Therapist Blog Challenge #20: Athletes and Mental Health

Therapist Blog Challenge #20 deals with the sometimes misunderstood topic of the mental challenges that athletes may experience.

[Headline] Come up with a headline to give your readers an idea of what is to come. Here are a few examples:

Athletes' Unique Struggles With Mental Illness

Why Athletes Are Not Immune to Mental Health Challenges

Depression and Anxiety in Athletic Competitors

[Strong Intro] Write an introductory paragraph to explain more the topic and lay the scene for your main points. You may write your own or use the following:

Athletes are the envy of many in our society. Whether they're professionals, college players, or even high schoolers who excel in sports, it's not uncommon to desire their physical strength, attractive appearance, and mental grit. But what some may not understand is that athletes are just as vulnerable to mental health problems as the rest of the population. In fact, they often face unique struggles concerning their psychological well-being. According to some estimates, as many as 1 in 5 athletes experiences some form of a mood disorder. Here are 4 common reasons why athletes may struggle with mental illness:

[Scanable Content] Break up your content to make it more digestible and easy to read. Under each point, flesh out your idea by elaborating on your thoughts.

Athletes Often Tie Their Self-Worth To Their Performance

Athletes may experience feelings of worthlessness or extreme disappointment if they lose a game or match or otherwise do not perform at the level they desire. As losing (and even failing) is an inherent part of sports, this can occur quite frequently and therefore take an emotional toll that may leave these individuals prone to situational depression.

Frequent Injuries

Depending on the specific sport of event, some athletes may get hurt quite regularly. Head injuries (particularly concussions) sometimes seen with football players can lead to depression. Also, injuries that sideline athletes can cause them to feel incomplete or incompetent, which may further trouble them emotionally; if sports is what an individual excels at, he/she may feel like there is nothing else without them.

Associate Mental Illness With Weakness

As athletics emphasizes strength, having an "off-day" or being otherwise psychologically low may come off as weakness. Coaches and players may exacerbate this idea, and athletes can feel even worse about themselves if they are experiencing extreme sadness, anxiety, or other uncomfortable emotions resulting from a mental illness. There is already enough societal stigma concerning this topic, and this may even be more so in the world of athletics.

High Stress and Pressure

Everyone experiences the stress of everyday life, but that felt during an athletic event is even more intense. As an athlete's paycheck (and pride) depends on their performance, the stress and anxiety can sometimes prove too much and create a heavy psychological burden.

[Strong ending paragraph] 

Wrap up your post by summarizing your main points to conclude and then possibly offering a further idea or two for readers to investigate on their own. Here's an example:

The nature of sports and competitiveness presents unique challenges for athletes. Thankfully, we can raise awareness of this issue in the hopes or reaching more individuals who may need professional help. Visit the International Society for Sports Psychiatry (ISSP) for more information.

Additional reminders about the 2015 blog challenge

• Write and post your blog article in the next 2 weeks. If you miss the deadline or you read this article months later, that’s OK too. Post a link for this blog challenge in the comment section of this blog post.
• Read, comment, and share other therapist’s articles.
• Tweet your post using hashtag #therapistblog and tag @julie_hanks so I can retweet it.
• Pin it on the challenge Pinterest Board. I’ve invited everyone who posted a comment on the initial blog challenge post as collaborators so you can pin onto the group board.
• Spread the word and invite mental health colleagues to join the challenge. Articles can be added anytime throughout the year.
• Write no more than 600 words, make it easy to read, use a conversational tone, and gear your articles toward your ideal client (not other professionals).
• The goal of a professional blog is to provide value to your website visitors, help them get to know your professional perspective, increase traffic to your private practice website, and build your practice.

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Multiple Income Stream Success Story #2: Consulting

We are continuing our Success Stories of multiple income streams using the six areas I’ve previously highlighted: supervising, consulting, teaching, publishing, speaking, and writing. Today we’re looking at number two on this list, Consulting. There are many ways a private practitioner can offer their knowledge for consulting purposes. These include: consulting with professionals, mental health agencies, corporate trainings, media contributing, and forensic consulting.

This success story is my own.

I love helping therapists create a practice that is energizing, fun, and profitable. After I had been in private practice for about 7 years and had grown from a solo to a private clinic, other private practitioners started asking me to share how I developed a clinic that didn’t rely on managed care, how to build a social media presence, and how to land media interviews. I started this blog Private Practice Toolbox on PsychCentral.com in July 2011 and started presenting on practice building strategies and began a consulting business Julie Hanks, LLC.

Here are a few questions to ask yourself if you'd like to add consulting as an additional income stream:

1) In what areas are other mental health professionals asking me for feedback, training, and information?

2) List 3 areas of expertise and professional passions. Which businesses, groups, or individuals people are looking for information related to my specialty area?

3) Which topics are you constantly researching, reading, and talking about simply because you enjoy learning more?

My hope is that these questions prompt you to brainstorm some ways that you could incorporate consulting into your professional life. If you are currently providing consulting, please let me know about it by posting about your consulting services! Feel free to add a link, too.

To learn more about my private practice consulting services visit PrivatePracticeToolbox.net

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Multiple Income Streams Success Story #1: Supervision

In the past, I've written about increasing revenue using multiple forms of income (income not related to direct client hours). I offered five key questions to find areas where you might be able to enjoy adding some extra income to your private practice. In this series, I want to share the successes of private practitioners who have used these concepts to find areas that not only increase their income, but help reach their ideal clients and also fuel their passions. Amy Tatsumi, MA, LPC, found that she could garner additional income and give back to the psychotherapy community by providing supervision to others training in her field. Amy estimates that 25-30% of her income comes from supervision and consultation services.

“I believe that supervision and consultation are the biggest ways that I can give back as a therapist. Supporting clinicians in their journey to become sound, connected, and grounded psychotherapists has a powerful ripple effect. The supervisee, as well as all of their future clients, are impacted by the supervision process in their growth and development. In my private practice, I offer both individual and group clinical supervision and consultation for post graduate candidates and post license and seasoned practitioners in art therapy, counseling, and psychotherapy.”

To learn more about Amy and her services, visit amytatsumi.com 

You might find that the fee you can charge for supervision is similar to your hourly clinical rate. I recommend researching what the standard rates are for supervisors in your area. Be sure that you are meeting all the qualifications for supervising a particular discipline as requirements differ depending on the field (social work, professional counseling, psychology, marriage & family therapy) and on in which state you practice. It is common that supervisors meet requirements for a minimum number of years of licensure or have specialized training as a supervisor. It's also important to research and understand which groups of trainees you should or should not supervise.

Income from supervision can be accomplished in a few ways. I have found in my own practice that hiring interns to meet with clients has been a successful way of creating additional income for the practice. It allows your practice to see more clients than only having one provider. You can also provide direct supervision to clinicians from other agencies. There are many times when clinicians may not have access to the type  of supervisor necessary to meet the licensing requirements. They must then seek someone who can provide that. You can also provide supervision for other agencies themselves. Agencies may find that they have a need for someone to supervise employees for similar reasons that clinicians may seed outside supervision. Creating a relationship with an agency for supervision could be a consistent income stream. Consider all your options, then implement the style that works best for you.

If supervision isn't the income source you're looking for, don't worry; I'll be sharing other success stories and ideas for multiple avenues for revenue. I'd love to hear from you about areas where you have found the opportunity to generate income and, hopefully, some excitement for you.

Visit the new PrivatePracticeToolbox.net for webinars and consulting services

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Tough Love: How to Be Firm About Finances

When you decided to go into the field of professional psychotherapy, it's likely that your reasons had little to do with money. Even as you first started, you probably didn't have dollars on the brain all the time (payments, insurance, fees, collections, etc.). Billing specialists deal with that stuff, not us, right? But those of us in private practice quickly discover how important it is to acknowledge and successfully navigate the financial aspect of our businesses. And resigning from managed care panels and switching to a fee-for-service model means that the responsibility to collect fees relies on the individual therapy practice; now, it's our job.

I certainly understand that it can be awkward. People get weird about money. I used to be uncomfortable asking clients for payment after they'd born their souls to me. But thankfully, there's a way to conquer money anxiety, serve your clients, and still meet the needs of your practice and of yourself. Here are some strategies I've discovered about how to be firm about finances and present your stated fees to clients with confidence:

(Re)Consider the Purpose of Money

Your own personal history may lead to your feeling anxiety about money. It may help to rethink the role it plays and the reason why we even have it in the first place: you are offering your time, energy, and skills to therapy, and in return, the client is offering you the resource of money. It's an energy exchange that can be emotionally neutral. It doesn't mean you are greedy or uncaring; not at all!

Value Yourself and Your Services

When I first started, I had a hard time seeing myself as a professional, which meant that I wasn't as confident or assertive about asking for money. But my supervisor helped me understand the training, skills, education, and experience I could offer. Remember what you're worth: you can provide valuable insight to those who are struggling, and you deserve to be compensated for your work. Keeping this in mind will help make it easier to accept payments and communicate about money issues.

Charge Before the Session

It works best to ask for payment at the beginning of the session before attempting to conquer tough emotional issues. This gets it out of the way right away and avoids the potentially awkward exchange at the end. There's no surprise, no uncomfortable conversation about fees owed. There's also something about being paid up front that is gratifying and enforcing for the therapist.

Use a "Money Script"

When possible, it's best to keep a separation between the therapist and the finances because it helps the client not associate his/her counselor with money. Use a planned and rehearsed script to communicate about payments. It may go something like this:

How would you like to pay for your session today?"

When potential clients ask, "Do you work with my insurance company?" I respond, "While we don't bill insurance directly, I'm happy to provide you with a receipt to submit for reimbursement from your insurance company. You may want to check with them and ask if you have out-of-network mental health benefits."

Have a Clearly Stated Payment Policy and Stick to It

Don't skimp on this. Take the time to develop and implement a carefully thought-out policy concerning payments, no-shows, cancellations, etc. By setting clear expectations, you can pave the way for an efficiently run practice with clients who attend sessions and take therapy seriously. Your actions and attitudes about finances will set the tone: if you feel anxious discussing money, your client likely will as well. But if you're professional, positive, and confident, a client will feel at ease.

My clinic policy is that if you are one session behind in payment your therapy is on hold until your account is up to date. Also, we charge full fee for no-shows and late cancellations, even on initial sessions, unless there is an emergency (read here for more about how to get paid for no-shows) . Therapist Leland Clipperton of Counseling & Mediation has a system in place where a client can actually receive a discount by pre-paying for 4 sessions in advance. Do some research, ask around, and get creative and innovative in developing a policy payment or tweaking your existing one.

You may find it helpful to have a system to notify your clients about their upcoming sessions. Making phone calls or using your EHR to send automated text messages or emails a day or two beforehand can serve as important reminders and reinforce the value of therapy. So if they're making the financial investment, we might consider making an extra effort to encourage them to be there.

In my 12 years in private practice, I've gotten extremely comfortable talking about financial issues with clients. With time, experience, and the use of these strategies, I am confident that the same can be true of you.

 How are YOU firm about finances?

What money tips and strategies that have benefitted your practice can you share?

Click here to access my webinar "How to Break Up With Managed Care" and learn more about how to improve your therapy practice.

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Therapist Roll Call: Join The Private Practice Pinterest List

Do you use Pinterest? I do and I have found some amazing relationship and emotional health resources for my clients and practice building resources. I've also found that it's a great way to direct visitors to my website and learn about my services.

In the past, I've featured a roll call for therapists so we could connect on Twitter and Facebook, and it was very well received. I'd like to continue that tradition so we can get to know each other more on social media.

I recently wrote about how Pinterest can benefit your practice. So let's all add our Pinterest information and see what kinds of things we're pinning on our boards. Connect with me on Pinterest here

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Post a comment below and include:

1. your name
2. a link to your Pinterest page or board
3. your city and state
4. specialty area