Counselor Weekly- 03/20/2024

Start, Grow, and Market Your Mental Health Practice

Hello, and welcome to Counselor Weekly! Thanks again for being part of the community!

Here's the short and skinny of today's newsletter:

  • Meme of the Day

  • Weekly Practice Tip

  • Interesting Articles

Meme of the Day

This Week’s Practice Growth Tip

Using social media to market your practice:

Short answer: Avoid using platforms like Facebook and Instagram

Long answer: When you think of advertisements on social media, what comes to mind? Is it professional, clinical services? Or is it “salesy” ads that are using tactics to get you to buy something?

There are also specific restrictions regarding how you can advertise your counseling practice. Every state is different, so check your licensing rules and review ACA’s recommendations regarding social media marketing.

For many businesses, social media is a key marketing and growth avenue, but not for clinical/medical services. We aren’t “selling” a product like a restaurant or t-shirt company. Potential clients should be finding you through professional resources such as your website, Psychology Today, etc.

Marketing your practice needs to be in alignment with your licensing rules, as well as your personal ethics. Focusing on maintaining a professional website, having quality listings on professional directories, creating a network of local referral sources, and client word-of-mouth can fill up your practice without using unethical/costly tactics.

On a personal note, avoiding social media in general can improve your mental health, well-being, relationships, and business. Mindless scrolling becomes an avoidance behavior that prevents you from doing the real work in your life.

How much time do you currently spend on social media? Be honest… What are some healthier ways to spend that time that create/add true value to your life?

And finally, please stop using Facebook and other social media platforms to get advice on pretty much anything. Specifically to growing a private practice, much of what you see on social media is wrong, misleading, and possibly unethical or illegal. Having a network of respected professionals is a much better resource for seeking advice and guidance. You should also ALWAYS refer back to your licensing board and rules to make sure you’re in compliance with current regulations.

Be a therapist, not an “influencer”.

Simple solution: don’t be a therapist on social media. Again, focus on being a therapist rather than an influencer.

Recommendations? Interesting topics you would like to know more about? All you have to do is REPLY to this email with your suggestions on how I can make Counselor Weekly even better!

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Are you an LPC Supervisor in Texas?

Are you an LPC Supervisor in Texas wanting to market your services and connect with potential Associates? Are you recently graduated from your Master’s program and beginning the search for an LPC Supervisor? If so, Find Your Supervisor is a directory for LPC Supervisors to list their information in a searchable index so that potential Supervisees can connect with them and hopefully find a perfect match! There’s even a FREE version! Though you will not get all the robust search capabilities and members only resources you receive with the paid version, the FREE option still allows you to market basic information about your practice.

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If you have any questions, click REPLY to this email and I can answer any questions you have. Thanks again for allowing me this personal promotion! 🙏

Want to promote your business/product/book/software/etc. that is related to professional counseling or mental health? Send me an email and let's chat! Just hit REPLY to this message!

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