3 Tips to Provide a Powerful and Free Initial Consultation
As therapists, it is always best practice to be mindful of time so that we can maximize our billable hours and keep our business in the black. I have known therapists in private practice who have been against providing free consultations in order to preserve their profitability and closely manage their time. In contrast to that position, I have always had free brief consultations as a part of my business model.
These powerful conversations allow therapists a chance to explain to the client what the experience will be like. During a brief consultation, clients can be set at ease about the process and become educated about your theoretical perspective which, in my experience, makes them more likely to schedule with you. Brief consultations can also allow therapists a chance to establish whether or not they can meet the needs of a particular client.
I opened my private practice in 2014 and in seven years of business, and in that time every client who I have done an initial consultation with (who has been a fit for my scope of practice and business model) has scheduled an appointment with me.
It is one of my strongest marketing tools.
Below are 3 tips to serve as a guide on how to conduct a free brief consultation.
№1 : Do a free 15 minute consultation for each client that messages or emails you from your referral service, website or other means. Structure these calls in by breaking out the first or last hour of your working days to call clients back for consultations.
№2 : Set goals for your client consultation. Find out about the presenting problem and establish whether or not it is in your scope of practice. Establish a rapport and assess whether or not this client seems to be a fit for your practice.
Be prepared and briefly describe your practice and your style to the client to see if they feel you are a fit for them. Also include information about your fees, your session length, whether you provide telehealth or in person sessions, and any other general information it would be helpful for the client to know.
If you establish that a client may not be a good fit within your practice for any reason, help and provide other resources and suggestions for how clients can connect to a mental health professional. For instance, if clients cannot afford your fee, refer them to a community mental health center. This is not only ethical and helpful; the potential client will also remember connecting with you and may reach out again when they are stronger financially or when someone they know needs help.
№3 : Use the last 5 minutes out of 15 to ask the client if it feels like a fit. If they affirm use that last five minutes to schedule and to record demographics whether by hand or by giving them access to your practice management system. Explain your intake process and explain to the client at that time how and when you expect to be paid for sessions. You will explain all of this again later as part of the mandatory disclosure process, but it is helpful to repeat things multiple times for clients so they understand expectations, limitations and the general process.
Gwendolyn S. Gaumond, MS, MA, LPC — Owner, Coal Creek Counseling Associates : Louisville, Colorado
Coming from a background in tech and as program manager for the National Mental Health Innovation Center, Gwen is now building her private practice while serving on Therapeasy’s advisory board.
