Often, it seems that your portrait is the very last thing you consider when planning your therapy business. How many of you have been faced with needing a photograph by tomorrow and all you can find is a blurry snapshot from five years ago? By nature therapists are a caring lot, always thinking of others first before considering yourself. However, as a budding therapist and a fairly seasoned entrepreneur I am beginning to understand the necessity for a good quality image as a therapist, a true portrait instead of that snapshot your friend took in your backyard last year that is, well, good enough. You can do so much better. In fact, it is the essential message of that Marketing 101 class that most of us never wanted to take, if it was offered at all. Thank goodness for the Casey Truffo’s of the world who are helping therapists develop professional images.
So picture this. Last week a friend of mine decided she was going to try therapy for the first time, so she called me up and asked me for some advice. I asked her what she had done so far. She explained that she had spent the entire afternoon scrolling through therapist after therapist on the Psychology Today website. After informing her about the CAMFT website (just had to do it) I asked her to continue. She went on to say that she was looking for “someone who looked warm and nice but smart and professional.” A tall order, yet most of us like to think we exhibit most of those qualities. When I asked what other traits she might be looking for, such as theoretical orientation she was completely stumped and said she could care less, she just wanted someone who would listen and make her feel comfortable enough to talk, someone she could trust with her secrets. Before a client ever meets you they may gaze at your photograph and wonder what kind of person you are. I suggest that you make it the best photograph you can. First impressions definitely count.
Sound too simplistic? Perhaps, but here’s the point.
Why would you go through so many years of education, internships, testing, and relentless training and make it this far to lose a client simply because they passed by your photograph as they were scrolling down a web page? Now, I understand that we bank a lot of our business on doing our utmost to deliver the best care we can, word of mouth referral, networking, etcetera, but what about those of us just getting started? And furthermore, even for the seasoned veterans out there, perhaps an updated image might be just the flash needed to re-ignite your business in this challenging economy. Sometimes your image changes over the years and it may be time to take a closer look. A new image of yourself can potentially be a therapeutic experience, offering you a fresh perspective on how you see yourself and, I turn, how your clients perceive you.
Put another way, you have simply invested too much time, energy and money in this whole business of becoming a therapist. Like it or not, it is undeniably a business and your number one resource is yourself. I encourage you to think hard about how you choose to present yourself to the world. Imagine if you could encapsulate all of the caring attitudes that you possess as a therapist in one image - your sincerity and admiration for the resiliency of the human spirit – indeed, your heart and soul in one portrait. That is what a good photograph can do to boost your business and enhance your self-esteem. Give it a shot.
Author: Kathleen Russ
