Common Mistake Made by Therapists, Coaches, and Healers in Private Practice
I talk to a lot of therapists who are in or who want to be
in private practice, and I’ve been categorizing common mistakes I observe.
This is the first in a series of posts where I’ll be sharing with you common mistakes I see smart, skillful therapists
make.
MISTAKE #1: NOT OWNING YOUR INNER ENTREPRENEUR
Most therapists did not get into the field because they
wanted to be an entrepreneur. They tend
to see themselves as “heart-centered,” and, consciously or subconsciously, they
often have all kinds of judgments and negative associations about entrepreneurs
as being money hungry and not really caring about people. This viewpoint can keep therapists from owning
their inner entrepreneur because they have fears of being seen in this light—as
caring more about money than clients, as being too “salesy” or arrogant,
etc.
Other times, confidence issues keep therapists from
stepping into the entrepreneurial energy that would help them market and
network themselves and think like a business owner. Fears of putting themselves out there, of being
more visible, of being judged as “tooting their own horn,” and of not being
good enough are common and can be crippling.
And other times, therapists just simply don’t know HOW to
own their inner entrepreneur (Yep, they sure don’t teach that in counseling
school!). Lack of clarity about what is
and isn’t ethical can also get in the way.
Many therapists run kicking and screaming at the idea of
developing their inner entrepreneur. But
if you’re not owning this part of you, you’re missing out on the awesome gifts
of the entrepreneur, and it is probably costing you big time.
COSTS OF NOT OWNING YOUR INNER ENTREPRENEUR
One of the biggest consequences of not owning your inner
entrepreneur is not putting yourself out there—keeping your gifts hidden like a
well-kept secret. Without leaning into your inner entrepreneur, it can be
really hard to network and market yourself (two things many therapists don’t naturally
like!). But if you can’t put yourself
out there and confidently talk about yourself and your work in a way that lets
people see the value, they’re not going to refer to you. And without referrals, it’s hard to build a
successful practice.
Another way not thinking like a business owner costs
therapists is not getting real with the financial aspect of their
businesses—not looking at profits and losses, not setting financial policies
that support the business (which also, by the way, can actually support
clients!) And, maybe most importantly,
it often prevents them from setting financial goals, which is one of the most
important things to do if you want financial success.
Lastly, therapists who don’t access their inner
entrepreneur are probably missing out on the entrepreneur’s creative tendency
to think big and look for new opportunities, possibilities, and ways to
expand. Therapists without their inner
entrepreneur often have a much smaller vision for their practice and tend to
settle in without much room for growth.
Are you missing out on the gifts of your inner
entrepreneur? If so, what do you think
it’s costing you?
If you’d like to move towards the success that’s
possible when you can have the confidence to own your inner entrepreneur, click here to schedule a complimentary Practice Accelerator Session where we’ll identify the three
biggest obstacles getting in your way and the number one thing you can do to
move forward.
