Therapist blog challenge #19 focuses on the experience of parenting a child with special needs.
(Note: This is, of course an incredibly broad topic. Subtopics include welcoming a child with special needs into the family, helping siblings of kids with learning disabilities, helping adults with special needs, etc. Narrow it down as you see fit.)
[Headline] Write a title that gives readers a clear idea of what your post is about. You may use one of the following if you'd like:
How to Begin to Understand Parenting a Special Needs Child
A First Time Parent's Guide to Nurturing a Special Needs Child
An Emotional Survival Guide for Parents of Children with Special Needs
[Strong Intro] Lay out the topic with a little more detail in an opening paragraph. Below is an example:
Expectant couples eagerly wait to welcome a new little one into their family. But sometimes a soon-to-be mom and dad discover that their child will have special needs, which will significantly affect their experience. Other parents learn of their child's unique needs later in family life. No matter the age of the child or the kind of disability, first discovering about their child's physical, emotional, or mental challenges can be a very difficult situation for parents. Here are 4 steps to help them begin to navigate the experience:
[Scanable Content] Break your content into smaller, readable sections with a clear sub-heading.
Let Yourself Feel What You Feel
Learning that a special needs child will be joining your family can bring a flood of conflicting emotions. Some of these may include confusion, excitement, frustration, gratitude, inadequacy, nervousness, and joy. Acknowledge your full range of emotions without dismissing or judging them. Tune into what you feel, as they can help you gain perspective, clarity, and insight about how to navigate this new experience.
Grieve
Some parents may feel guilty for being (somewhat) saddened that their child is special needs (particularly if he/she has a severe disability). It's important to allow yourself to properly grieve your loss of expectations of how your family life might have been different. This doesn't make you a bad or ungrateful parent; it instead helps you accept the reality and begin a journey toward embracing the challenges and joys of having a special needs child. Take the time to grieve the loss of certain dreams that may no longer be possible or realistic.
Join a Community
There are no shortage of resources from parents who also have special needs children in their home. Take advantage of the countless blogs, professional publications, and meet-up groups that are available to you. Not only can you learn from other parents functional knowledge about such topics as your child's nutrition, education, and social development, but you can lean on others for emotional support during difficult challenges that you may encounter. You yourself can help provide comfort and support for others as well.
Take One Day at a Time
Beginning the journey of your new life with a special needs child is unlike anything you've ever done before. The learning curve is steep, and it's almost guaranteed that you will experience some worry, doubt, and confusion. Try to be patient with yourself, take things one step at a time, and celebrate the accomplishments and goals both you and your child reach along the way.
[Strong ending paragraph] The final paragraph wraps up your post and can include a summary of important points.
Although learning that your child has special needs can certainly be emotionally difficult, it can also be the beginning of a wonderful family opportunity to grow together and experience joy. This is a lifetime endeavor, and the learning process will never stop. By allowing yourself to grieve and feel a full range of emotions, reaching out to others for help, and taking small steps, you can successfully begin your new life as the parent of a special needs child.
Additional reminders about the Therapist 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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Remember that this is a lifelong journey...
A Day in the Life: Meet Psychologist Laura Louis, Ph.D.
Dr. Laura Louis has worked in the field of psychology for over ten years. Her specialities includes multicultural counseling and helping couples rebuild trust and intimacy after infidelity. Using her professional expertise and experience, she authored a book entitled Marital Peace: 10 Things You Can Do To Divorce Proof Your Marriage.
Beyond her clinical career, Louis has provided consultation to different organizations and agencies to improve their productivity and efficiency through increased communication skills. She has worked in a variety of settings, including schools, court systems, domestic violence shelters, and psychiatric hospitals.
Peek into a day in her life as a psychologist here:
A Day in the Life
December 8, 2014
7:30AM -8AM
Woke up, got dressed, and checked my email.
8AM -10AM
Went to Stone Mountain for my weekly hike. This is what gets my creative juices flowing.
10AM-11AM
Prepped for my speaking engagement on helping couples heal from past infidelity. My 3 city tour is coming up next week, and I can't wait. YAY! I love to travel and meet new people.
11AM-12PM
Put the finishing touches on my upcoming webinar about infidelity. I'm excited about reaching a broader audience, but also a bit nervous. Hope it goes well.
12PM-1PM
Wrote psychological reports while eating lunch (Thought- I need to hire a psychometrist; time to build that team).
2PM-7PM
Saw 5 clients (one each hour). That's my limit. Anymore, and I start to question my effectiveness.
7pm
Headed home. Listened to a few business podcasts on the way from my private practice.
7:45PM
Made it home and kissed husband. Aww, I missed him.
8PM-10PM
Ate dinner. Since my husband works from home, he made dinner. Yay:) Cuddled together while watching Law and Order. Checked email.
10PM- 11PM
Read Bible and took a shower.
11PM
Went to sleep.
To learn more about Dr. Laura, visit www.giftedcounseling.com.
3 Benefits of Building a Social Media Following
A sizable social media following demonstrates that you are a reliable and respected source.
Once you've set up your social media platforms of choice (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.), building a group of dedicated followers takes time. Though it may be discouraging to initially only have a few "likes" on your page, consistently creating and curating content and growing your following is a valuable strategy that can pay off. One of the objectives of expanding your readership (gaining more followers on social media) is raising your visibility in the community and attracting more clients. But beyond this, having a loyal audience can help bring you additional professional opportunities. Here's how:
Writing for reputable sites and outlets is one way to secure multiple income streams for yourself. In my own life and career, I am grateful for the opportunity to be a regular contributor for Psych Central and Answers and also to frequently write for other publications. And the reason that I'm able to have these kinds of additional professional experiences is because of my social media following!
Social Proof of Relevance
When I approach a site, I can better convince them to allow me to write for them if I can demonstrate that I have a substantial readership. For example, I point to my 11,500+ Twitter followers and 2,400 followers on Instagram as evidence that I have an audience that cares about the things I say. When I write for a well-known website, I then share that article to my own followers, which increases traffic for both the site and for myself. This symbiotic relationship is possible because I've first built my own social media audience.
Demonstrates Your Expertise
In addition to showing the numbers, having a body of work you can draw from is critical when seeking to expand your professional opportunities. If you only have a few posts on your blog, you haven't yet established yourself as a credible writer. But by regularly creating and repurposing material, you have existing content to prove yourself as a trusted source. Also, your blog and other articles is what you are sharing via your social media platforms. The only way your followers will remain loyal readers is if you are consistently providing them with relevant material.
Attract Professional Opportunities
One unexpected result of building a social media following is that professional opportunities that I want are coming to me. Because I have a large body of online work, an engaged social media following, people who are seeking someone with my expertise can easily find me online. I've also heard several amazing stories of colleagues who have had publishers read out to them and offer a book contract because of their online presence and social media following.
Having a dedicated and engaged social media following is an excellent strategy to securing professional opportunities separate from clinical hours. Your online material can be "liked," re-shared, and re-pinned, and you can show the number of followers you have as evidence that you are a reliable source of information in your field.
What are YOU doing to build your social media following?
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7 Factors That Affect Private Practice Income
Maintaining a successful therapy private practice takes a lot of time, effort, and skill. There are countless aspects of your business that require painstaking attention in order for things to run smoothly. It can be difficult to work so hard and still sometimes experience economic uncertainty, so it's important to analyze the causes of financial inconsistencies. Here are 7 factors that affect private practice income: 1) Client Retention Rates
The ability to keep a client engaged in meaningful and helpful therapy is a learned skill that greatly impacts your private practice income. It doesn't get as much attention as generating new referrals, but in my experience it is equally important. While it would inappropriate to continue seeing an individual who no longer needs or desires therapy, keeping clients committed to the therapy process and attending sessions regularly not only helps them adequately work through their struggles and meet their goals, it also helps practitioners maintain their business. Conversely, clients who prematurely discontinue therapy put both themselves and their mental health professionals at a disadvantage.
2) The Number of New Referrals
Acquiring new clients is of course an excellent way to increase income, but it can be hard to predict the ebbs and flows of exactly when new individuals will seek your services, so it's not a guaranteed strategy. I have found that it's helpful to begin tracking the number of new referrals and then chart them so you can anticipate and prepare for business lulls in coming years.
3) Economic Climate
The general state of the economy can greatly impact whether clients will go to sessions as often or are willing to pay out of pocket. For some individuals, therapy is considered a necessity, while others may be view it as a luxury. Your income as a practitioner is in part dependent on the current economy of your community and state.
4) Season/Time of Year
The time of year can affect when current and/or potential clients ramp up their therapy time, as well as when they often take breaks. In my experience, the last two weeks of December is when everyone (clients and providers) take time off for the holidays. Just as with new referrals, tracking the dips in client numbers can help you save for those times when you will not be getting paid.
5) Fee Collection
You may have a steady stream of clients, but your income can be significantly lowered if a number of them have outstanding financial balances. How much money do people owe you? Are you good at collecting your fees? If you work with insurance companies, are you able to get reimbursed in a timely manner? All of these play a major role in the financial stability of your private practice (click here for how to set high expectations and create firm financial policies).
6) Moving Office Location
Relocation will almost certainly affect your private practice income. Depending on how far you move, it can take time to develop relationships, create a strong web presence, and acquire referral sources for therapy. Even if you are moving to another location in the same city, you may find that this may temporarily impact your client hours.
7) Leave of Absence/Taking a Vacation
One of the biggest complaints I hear from private practitioners is that if they are sick and have to miss a few weeks, they are left without an income. Taking some time off from seeing clients means we are not getting paid; understandably, this can create financial concerns.
These and other factors (some within your control, others not) can greatly affect how financially stable your practice will be. And as one of my goals is to help therapists experience income stability, I again strongly encourage you to pursue multiple income streams as a way of advancing professionally, serving your community, and also providing for your own needs.
Click here to access my webinar about how to develop multiple income streams.
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3 Things Potential Clients Really Want to Know
We've spent thousands and thousands of dollars on graduate education, continuing education, advanced clinical trainings and years in practicum and under supervision. We have invested a lot in our credentials, and all of the impressive acronyms behind our names. PhD, LCSW, LMFT, RPT, CSAC, LPC -- and the list goes on.
In my twenty plus years of practice, I have realized that what we value as clinicians is not necessarily the same thing as what those who are considering our services value. In fact, there are some principle criteria that we as clinicians need to meet in order for an individual to choose us as his/her therapist. Of course, there are exceptions. There are clients who are savvy to the ins and outs of mental health credentials, trainings, and certifications and are seeking help from someone in a specific discipline or with specific training. However, as a general rule, potential clients want to answer "yes" to these 3 questions before they select you as their clinician.
1) Do I like you?
A sometimes overlooked step of gaining new clients is your approachability. You can have advanced degrees and training, but if someone does not feel drawn to you initially, it's very unlikely he/she will choose you. And remember that not everyone will necessarily favor your particular style, and that's ok! Just as you are looking for an ideal client, he/she is looking for an ideal therapist.
One way potential clients may determine if they like you is by what they see of your online presence. What can someone learn about your personality from your photo(s) and you online content? How do you present yourself? All these can play a significant role in whether or not someone takes the next step in seeking your services.
2) Can I trust you?
Trust is a critical aspect of the therapy process, and people may want to get an idea of how trustworthy they perceive you to be before becoming a paying client (we don't share our innermost struggles with just anyone). Are you someone who can be trusted with another's vulnerabilities and pain? Would potential clients feel comfortable confiding in you? Do they feel like you are someone who would value and care about them? Do they believe that you are a competent provider?
When it comes to building trust with potential clients, once again a strong online presence can go a long way. By viewing the content you post on your blog and/or social media platforms, they can get a sense of your level of credibility and trustworthiness, and you can begin the process of fostering trust even before a client's first session.
3) Can you help me?
You as a therapist are there to serve, and individuals interested in you want to know that you have the skills to help them. Understandably, potential clients will be willing to emotionally and financially invest in therapy only if they believe it will truly benefit them. Can you use your training and experience to help them problem solve or develop coping skills? Does your professional expertise match their therapeutic needs? The answers to these questions influence whether or not someone will choose you.
An individual may not be able to fully know if you can help him/her until therapy actually begins. However, your online presence can still play a factor in introducing yourself, your approach, and your therapy style him/her. For example, media interviews can help potential clients see you as not just a provider, but as an expert in your speciality area. This type of exposure allows others to see your level of skill and competence (read here for more about how media interviews can benefit your practice).
How can you present yourself so that potential clients-
- like you
- trust you
- know you can help them
?
Visit the new PrivatePracticeToolbox.net for webinars and consulting services
Get practice tips and blog updates in your inbox. Sign up for the Private Practice Toolbox Newsletter here.
Join my Private Practice Toolbox Facebook group and connect with 3200 therapists around the globe in 2 simple steps:
1) Click request to join the group and
2) Fill out this brief questionnaire before you’ll be added to the group.
As healers, we genuinely like to do our work. Guiding clients through the therapy process and seeing them make progress is why we do what we do. But if you're in private practice, you know there's a lot going on in the back end and that it's crucial to run an efficient and organized business.