not getting any calls
I’m so overwhelmed I don’t even know where to start
How clients decide if they want to work with you
In order to figure out what’s going wrong, we first need to understand a really important concept: The Client Journey. Every single therapy client goes on this journey.
When someone decides to look for therapy, they’ve reached a level of discomfort or distress great enough that they are ready for some support. At this stage, they don’t know who you are, what your name is…all they know is that they have a problem they need help solving. This is the unaware stage.
Then, they learn who you are, whether from a Google Ad, a referral from someone, or via Psychology Today. Now, they’re aware of you. But just because of they’re aware of you doesn’t mean they’re ready to work with you. Studies show that they’re going to visit 5-7 different therapy sites before making a decision.
It’s only when they reach the final stage, sure of you, that they actually decide to become a paying client. They have to connect with you enough just through your marketing to know that you’re the therapist they want to work with.
Problem 1: They’re not aware of you.
You can be the most accomplished clinician, the best possible therapist to serve someone….but if they don’t know you’re out there, it simply doesn’t matter.
If your practice isn’t full right now, take a look at your marketing and ask yourself: am I helping clients learn that I exist?
If the answer is no, then invest in these areas:
Search Engine Optimization (making your website Google-friendly)
Improve Psychology Today profile and other directories
Increase networking connections and visibility in your community
Problem 2: They’re not sure of you.
This is the most common problem I see clinicians struggle with in their marketing. Maybe your name is out there, but you still aren’t seeing new clients come in.
That points us to the fact that there’s a drop-off after they learn about you: something in your marketing, at best, isn’t communicating why you’re the right therapist for them. At worst, it’s actually diminishing trust or connection.
Take a look at your marketing right now. Are you connecting with your client on their journey? Is there anything that’s keeping them from knowing, liking, and ultimately trusting you?
Here’s where to focus in order to fix this problem:
A beautiful, professional practice website that enhances your credibility
Client-friendly words that display your understanding of your ideal client
A clear niche that shows you’re the expert they’re looking for
At the end of the day, you & I both know that you have something incredible to offer your clients. In order to be effective with your marketing, we simply need to let them know that “something” is out there…and then communicate why you’re the one who can help deliver it.
If you need help fixing these problems in your practice, check out the resources below or click this link to learn more about how I help therapists with their marketing.
Ready for some support with your marketing? Check out these resources:
